Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Morphologic Comparisons Of Recrystallized And Neocrystallized Fibrous Amphibole Asbestos: Implications For Corresponding Health Risk Potential, Natalie G. Renkes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The presence of naturally-occurring asbestos (NOA) is increasingly concerning for scientists, health and regulatory agencies, and citizens living in impacted areas. It is commonly believed that fibrous amphibole asbestos can only form through neocrystallization. In southern Nevada, NOA occurs as a result of hydrothermal alteration of granitic rock producing fibrous amphibole both as cross-cutting neocrystallized veins and via recrystallization of original magmatic hornblende crystals. Fibers with a greater aspect ratio are known to have increased toxicity. This study measured the maximum length and average width of both neocrystallized and recrystallized fibers to see if the morphologies were similar. Neocrystallized and …

Selenium Removal By Sediments And Plants At The Constructed Pariette Wetlands, Utah (Usa), Colleen P. Jones, Michael Amacher, Paul R. Grossl, Astrid R. Jacobson

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Selenium (Se) contamination of public lands and water is a result of irrigated agriculture and mining activities in areas rich in Se geologic deposits. Pariette Draw is part of the northern Colorado Plateau and is an area of concern for Se contamination in the Pariette Wetlands. Pariette Wetlands, a wetland built in the 1970s to provide wildlife habitat, is distinguished by its arid climate and a short growing season of hot dry summers followed by cold winters with several months below freezing. An understanding of how Se is mobilized and removed within the wetland will provide management strategies that minimize …

Municipal Waste In Southern Nevada: Understanding The Obsession With Garbage, Zachary Billot

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Southern Nevada’s reliance on inexpensive disposal of waste results in lack of support for sustainable investment in waste diversion programs. Clark County lags significantly behind the US in terms of its municipal waste diversion due to problems related to the collection of materials and incentive for collection, limited institutionalized food waste collection programs, monopolization of waste management, as well as substantial rates of contamination of recyclable materials compared nationally. This proposal recommends a multifactor approach.

Cats Of Unl: An Investigation Into The Human-Feral Cat Relationships On A University Campus In Nebraska, Jacey Skoda

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), there exists a population of feral cats that is monitored and cared for by a group known as Husker Cats. As the cats wander the sidewalks and gardens of the university, they may appear non-threatening and pleasant to have around. However, a feral cat presence could have detrimental impacts on the surrounding ecosystem, property, and community. The first component of this project, a survey of individuals on UNL campus, ultimately seeks to understand what those in the UNL community know about the feral cats, how they feel about the feral cats, and how they …

Metal Composition And Contamination Assessment Of Urban Roadway Dusts On The Abu Dhabi-Liwa Highway, Uae, Ahmed A. Al-Taani, Yousef Nazzal, Fares M. Howari, Jibran Iqbal, Muhammad Naseem, Manish Sharma, Cijo Xavier, Dimitrios Papandreou, Lina Maloukh, Lakshmi Ambika, Imen Ben Salem, Abeer Al Bsoul, Haitham M. Farok

All Works

The metal composition of road-deposited dust along the Abu Dhabi-Liwa Highway was investigated to provide insight into the contamination profile and levels of road dust. The average concentrations of metals decreased in the order Al (28668 ± 4631 mg/kg)> Fe (21461 ± 2594 mg/kg) > Mn (711.8 ± 76.3 mg/kg) > Zn (210.6 ± 51.6 mg/kg) > Cu (94.9 ± 15.8 mg/kg) > Pb (83.6 ± 5.3 mg/kg) > Cd (75.1 ± 1.6 mg/kg) > Co (62.6 ± 6.4 mg/kg) > As (4.7 ± 2.9 mg/kg) > Ni (0.10 ± 0.19 mg/kg) > Cr (0.08 ± 0.06 mg/kg). The spatial variations of metals suggest different sources and contributing factors …

Map The System: Presence And Impact Of Ppcps In Water, Emma Vandermeulen, Ruby Mitchell

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

In a changing climate, there is growing emphasis on protecting our water sources and developing systems for conserving and reusing water. While many contaminants of concern are monitored and addressed by water treatment systems, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are generally not accounted for. PPCPs in water systems have been an increasing concern as detection of these products has increased over the last few decades. Studies have been exploring the impact of antibiotics, antidepressants, contraceptives, and other anthropogenic products on our water system and how these substances interact with local ecosystems. Our main research questions are to understand what …

