Environmental Health Commons^™

A Library Of 39 Plant Peroxidases: Plants From The Families Cucurbitaceae And Brassicaceae Show Promising Peroxidase And Peroxygenase Activity, Sally Hess

Senior Honors Theses

Peroxidases are enzymes that reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidize organic substances in living cells. The textile industry, wastewater treatment plants, immunological laboratories, and diagnostic laboratories have extensively used horseradish peroxidase for their oxidating needs. This research aims to provide a tool for identifying potentially useful sources of peroxidases in addition to specifically pinpointing a novel peroxygenase in jalapeño seeds. By using two widely accepted peroxidase assays, the guaiacol assay and the fluorophenol assay, fruits of the genus Cucurbita and roots or leaves of the family Brassicaceae were seen to have high peroxidase activity. Additionally, novel peroxygenase activity was …

With Love, ; An Interdisciplinary And Intersectional Look At Why Creativity Is Essential, Theo Starr Gardner

Whittier Scholars Program

My Whittier Scholars Program self-designed major, Teaching Creativity, is a mixture of Art, Literature, and Education classes. My research and praxis classes have been focused on the ‘how?’s and 'why?’s of creativity, so it felt only right that my project should be a constructivist, generative project. The project I have been working on throughout my time at Whittier, and that has just fully come to fruition on April 11th, 2024, was a solo art gallery/open mic event entitled ‘With Love,’. With Love, was conceptually inspired by the research I’ve conducted on creativity and creative arts education over the past few …

Co-Crystallization Of Urea Granules For Slower Dissolution, Vidya Nagaraju, Carl Wassgren, Kingsly Ambrose

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Co-crystals are multicomponent crystals formed through hydrogen bond interactions. Co-crystallization, the process of developing cocrystals, serves as a versatile approach for discovering new solid forms of active ingredients (AIs) that can alter physical properties such as solubility, dissolution rates, and stability. These co-crystals can be produced through three main methods: solid-state methods, solution-based methods, and supercritical fluid methods. Recently, the solid-state (mechanochemical) method of developing cocrystals has gained more attention from researchers in the development of slow-release urea fertilizers. This technique can also be applied to the development of urease inhibitors. These multicomponent crystals present a potential solution to the …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Soil Carbon Storage And Sequestration In Vermont Agriculture, Alissa C. White, Heather M. Darby, Donald Ross

UVM Extension Faculty Publications

In 2021, The State of Soil Health (SOSH) project measured indicators of soil health on 221 farm fields across the state of Vermont through a collaborative effort among many organizations. Soil carbon stocks to 30 cm depth were assessed on 191 of those fields. In this brief we share a summary of this new soil carbon stock data alongside data from a national assessment of soil carbon stocks performed by the NRCS from 2010 and highlight its relevance to current policy conversations within the state of Vermont.

Key Ideas

• The protection of existing soil carbon stocks and support for increased …

Effects Of Foliar Application Of Zno Nanoparticles On Lentil Production, Stress Level And Nutritional Seed Quality Under Field Conditions, Marek Kolenčík, Dávid Ernst, Matej Komár, Martin Urík, Martin Šebesta, Ľuba Ďurišová, Marek Bujdoš, Ivan Černý, Juraj Chlpík, Martin Juriga, Ramakanth Illa, Yu Qian, Huan Feng, Gabriela Kratošová, Karla Čech Barabaszová, Ladislav Ducsay, Elena Aydın

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Nanotechnology offers new opportunities for the development of novel materials and strategies that improve technology and industry. This applies especially to agriculture, and our previous field studies have indicated that zinc oxide nanoparticles provide promising nano-fertilizer dispersion in sustainable agriculture. However, little is known about the precise ZnO-NP effects on legumes. Herein, 1 mg·L⁻¹ ZnO-NP spray was dispersed on lentil plants to establish the direct NP effects on lentil production, seed nutritional quality, and stress response under field conditions. Although ZnO-NP exposure positively affected yield, thousand-seed weight and the number of pods per plant, there was no statistically significant …

