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Full-Text Articles in Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health

Trophic Structure And Mercury Bioaccumulation In Walleye And Yellow Perch In The Upper And Lower Red Lake Basins, Marissa Pribyl Mar 2026

Trophic Structure And Mercury Bioaccumulation In Walleye And Yellow Perch In The Upper And Lower Red Lake Basins, Marissa Pribyl

Biology Graduate Theses

Mercury is a persistent global contaminant that biomagnifies through aquatic food webs, with dietary and environmental factors serving as the primary drivers of accumulation in fishes. Trophic structure and methylmercury dynamics in Walleye (ogaa; Sander vitreus) and Yellow Perch (asaawens; Perca flavescens) were investigated in the Upper and Lower Red Lake basins in Red Lake, Minnesota, during 2024-2025. Diets of Walleye and Yellow Perch were assessed through stomach dissections, and tissue samples from both species were analyzed for total mercury concentrations. Additional analyses included shiners (gigoozens; Notropis spp., Hudsonius spp.) along with a variety of freshwater fish and …


When Words Flow Like Water: How The Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement Failed To Prevent Hydrogeologic Harm In Minnesota, Carly Gutzmann Jan 2026

When Words Flow Like Water: How The Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement Failed To Prevent Hydrogeologic Harm In Minnesota, Carly Gutzmann

Journal of Earth and Life Science

For the aquifers of Minnesota, the environmental impact statement (EIS) was a promise of protection that never left the page. An environmental impact statement is meant to be an aid in the decision making process in order to ensure that projects consider potential environmental harms that may occur. However, they are often used instead as another regulatory box to check, rather than as active considerations when planning. As such, a project plan can be flawed from the start—if project developers only consider environmental impacts after they have already put considerable time, effort, and funding into their project as-is, they may …


Neonicotinoid Bioaccumulation In Bluegill And Bullhead Within Lake Julia And Lake Zumwalde, Jake Stuber Jan 2026

Neonicotinoid Bioaccumulation In Bluegill And Bullhead Within Lake Julia And Lake Zumwalde, Jake Stuber

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus, Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis, and Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus are unique in their stark differences. Bullhead are scaleless bottom feeders that can tolerate high pollution and low O2 conditions. In contrast, Bluegill are scaled, aggressive nesters and are less tolerant of high pollutants or low-oxygen conditions. Among these pollutants include a class of chemicals called neonicotinoids (hereafter referred to as neonics). Neonics are a class of insecticides primarily used within agriculture and pest management. Due to the effectiveness, application has escalated on a global scale. They have been well documented by many toxicology assessments. …


Impact Of Urban Fine Particulate Matter Exposure On Cardiovascular Health, Shelby P. Briggs Aug 2025

Impact Of Urban Fine Particulate Matter Exposure On Cardiovascular Health, Shelby P. Briggs

Honors Theses

Air pollution, particularly exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), poses a growing threat to cardiopulmonary health. PM2.5 consists of microscopic particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter and originates from industrial combustion, transportation, and urban dust. These particles are classified as xenobiotics and are capable of bypassing respiratory defenses to enter systemic circulation, where they cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and cardiovascular dysfunction. This study examines the effects of PM2.5 on cardiovascular function using a murine model. Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into control (saline), subchronic (10 µg), and chronic (100 µg) groups and were exposed weekly for 11 weeks via …


Navigating Wastewater: Minnesota Mining Wastewater Permit Challenges And Evolving Compliance Standards, Madelaine Adamich Jan 2025

Navigating Wastewater: Minnesota Mining Wastewater Permit Challenges And Evolving Compliance Standards, Madelaine Adamich

Journal of Earth and Life Science

February of 2021 marked the beginning of Minnesota clearly establishing that groundwater qualifies as a Class 1 water in a legal battle involving United States Steel, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, WaterLegacy, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and eventually the Minnesota Supreme Court (MNSC). Minnesota has a water classification system, as required by the federal Clean Water Act, with 7 classes of use. Class 1 waters are waters used for domestic consumption (MPCA 4, n.d.). According to Minnesota Statute § 7050.0220, the acceptable level for sulfate is 250 mg/L in Class 1 …


The Relationship Between Plant Density And Microplastic Concentration In The Water In Lake Bemidji, Mn, Arian Garcia Jan 2025

The Relationship Between Plant Density And Microplastic Concentration In The Water In Lake Bemidji, Mn, Arian Garcia