Using Podcasts To Bring National Estuarine Research Reserves Into The Classroom For Grades 6-12, Kaitlyn M. Dirr

Senior Theses

In a typical classroom setting, there are significant challenges to exposing students to concepts related to earth sciences and the environment. These challenges are exacerbated when conveying lessons about geographic areas with limited access, such as oceans and coastlines (Louv, 2010). It is now more important than ever for environmental education to improve and adapt to our changing world. Educators may have the opportunity to bring these subjects to life by using media content such as podcasts to introduce students to new places and the scientists, managers and educators that work in those spaces. In the United States, there exists …

Customer Discovery And Applied Research And Development For An Environmental Nanotechnology, Paul Michael Vecchiarelli

Theses and Dissertations

Technology transfer is a process by which an innovative technology, typically produced in a non-commercial setting such as academia, is developed into a potential market opportunity. The first phase of technology transfer, once a technology has been developed, is to identify a customer segment and determine a value proposition that describes what need the technology will fulfill for them. This phase has been systematized into a framework known as customer discovery. Success in customer discovery will indicate technological gaps, such as scale-up, prototyping, and realistic testing, that are needed to deliver the value proposition to the initial customer. Both phases …

Parent Perspectives On Barriers And Facilitators To Optimal Healthcare And Medical Screenings For Children With Down Syndrome In South Carolina, Vinita Oberoi Leedom

Theses and Dissertations

Children with Down syndrome (DS) often have co-occurring conditions affecting vision, hearing, sleeping, and more. Screenings, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), can help prevent secondary disability, and allow children to thrive. Studies have evaluated the receipt of recommended screenings, but barriers and facilitators surrounding access to screenings and care have not been described.

Parents of 24 children with DS in SC were recruited through schools and family support groups. One-hour long interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. Information was collected on health, healthcare quality, respiratory concerns, pandemic effects, access to care, and knowledge about AAP …

Morphological And Physiological Responses Of A Halophyte (Atriplex Halimus) To The Effect Of Heavy Metal Case Of Cadmium, Abderrezzeq Chebout, Hana Souahi, Zahia Kadi, Rania Gacem

Journal of Bioresource Management

Today, cadmium (Cd) contamination challenges the environmental quality and food security. This experiment was realized to study the morphological and physiological response of the halophyte species Atriplex halimus L to cadmium toxicity by applying different concentrations of Cd (0, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 ppm) on the plant A.halimus for two weeks after 60 days of seeding. The morphological parameters and physiological wish evaluated the stem length (SL), root length (RL), leaf area (LA), chlorophylls (a, b, t and carotenoids), and the relative water content (RWC). The results show a decrease in stem elongation, (11.333 ± 3.512 cm in Cd treatments …

Potential Of Constructed Wetlands For The Treatment Of Heavy Metals From Wastewater, Hasnain Raza, Qurat Ul Ain, Haseena Bibi, Tehmina Bibi, Huda Bilal

Journal of Bioresource Management

Overpopulation, urbanization, and economic race increase the pressure on freshwater resources resulting in water scarcity challenges around the globe. Moreover, the generation of wastewater is also enhancing the scarcity threats for freshwater resources. Water scarcity issues forced the policymaker, thinker, scientist, and researcher to think about non-conventional water resources to cope with the increasing demands. This wastewater recycling and treatment play an evident role to fulfill the growing demand for freshwater in socioeconomic sectors especially, for agriculture, due to its 70 % dependency on freshwater resources. Different wastewater treatment methods along with merits and demerits are in practice for the …

Sustainable Management Of Facemask Waste Generated From Covid-19 Pandemic In Bhutan, Tshering Yangdon, Twisuk Punpeng, Sirima Mongkolosomit, Kampol Nanthapong, Kinzang Yangden

Journal of Health Research

Background: The rise in facemask waste with the uncertainty of deposition data and all its concomitant pressure on management has resulted in new risks and challenges for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). The purpose of this mixed methods study was to estimate facemask waste generation and examine management in Bhutan since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method: One thousand five hundred and twenty-seventh (1,527) consenting members of the public from Class A Thromdes (self-governing municipalities) were surveyed online from February to April 2022, to estimate mask waste using descriptive statistics. This was supported by the waste characterization conducted in Memelhakha, the biggest …

Nucleic Acid Detection Of Live Pathogens On Contaminated Foods, Simerdeep Kaur, Mohit Verma

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

The goal is to develop a point-of-care biosensor for the detection of live pathogens contaminating beef products. Biosensing of live pathogens is based on isothermal amplification of nucleic acid on a paper-based device. A colorimetric dye is employed as an indicator of the amplification product for visual result. The assay incorporates a compound Propidium monoazide (PMA) that makes the DNA from dead cells inaccessible for amplification. This approach is especially applicable for pathogens that can enter a viable but non-culturable state (VBNC).