Land Application Of Sewage Sludge: Physiological And Biochemical Response Of The Rio Grande Tomato, Nabil Charchar, Ali Elafri, Redwane Rais, Halassi Ismahen

Journal of Bioresource Management

Treated wastewater produces sewage sludge as a by-product that may have beneficial implications on agricultural practices. The effects of sludge amendments on growth, morphological and biochemical characteristics of the agro-industrial Tomato cultivar Rio Grande were observed. A pot culture experiment was carried out during 4 months (16 February 2019 to 18 June 2019), at an experimental green house in the locality of Salah Soufi, Guelma, north-eastern Algeria. There were significant differences between soil and sewage sludge samples. Total nitrogen (20.58 mg/kg) was more available in sewage sludge than in soil (N = 2.09 ± 0.3 mg/kg). In contrast, sludge …

Extreme Fire As A Management Tool To Combat Regime Shifts In The Range Of The Endangered American Burying Beetle, Alison K. Ludwig, Daniel R. Uden, Dirac Twidwell

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study is focused on the population of federally-endangered American burying beetles in south-central Nebraska. It is focused on changes in land cover over time and at several levels of spatial scale, and how management efforts are impacting both the beetle and a changing landscape. Our findings are applicable to a large portion of the Great Plains, which is undergoing the same shift from grassland to woodland, and to areas where the beetle is still found.

Island Invasion: The Silent Crisis In Hawaii, Sophia Janssen

Pomona Senior Theses

Keeping out invasive species may, upon first review, seem like a trivial environmental cry from ecologists and deep environmentalists; a belated wish to return to an undeveloped world where nature was pristine. However invasive species create problems that impact all of us and can have far more severe consequences than changing a stunning landscape. These problems are heightened in islands like Hawaii, where the fragile ecosystems have developed over centuries of evolution and adaptation. The introduction of a disease-carrying mosquito can put the people of Hawaii at risk to many vector-born illnesses and create an epidemic, taking human life. The …

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim …

Nitrogen Contamination Of Groundwater In Proximity To A Closed Landfill And Active Agricultural Fields, Brooke Daniel

Student Writing

Carcinogenic compounds in drinking water are becoming a significant health problem. Increased use of artificial fertilizers, disposal of wastes, and land use are the main factors responsible for increased nitrate levels in groundwater over the last 30 years. This study examined the correlation between nitrate levels and proximity to a closed, inactive garbage dump located in Middlesex, Virginia. This study also examined the correlation between nitrate levels and proximity to agricultural fields. Twenty-five sampling sites were identified on the GIS tax maps of Middlesex County, Virginia. Fifteen sites were identified within a two kilometer radius of the VPPSA landfill, also …

Agriculture In The Classroom Farm Day Lesson Plan, Tessa Nicole Thompson

Agricultural Education and Communication

Nontraditional educational programs have been proclaimed desirable by many teachers, and proven effective through data collection and feedback (Coombs and Ahmed, 1974). Of the more popular unconventional educational programs, outside learning activities are commonly implemented as they are not only advantageous to students, but to teachers as well (Cengelci, 2013; Knoblock, 2008). Though nontraditional, much thought must be put into creating lesson plans for these educational programs.

El Dorado County’s Agriculture in the Classroom program utilizes nontraditional outdoor learning activities to conduct “Farm Day.” This lesson plan, created for Farm Day, is to teach third graders the importance of composting …

Investigation De Regeneración Natural De Plantas Vasculares En La Reserva Madrigal Del Podocarpus / Investigation Of Natural Regeneration Of Vascular Plants In The Madrigal Reserve Of The Podocarpus, Sy Baker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En el Sur de Ecuador, hay una historia larga de incendio que está asociada con la historia de la agricultura y ganadería a causa de las técnicas de tala y quema para despejar áreas para campos y también quemaduras intencionales para fertilizar los suelos y mejorar productividad agrícola (Fernandez et al 2015). En los últimos días de Noviembre de 2016, un incendio quemó campos, la Reserva Madrigal de Podocarpus, y parte del Parque Nacional Podocarpus en Loja, Ecuador—el enfoque de este estudio. En este estudio: (1) se registraron las especies y distribución de plantas pioneras y sobrevivientes, (2) la se …

