Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Drinking Water Quality And Human Dimensions Of Cholera Patients To Inform Evidence-Based Prevention Investment In Karonga District, Malawi, Prince Kaponda, Suresh Muthukrishnan, Rory Barber, Rochelle H. Holm

Faculty Scholarship

Cholera remains a problem in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Malawi. Our aim was to investigate drinking water source quality compared with water treatment, risk perception and cholera knowledge for patients who had reported to a health center for treatment in the 2017-2018 outbreak in Karonga District, Malawi. The study analyzed 120 drinking water samples linked to 236 cholera patients. Nearly 82% of the samples met the national criteria for thermotolerant coliforms of 50 cfu/100 ml, while 50% met the more stringent World Health Organization criteria of 0 cfu/100 ml. In terms of the human dimensions, 68% of survey respondents reported …

A Site Characterization And Assessment Of The Bushy Park Reservoir, A Charleston-Area Drinking Water Source, And Its Surrounding Watersheds In Response To Community Concerns, Bradley Joseph Chandler

Theses and Dissertations

Access to clean, safe drinking water is considered a basic human right (WHO 2004). It is vital to maintain adequate monitoring of source waters as well as to investigate claims of degraded source waters. In June of 2017, inaccurate reporting led many community members in Mt. Pleasant, SC to believe that their drinking water might be tainted, leading to elevated cases of brain cancer in children. Though steps were taken to test and ensure the drinking water was safe, fear over the health of the city’s drinking water still persists. This is largely due to the involvement of famed water …

Total Organic Iodine Quantification And Occurrence In Drinking Water, And Toxicity Assessment Of Iodinated Disinfection By-Products, Rassil El Sayess

Doctoral Dissertations

The focus of this work has been placed is on iodinated DBPs (I-DBPs), measured using total organic iodine (TOI), a surrogate measure of iodinated organics. This is due to the growing toxicity literature that places I-DBPs among the most toxic of all DBPs. To measure TOI in water, a new method was developed. This method combines adsorption, combustion, and trapping of combustion products, with an offline inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) for iodide detection. Three factors were varied across two levels each in order to optimize the method. The chosen method used a sample pH of less than 1 prior …

Lifetime And Effectiveness Evaluation Of Ceramic Pot Filters, Carlo Salvinelli

Doctoral Dissertations

"Poor water quality is a major contributing factor to disease in developing countries. Ceramic pot filters (CPFs) represent an effective and sustainable technology for poor communities, but the characterization of CPF lifetimes is on-going, and the water production seems to be the limiting factor. This dissertation describes laboratory and field investigations conducted to characterize the parameters that impact CPF effectiveness and lifetime in terms of water production and treatment efficacy, both under controlled and real use conditions.

CPF initial flow rate is the most common quality control parameter, but it may not be representative of the long-term effectiveness of the …

Atrazine In Maternal Drinking Water Supply Below The Federal Maximum Contaminant Level And Risk Of Preterm Birth, Small For Gestational Age, Cryptorchidism And Hypospadias, Daniel Rice

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The prevalence of preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA), and hypospadias has been increasing for several decades in the U.S resulting in significant morbidity and mortality and direct costs to society. Drinking water provides a mechanism for prolonged chronic exposure to environmental contaminants but is one of the least assessed environmental exposures in pregnancy and birth outcomes. To test the hypothesis that maternal exposure to atrazine through drinking water during pregnancy, or one or more trimesters of gestation, is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, small for gestational age, cryptorchidism and hypospadias a retrospective cohort study was …

Atrazine And Nitrate In Public Drinking Water Supplies And Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma In Nebraska, Usa, Martha G. Rhoades, Jane L. Meza, Cheryl L. Beseler, Patrick J. Shea, Andy Kahle, Julie M. Vose, Kent M. Eskridge, Roy F. Spalding

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

A secondary analysis of 1999–2002 Nebraska case-control data was conducted to assess the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) associated with exposure to nitrate- and atrazine-contaminated drinking water. Water chemistry data were collected and weighted by well contribution and proximity of residence to water supply, followed by logistic regression to determine odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). We found no association between NHL risk and exposure to drinking water containing atrazine or nitrate alone. Risk associated with the interaction of nitrate and atrazine in drinking water was elevated (OR, 2.5; CI, 1.0–6.2). Risk of indolent B-cell lymphoma was higher …

Recent History Provides Sustainable African Water Quality Project Insight, Rochelle H. Holm

Faculty Scholarship

Small-scale projects to provide clean drinking water undertaken in the developing world can contribute to significantly improving the livelihood of rural communities. There has been a historical tendency to poorly plan such projects leading to an unsustainable future. Recent history indicates three simple steps to ensuring successful and enduring clean water projects. First, identification of need by the indigenous community provides ownership in the project. Second, a partnership between key individuals in the indigenous community with the donor provides for ambassadors on both sides of the project. Finally, an exit strategy by the donors for the indigenous communities ensures local …

Evaluation Of The Short- And Long- Term Drinking Water Sustainability Programs For Point Water Sources And Public Water Supplies (Pws) In Developing Countries : Case Study Of Uganda, Shedrack R. Nayebare

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Providing quantity and quality potable water in Uganda and other developing countries is still significantly problematic. This project aimed at identifying and prioritizing possible actions on how sustainable and high quality potable water in Uganda's water supply systems could be improved. A review of both the current water supply systems and Ugandan government programs was completed in an effort to describe the existing state of Uganda's water supply. Aspects of quantity, quality, treatment methods, infrastructure, storage and distribution of water for the different water systems were assessed. These characteristics were compared to water supply systems and regulations in the U.S., …

An Analysis Of The Potability Of Water In Logan County, Oscar D. James

McCabe Thesis Collection

Recent questions have been raised concerning the drinking water supplying the citizens of Logan County. This study seeks to determine how well Logan County's potable water supply conforms with state and national drinking water standards. Emphasis is placed on the maximum contaminant levels of water supplying the Langston community and surrounding areas. Questions posed to