Holistic Framework To Contextualize Dietary Quality Assessment: A Critical Review, Jessica M. Phelan, Richard R. Rosenkranz, Connor J. Phelan, Sara K. Rosenkranz

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Research

Numerous dietary quality indices exist to help quantify overall dietary intake and behaviors associated with positive health outcomes. Most indices focus solely on biomedical factors and nutrient or food intake, and exclude the influence of important social and environmental factors associated with dietary intake. Using the Diet Quality Index- International as one sample index to illustrate our proposed holistic conceptual framework, this critical review seeks to elucidate potential adaptations to dietary quality assessment by considering—in parallel—biomedical, environmental, and social factors. Considering these factors would add context to dietary quality assessment, influencing post-assessment recommendations for use across various populations and circumstances. …

Landscape And Site Factors Drive Invasive Phragmites Management And Native Plant Recovery Across Chesapeake Bay Wetlands, Christine B. Rohal, Eric L. G. Hazelton, Eliza K. Mcfarland, Rebekah Downard, Melissa K. Mccormick, Dennis F. Whigham, Karin M. Kettenring

Watershed Sciences Student Research

Successful invasive plant management—where invaders are sufficiently reduced and diverse native plant communities recover—remains an elusive goal for land managers. The site- and landscape-scale drivers of variable management outcomes and vegetation recovery are poorly understood due to a lack of rigorous experiments that characterize longer term vegetation trends across contexts. We present the results of a five-year experiment across eight subestuaries of Chesapeake Bay, representing a gradient of watersheds with differing dominant land-use types and anthropogenic impacts, to evaluate invasive and native plant response to herbicide management. The focal invader, Phragmites australis (common reed), is one of the most aggressive …

Exploring Gaps In City Climate Planning In The Mountain West, Joshua Padilla, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet explores data from the 2022 Brookings Institution report by Joseph W. Kane, Adie Tomer, Caroline George, and Jamal Russell Black called “Not according to plan: Exploring gaps in city climate planning and the need for regional action." The original report analyzes decarbonization plans for 50 of the largest U.S. cities and comparatively ranks each plan using a point system of 5 categories. This fact sheet focuses on Mountain West cities (Denver, CO; Phoenix, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; Salt Lake, UT; and Albuquerque, NM) included in the original study.

Soil Properties And Potassium Availability In Pullen Farm Murray, Kentucky, Ava Isaacs, Gracey Moffitt, Whitney Sides

Posters-at-the-Capitol

One of the most important factors regarding soil and plant health is nutrient availability and fertility. Of these two factors that were mentioned available potassium is a key component. With that being said we decided that it would be beneficial to see how potassium can be traced within the soil in various locations after fertilizer is applied. There were two parts to this experiment. Part one was taking soil core samples in order to obtain various soil properties such as soil organic matter, soil water holding capacity and bulk density and observe if these properties have any effect on the …

Entangled Mangrove Roots: The Shrimp Industry, Ancestral Afro-Descendant People, And Community Resistance In Esmeraldas, Ecuador, O'Philia Le

Pitzer Senior Theses

Mangroves are one of the most important ecosystems because of the many services they provide on a local and global scale, but in contrast, are one of the most threatened by anthropogenic activities at a global level. Being sources of food for various kinds of fish, crustaceans, and mollusks, they are essential for the economy, culture, and livelihood of locals in Esmeraldas, Ecuador. This thesis takes an environmental justice approach in the discussion of the loss of mangroves in Esmeraldas, Ecuador. While toxic industries may not be apparent at first, environmental injustice prevails in adverse human health effects, environmental degradation, …

Développement De Stratégie Visant À Contrôler Le Niveau De Contamination Des Piscines Par Les Sous-Produits De Désinfection, Maximilien Debia, Elham Ahmadpour, Isabelle Valois, Sami Haddad, Robert Tardif, Stéphane Hallé, Hélène Proulx, Manuel Rodriguez, François Proulx, Ianis Delpla, Jean Sérodes, Sabrina Simard