Arsenic Analysis: Comparative Arsenic Groundwater Concentration In Relation To Soil And Vegetation, Rominna E. Valentine Vecorena

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Arsenic (As) is a toxic semi-metallic element found in groundwater, soils, and plants. Natural and anthropogenic sources contribute to the distribution of arsenic in the environment. Arsenic’s toxic and mobile behavior is associated with its speciation ability. There are two types of arsenic available to the environment, inorganic and organic arsenic. Of the two, inorganic arsenic is more toxic to humans and more mobile in the environment. Two inorganic compounds responsible for arsenic contamination are trivalent arsenite, As (III), and pentavalent arsenate, As (V). Trivalent arsenate is considered to be more soluble, toxic, and mobile than pentavalent arsenate. Arsenic’s absorptive …

Soil Total Organic Carbon And Farmers’ Perceptions Associated With Bokashi Application In Cerro Punta, Panama, Emma Searson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sustainable use and maintenance of agricultural soils are important for maintaining long-term agricultural productivity and environmental quality. These issues are especially important in Cerro Punta, known as the breadbasket of Panama, which is experiencing severe erosion. While current practices and agrochemical usage damage soil health and function over time, application of organic material improves soil physic-chemical properties such as nutrient and total organic carbon (TOC) content. Bokashi, a fermented organic soil amendment with effective microorganisms (EM), is thought to be especially beneficial due to its ability to augment populations of soil microbes, which deliver plant-available nutrients to crops and improve …

Comparing Avian Diversity And Anthropogenic Disturbance At Sendero Los Quetzales Cerro Punta, Panamá, Sloane Merdinger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report summarizes the survey of land and avian diversity along a transect that runs from the exterior to the interior of the Los Quetzales Trail of Parque Nacional Volcán Barú in Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Panamá. The region of Cerro Punta is Panamá’s primary producer of produce and also home to one of the most biodiverse land reserves in the world. Despite protection efforts the area is continuously threatened by human development. The study juxtaposes calculated Shannon-Wiener Biodiversity Indices across graduated levels of anthropogenic disturbance to determine if there is a significant difference in biodiversity between areas with low, intermediate, …

Nutrient Availability And Dynamics Of Compost Bedded Pack Dairy Barn Waste, Leslie Hammond

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Increased adoption of compost bedded pack dairy barns (CBP), a relatively new housing and manure handling strategy, warrants study to facilitate proper use of CBP waste as a soil amendment. This study: 1) characterized in situ nutrient content and availability of CBP waste in terms of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P); 2) examined the decomposition of surface-applied CBP waste compared to an alternative processed solid waste amendment; 3) examined nutrient dynamics of incorporated CBP waste in high and low soil test phosphorus (STP) environments. Quick anaerobic mineralization assays revealed that bed management affects nutrient content and availability of CBP waste. …

Soil Sampling In The City: Growing Green Infrastructure On Chicago's South Side

DePaul Magazine

Thanks to funding from a competitive U.S. Environmental Protection Agency People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) $15,000 grant, DePaul students, professors and members of the Green Teen community group gathered to work on their yearlong soil testing project in a vacant lot on Chicago's South Side. The genesis of the project dated to a year earlier, when environmental science and studies faculty members Christie Klimas, assistant professor, and James Montgomery, associate professor, submitted their grant application outlining their vision to test the soil characteristics of several vacant lots, with the goal of determining what types of green infrastructure could thrive …

Buckwheat As A Cover Crop In Florida: Mycorrhizal Status, Soil Analysis, And Economic Assessment, Daria Boglaienko

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyses buckwheat as a cover crop in Florida. The study was designed to demonstrate: soil enrichment with nutrients, mycorrhizal arbuscular fungi interactions, growth in different soil types, temperature limitations in Florida, and economic benefits for farmers. Buckwheat was planted at the FIU organic garden (Miami, FL) in early November and harvested in middle December. After incorporation of buckwheat residues, soil analyses indicated the ability of buckwheat to enrich soil with major nutrients, in particular, phosphorus. Symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increased inorganic phosphorus uptake and plant growth. Regression analysis on aboveground buckwheat biomass weight and soil characteristics showed …