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Microplastics, plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, are an increasing environmental threat, particularly due to their widespread distribution and toxicity. While much research has focused on larger freshwater and marine ecosystems, the presence and impacts of microplastics in smaller inland lakes remain less understood. This study investigates the relationship between plant density and microplastic concentrations in Lake Bemidji, a smaller freshwater lake. A total of 30 water samples were collected across varying vegetation conditions, ranging from open water (0%) to 90% plant coverage. Microplastics were identified and categorized into six morphological types: fibers, fragments, films, spheres/beads, and foam. The samples …


Effects Of Round-Up On The Environment, Sandra J. Marcu Jan 2025

Effects Of Round-Up On The Environment, Sandra J. Marcu

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Many people around the world have used and still currently use Roundup but are unaware of the effects it has on the environment. Roundup is a spray on application weedkiller that is widely used around the world today both residentially and commercially. It enables its user to grow a garden or a field of crops with a no-tilling approach to eliminate weeds. It is a well-known and popular choice for killing weeds that has been around since the mid 1970’s (Oca, 2017). John Franz, a Monsanto scientist discovered that glyphosate (main ingredient in Roundup) was an herbicide or weedkiller, and …


Microplastic Accumulation In The Marsh Periwinkle (Littoraria Irrorata), Sarah Keaton, Hannah Lukhard, Eli Windy, Manar Hasan Jul 2024

Microplastic Accumulation In The Marsh Periwinkle (Littoraria Irrorata), Sarah Keaton, Hannah Lukhard, Eli Windy, Manar Hasan

DePaul Discoveries

Contamination of oceans by microplastics (mm) currently poses a major threat to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Recent attention towards this issue has raised questions about the extent to which microplastics have accumulated in the environment, and has led to an increase in studies on the effects of microplastics in various organisms. However, levels of contamination in protected natural areas are still largely unexplored, yet can offer an important empirical perspective on the issue. In addition, little is known about the potential effects of microplastics on behavior in the field. This research was conducted within the protected ACE Basin National …


Braving The Elements: Loss Of Metals From Mardi Gras Beads Due To Handling And Weathering, Thomas O. Carmichael, Ruth H. Carmichael Jan 2024

Braving The Elements: Loss Of Metals From Mardi Gras Beads Due To Handling And Weathering, Thomas O. Carmichael, Ruth H. Carmichael

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The largest Mardi Gras celebrations in the U.S. are found along the Gulf of Mexico coast. With increasing awareness of and concern for environmental and human health risks due to pollution from Mardi Gras celebrations, there is a need for studies to quantify potential harms. We conducted a 2—part study to determine whether use—related handling and weathering of common Mardi Gras beaded necklaces results in loss of potentially harmful metals to the environment at levels of ecological or human health concern. Our data indicate that weathering and use—related handling can cause metals to be shed from the metallic coating of …


Longitudinal Patterns Of Microplastic Abundance And Potential For Food Web Uptake In The Yakima River, Janell Shah Jan 2022

Longitudinal Patterns Of Microplastic Abundance And Potential For Food Web Uptake In The Yakima River, Janell Shah

All Master's Theses

Microplastic (MP) pollutes environments worldwide, but the ecological consequences remain largely unknown. While MP research has historically focused on marine environments, recent work has increasingly investigated rivers as transporters of MP from terrestrial sources to the ocean. Some studies have documented instances of MP consumption in a river food web, but few have investigated multiple consumers at different points along a river continuum. This study enumerated the MP abundance in the water column, biofilm, and four macroinvertebrate families from different functional feeding groups across nine sites spanning 344 kilometers from the headwaters to the mouth of the Yakima River in …


Determination Of Metals And Microplastics In Sediment From Oyster Reefs In The Mississippi Sound, Shelby Goza May 2021

Determination Of Metals And Microplastics In Sediment From Oyster Reefs In The Mississippi Sound, Shelby Goza

Honors Theses

This research centers on the determination of metals (Cd, Pb, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) and microplastics (MPs) in marine sediment from oyster reefs in the Mississippi Sound Estuary. Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are a vital part of the Gulf Coast economy, but their population has dramatically declined in recent years due to multiple stressors, including oil spills and fluctuations in salinity from flooding. Increasingly frequent flooding events also introduce high loads of MPs and sediments containing heavy metals from the Mississippi River. These pollutants can have deleterious effects on oyster biology; however, they have not been adequately …


Oxidative Potential And Composition Of Fine Particulate Matter At Two Locations In Mississippi, Victoria Claire Stevens Apr 2021