Rapports de recherche scientifique

La présence de sous-produits de désinfection dans l’eau et l’air des piscines intérieures est une problématique de santé publique et de santé au travail. L’exposition aux sous-produits de désinfection et notamment à la trichloramine est associée à différents effets délétères comme l’irritation des voies respiratoires, l’irritation oculaire et l’hyperréactivité bronchique. La présence des sous-produits de désinfection résulte des réactions chimiques qui surviennent entre les agents désinfectants ajoutés et les matières organiques ou azotées présentes naturellement dans l’eau ou qui y sont amenées par les baigneurs.

L’objectif général de recherche visait à améliorer les connaissances sur les pratiques de gestion et …

Lead And Cadmium Exposure Alters Respiration And Shell Bioadhesive Matrix In A Single-Chambered, Agglutinated Foraminiferan Protist: Implications For Marine Biomonitoring, Amanda L. Andreas

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Heavy metal exposure from anthropogenic pollutants negatively affects many marine organisms, including foraminiferan protists. Foraminifera are often used as bioindicators in benthic environments due to their sensitivity to environmental stress. Primary research has commonly focused on how heavy metals affect foraminiferal assemblages, distribution, ultrastructure, and shell morphology. Multi-chambered calcareous and agglutinated forams are the primary focus of such ecotoxicological studies; however, less is known about how heavy metals affect the physiology and shell microarchitecture of monothalamid agglutinated species. The research reported here represents an interdisciplinary environmental toxicology approach to study the exposure effects of heavy metal toxicants, lead (Pb) and …

Examining The Oxidative Stress Effects In Rats Exposed To 2-Aminoanthracene In Utero And High Fat Diet Three Months After, Brianna A. Lanoix

Honors College Theses

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are organic compounds that are created synthetically or found in partially burned oil, gasoline, and coal. 2-aminoanthracene (2AA) is a common example of a PAH and can affect lipid and carbohydrate metabolism and resulting in inflammatory problems and oxidative stress. The objective of the research project is to investigate oxidative stress in relation to diabetes in rats exposed to 2AA in utero and a high fat diet later in life. Pregnant dams were separated into treatment groups based on their dosages of 2AA; 0 mg/kg (control), 50 mg/kg (low), 100 mg/kg (high). During the gestation -postpartum period, …

Biomonitoring Of Exposure To Multiple Metal Components In Urine, Hair And Nails Of Apprentice Welders Performing Shielded Metal Arc Welding (Smaw), Jairo Buitrago-Cortes, Philippe Sarazin, Denis Dieme, Jonathan Côté, Capucine Ouellet, Naïma El Majidi, Michèle Bouchard

Études primaires

Welding fumes are associated with various diseases. Increased air levels of metals were reported during welding. However, few multielement biomonitoring studies were conducted to assess the actual dose of metal components absorbed in apprentice welders in a learning environment. This research aimed to establish the nature and level of exposure to welding fumes and their metallic components in apprentice welders performing ‘Shielded Metal Arc Welding’ (SMAW), based on multi-element and multi-matrix analyses. A total of 86 apprentice welders were recruited in three different schools in Montreal, Québec, Canada. Twenty-one elements were measured in urine, hair, fingernail, and toenail samples collected …

Concrete Everywhere: A Project-Based Analysis Of The Unequal Distribution Of Warehouses In Fontana, Chanah Haigh

Scripps Senior Theses

Unjust legislation and zoning practices drive the excess of warehouses in Fontana, California whose impacts fall disproportionately on low income communities of color. This paper addresses the environmental and health impacts of warehouses, as well as the legislation and the use of zoning which bring them to Fontana. Original maps show the spread of warehouses over census tract level data depicting race, income, and environmental factors such as diesel particulate matter. State and local legislation is analyzed to determine its intended effect and how well it has been enforced. Research was conducted through a project based thesis done in conjunction …

Teaching Agroecology: Preparing Students For Navigating Uncharted Territory, Charles A. Francis, Steve Gliessman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Agroecologists understand that farming and food systems are more complex than the aggregation of their components. This realization drives our choices of learning strategies and activities that will prepare students for complexity and uncertainty. Our quest for a just, sustainable, and nutritious food system adequate to equitably serve everyone on the planet today and into the future is an enormous challenge. An undertaking of this magnitude will be met only with major adjustments informed by thoughtful teaching and practicing problem solving skills through a new educational lens. The principles of agroecology help us focus this lens on the wicked problems …

Inferring Exposure To Harmful Pseudo-Nitzschia Blooms From Ocean-To-Estuary Gradients In Domoic Acid Concentrations In Humboldt Bay Bivalves, Natasha Hope Ficzycz Winnacott

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) result from outbreaks of any of several different species of toxin-producing phytoplankton and that can have major detrimental effects on marine ecosystems and pose severe health and economic threats to human communities. Of particular concern along the United States West Coast are HABs of pennate diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia that produce the potent neurotoxin domoic acid (DA). The coastal ocean between Cape Mendocino, CA, and Cape Blanco, OR is a hotspot for Pseudo-nitzschia spp. HABs. Such blooms impact coastal fisheries and pose a potential threat to aquaculture operations in Humboldt Bay, California’s second largest estuary and largest …

An Analysis Of Water Quality At Orange County, California Beaches, Naomi Meurice

Pomona Senior Theses

Beaches in Southern California are highly recreated by residents and visitors, making beaches socially and economically important. Public health departments in coastal communities are in charge of measuring water quality and ensuring it is safe for users. Research in the past has indicated that beach water quality gets worse after storms, with bacteria levels jumping on the day of a storm and staying high for up to five days. Studies have shown these spikes in bacteria to be associated with storm runoff, with beaches closer to runoff discharge locations experiencing more impact. However, prior research has not considered the period …

Revisiting The 2018 Corsica Oil Spill - A Preliminary Case Study Of Ecosystem Recovery From Pahs In Yelkouan Shearwater (Puffinus Yelkouan), Makenna Mahrer

CMC Senior Theses

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a specific class of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) heavily associated with crude oil, and pose genotoxic and physiological threats to marine life when released into the aquatic environment during a petroleum spill. This study seeks to understand the residual impacts of the 2018 Corsica oil spill on Puffinus yelkouan (Yelkouan Shearwater), a seabird endemic to the Mediterranean basin, using the species as a bioindicator for contamination in the region. Though classified by the IUCN Red List as ‘vulnerable,’ this species remains grossly understudied in present monitoring literature. This study made use of blood samples and …

Beyond Mitosis, Plk1-Mediated Phosphorylation Re-Wires Cancer Metabolism And Promotes Cancer Progression, Qiongsi Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a well- characterized regulator of cell division and is known to be highly expressed in certain types of tumors. It has been demonstrated the multifaceted roles of PLK1 in regulation of transcription, translation, epigenetics, DNA damage and cellular metabolism et al. Despite these findings, the precise mechanisms by which PLK1 regulates these processes beyond mitosis remain unclear. PLK1-mediated phosphorylation and misregulation of its substrates has been linked to tumorigenesis, cancer progression, drug resistance and worse prognosis. In this study, we investigated the non-canonical functions of PLK1 in cancer metabolism and drug resistance. We found that …

An Exploration Of The Causes And Effects Of Interpersonal Conflict Related Stress Among A Self-Selected Cohort Of Second Level Teachers In Ireland, Patrick Bruce

Theses

Teaching has been classified by researchers as a high stress profession. Stress in teaching has been reported to have many negative health outcomes and also affects productivity. The literature also reports that stress in teaching is a difficult matter to resolve satisfactorily, with mixed outcomes from interventions. An emergent cause of work-related stress in education is IPC and this study sets out to investigate the prevalence of this underreported phenomena.

A sample of 25 teachers working in Irish second level schools were recruited. Semi structured interviews were conducted to report on the experiences of stress, it’s causes and effects both …

Differences In Drifting Invertebrate Communities Across Arctic Ecozones And The Influence On Potential Growth Of Grayling (Thymallus Arcticus), Charles Chanyi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Invertebrate drift is a key process that potentially affects multiple levels of food web organization within stream environments. However, our understanding of the mechanistic drivers of drift in high latitude streams and subsequent bottom-up control that drift may have on fish predators in these environments remains understudied. This project aimed to gain the baseline knowledge of how drift functions across two major high latitude ecozones, the boreal forest and tundra, and how those possible differences in drifting community characteristics may impact drift-feeding Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus). These objectives were accomplished by characterizing stream environments across both ecozones, sampling …