Oxidative Potential And Composition Of Fine Particulate Matter At Two Locations In Mississippi, Victoria Claire Stevens

Honors Theses

Air pollution exposure has negative health effects on individuals across the globe. Negative impacts on human health have been documented in studies following both short-term and long-term exposure to air pollution, and these adverse effects have been seen even at the lowest levels of exposure. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has specifically been linked to these negative health effects. These effects come from many sources, but one large contribution to the negative health effects comes from oxidative stress. In this study, samples were collected from Hernando, MS and Gulfport, MS in September 2013 and November 2013. Black carbon (BC) …


Greenhouse Gas Emission Inefficiency Spillover Effects In European Countries, Levent Kutlu, Ran Wang Apr 2021

Greenhouse Gas Emission Inefficiency Spillover Effects In European Countries, Levent Kutlu, Ran Wang

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

In our study, we examine whether spatial spillover effects exist for greenhouse gas emission efficiency for 38 European countries between 2005 and 2014. We find that inefficiencies of other countries would lead to lower efficiency levels for a country. This negative inefficiency spillover effect goes down till 2008 then goes up till 2011, then stays relatively stable after 2011. Any strategy to reduce inefficiencies of other countries could potentially improve the efficiency levels. We find that human development index shows significant positive impact on greenhouse gas emission efficiency levels. In particular, one standard deviation increase in human development index would …


The Clean Air Act: How It Can Be Localized To Promote Both Environmental And Social Justice, Tate Kirk Dec 2020

The Clean Air Act: How It Can Be Localized To Promote Both Environmental And Social Justice, Tate Kirk

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

Legislators attempt to achieve intended goals by enacting laws that provide for regulatory enforcement. However, many times laws are unable to achieve their stated goals and in some ways may create new or exacerbate existing issues. Luckily, upon review, many of these issues can be fixed with quick modifications to either their implementation or enforcement mechanisms. In its current form, the Clean Air Act does not effectively account for differences in regional climate patterns, and, moreover, it perpetuates environmental injustice. If local governments were given more autonomy to enforce the Clean Air Act, they could shape its enforcement to more …


Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Population Decline In Morro Bay, Ca: A Meta-Analysis Of Herbicide Application In San Luis Obispo County And Morro Bay Watershed, Tyler King Sinnott Dec 2020

Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Population Decline In Morro Bay, Ca: A Meta-Analysis Of Herbicide Application In San Luis Obispo County And Morro Bay Watershed, Tyler King Sinnott

Master's Theses

The endemic eelgrass (Zostera marina) community of Morro Bay Estuary, located on the central coast of California, has experienced an estimated decline of 95% in occupied area (reduction of 344 acres to 20 acres) from 2008 to 2017 for reasons that are not yet definitively clear. One possible driver of degradation that has yet to be investigated is the role of herbicides from agricultural fields in the watershed that feeds into the estuary. Thus, the primary research goal of this project was to better understand temporal and spatial trends of herbicide use within the context of San Luis …


Greenhouse Gas Emission Efficiencies Of World Countries, Levent Kutlu Oct 2020

Greenhouse Gas Emission Efficiencies Of World Countries, Levent Kutlu

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

Greenhouse gas emissions have increased rapidly since the industrial revolution. This has led to an unnatural increase in the global surface temperature, and to other changes in our environment. Acknowledging this observation, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change started an international environmental treaty. This treaty was extended by Kyoto protocol, which was adopted on 11 December 1997. Using the stochastic frontier analysis, we analyze the efficiencies of countries in terms of achieving the lowest greenhouse gas emission levels per GDP output in the years between 1990–2015. We find that the average greenhouse gas emission efficiencies of world countries …


Assessing Microplastic Pollution In Four Mile Run, An Urban Stream In Northern Virginia, Kurt Moser, Tessa Naughton-Rockwell, Louisa Wang, Ethan Litmans, Amanda Manoogian Apr 2020

Assessing Microplastic Pollution In Four Mile Run, An Urban Stream In Northern Virginia, Kurt Moser, Tessa Naughton-Rockwell, Louisa Wang, Ethan Litmans, Amanda Manoogian

Virginia Journal of Science

Microplastics are pollutants of concern in waterways and oceans for their persistence and impact on aquatic life and food webs. This study demonstrates a low-cost land-based sampling method to assess the extent of microplastic pollution found in Four Mile Run, an urban stream in Northern Virginia. Microplastic particle counts in environmental and treated wastewater ranged from 0.01-0.24 particles L-1 (mean 0.08 particles L-1) and from 2 to 446 µg L-1 (mean 70 µg L-1), with fibers found to be the most common microplastic category. Treated wastewater effluent was found to be a significant source …


Seasonal Temperature Changes In Three Midwestern Wastewater Streams And The Effects On Fish Assemblages And Physiology, Ryan William Sparks Jan 2020

Seasonal Temperature Changes In Three Midwestern Wastewater Streams And The Effects On Fish Assemblages And Physiology, Ryan William Sparks

Masters Theses

Midwestern United States undergo extreme temperature and precipitation fluctuations throughout the year, which leads to changing habitats within Illinois river systems. Wastewater treatment facilities have long been used to treat sewage and reduce the organic products in sewage before releasing it into aquatic environments. Wastewater treatment facilities must maintain optimal conditions, especially temperature, for reproduction and growth of facilitated bacteria that break down organic materials in wastewater. The objectives for this study were to determine the thermal effects of wastewater treatment facilities on receiving waters; and secondly, to investigate the influence of these wastewater facilities on fish abundance and assemblages. …


Evolving Pollution Prevention, Fall/Winter 2008, Issue 17 Sep 2019

Evolving Pollution Prevention, Fall/Winter 2008, Issue 17

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Pollution And Heart Disease, Fall/Winter 2006, Issue 13 Sep 2019

Pollution And Heart Disease, Fall/Winter 2006, Issue 13

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Kentucky's Environmental Future, Fall/Winter 2004, Issue 9 Sep 2019

Kentucky's Environmental Future, Fall/Winter 2004, Issue 9

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Urban Air Quality, Spring/Summer 2002, Issue 6 Sep 2019

Urban Air Quality, Spring/Summer 2002, Issue 6

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Zero Waste, Spring/Summer 2017, Issue 36 Sep 2019

Zero Waste, Spring/Summer 2017, Issue 36

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Plastic Pollution, Fall/Winter 2019, Issue 39.3 Aug 2019

Plastic Pollution, Fall/Winter 2019, Issue 39.3

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Plastic Pollution, Fall/Winter 2019, Issue 39.2 Aug 2019

Plastic Pollution, Fall/Winter 2019, Issue 39.2

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Plastic Pollution, Fall/Winter 2019, Issue 39 Aug 2019

Plastic Pollution, Fall/Winter 2019, Issue 39

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


In Anthropocene Air: Deleuze's Encounter With Shakespeare, Steven Swarbrick Jan 2018

In Anthropocene Air: Deleuze's Encounter With Shakespeare, Steven Swarbrick

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.


Justin's Save The Frogs Project, Justin Sather Dec 2017

Justin's Save The Frogs Project, Justin Sather

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Justin’s Save the Frog Project goals are 1) to spread the awareness about the rapid decline in frog population 2) inspire others to make the environment a better place for people and animals 3) make an impact by building wetlands in California specifically for the CA Red-Legged Frogs and Foothill Yellow Legged.


Impact Of A Diesel Spill On Macroinvertebrate Communities In Ponds In S.E. Alabama, Usa, Katie E. Winkles Jan 2016

Impact Of A Diesel Spill On Macroinvertebrate Communities In Ponds In S.E. Alabama, Usa, Katie E. Winkles

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, macroinvertebrate communities were examined to determine an indication of the water quality in ponds on a wetlands property after a diesel spill. In 2012, a train derailed, and at least 3000 gallons of diesel fuel leached into a small pond of the wetlands. Even after clean-up attempts there remains major concerns that the contamination spread throughout the wetlands. This concern led to the present study. Macroinvertebrates were the chosen focus due to their sensitivity to changes in the environment. Two field trials were conducted in which Hester-Dendy multiplate samplers were placed in ponds to allow macroinvertebrates to …


Light Pollution Research Through Citizen Science, John Kanemoto Aug 2014

Light Pollution Research Through Citizen Science, John Kanemoto

STAR Program Research Presentations

Light pollution (LP) can disrupt and/or degrade the health of all living things, as well as, their environments. The goal of my research at the NOAO was to check the accuracy of the citizen science LP reporting systems entitled: Globe at Night (GaN), Dark Sky Meter (DSM), and Loss of the Night (LoN). On the GaN webpage, the darkness of the night sky (DotNS) is reported by selecting a magnitude chart. Each magnitude chart has a different density/number of stars around a specific constellation. The greater number of stars implies a darker night sky. Within the DSM iPhone application, a …