Agricultural Development In The Northern Savannah Of Ghana, Tara N. Wood

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

Since declaring independence in 1957, the Republic of Ghana has become a stable constitutional democracy. Ghana’s economy has grown substantially over the past decade, yet remains primarily agrarian, accounting for 50% of the total employment and 25% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Smallholder rain-fed farming using rudimentary technologies dominates the agricultural sector accounting for 80% of total agricultural production. Approximately 90% of smallholder farms are less than two hectares in size, and produce a diversity of crops. The major crops cultivated in Ghana include numerous cereal, root and tuber, leguminous, fruit, vegetable and industrial crops. Maize is the most …

Cadmium Accumulation And Distribution In Lettuce And Barley, Fardausi Akhter

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Cadmium (Cd) is a non-essential trace element and its environmental concentrations are increasing due to human activities. Edible plants can accumulate high concentrations of Cd, which could be toxic to humans. Understanding how and where Cd is stored in plants is important for ensuring lower concentration of Cd in the food. In this thesis, the accumulation and distribution of Cd in three agricultural plants, namely lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and radish (Raphanus sativus L.), were investigated with a focus on the potential mechanisms involved in the localization of Cd in the root. The …

Poisonous Rangeland Plants In San Luis Obispo County, Sara Litten, Amanda Ou

Animal Science

Poisonous Rangeland Plants in San Luis Obispo County is a comprehensive educational guide to rangeland plants that are toxic to domestic livestock. This guide begins with an exploration of how the biological systems are affected by the poisonous plant toxins. The biochemistry behind these toxins is included in the discussion. Next, reference material for fourteen plants that inhabit San Luis Obispo County is provided. This information includes specific toxins found in poisonous plants, affected animals, symptoms of poisoning, stages of growth, lethal dose, and distribution of the plant in California. This section of the guide is filled with helpful photos …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Western Australian Part Of The Nullarbor Region, P A. Waddell, A K. Gardner, P Hennig

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the Western Australian part of the Nullarbor region, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 2005 and 2007, describes and maps the natural resources of the region. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the area's natural resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The Nullarbor region has …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Lower Murchison River Area, Western Australia, P Hennig

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the lower Murchison River area, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 2002 and 2003, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. This survey report presents …

Science-Based Organic Farming 2006: Toward Local And Secure Food Systems, Charles A. Francis, Katja Koehler-Cole, Twyla Hansen, Peter Skelton

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Organic farming includes growing food and fiber—animals, agronomic crops, horticultural fruits and vegetables, related products—as one dynamic and rapidly evolving component of our complex U.S. food system. Even as more farmers are moving toward organic certification and participation in an environmentally sound and economically lucrative market, questions arise about the long-term social impacts and sustainability of a set of practices that has gone from a movement to an industry. Consolidations in the organic trade have brought multinational corporations to the table, as they have observed a grassroots activity that has grown by 20% per year for the past two decades, …

An Inventory Of Rangelands In Part Of The Broome Shire, Western Australia, W E. Cotching

Technical Bulletins

The inventory of rangelands in part of the Broome Shire in Western Australia was undertaken by DAFWA between 1989 and 1990. It describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The survey of part of the Broome Shire …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Sandstone-Yalgoo-Paynes Find Area, Western Australia, A L. Payne, A M E Van Vreeswyk, K A. Leighton, H J. Pringle, P Hennig

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the Sandstone-Yalgoo-Paynes Find area, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 1992 and 1993, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the area’s natural resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed covers about …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of Rangelands In The North-Eastern Goldfields, Western Australia, H J. Pringle, S A. Gilligan, A M E Van Vreeswyk

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the north-eastern Goldfields, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 1988 and 1990, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed covers about 100 …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Murchison River Catchment, Western Australia, Peter James Curry, A L. Payne, K A. Leighton, P Hennig, D A. Blood

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the Murchison River catchment and surrounds, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture between 1985 and 1988, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed by field work during 1985-88 …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of Rangelands In The Ashburton River Catchment, Western Australia, A A. Mitchell, A L. Payne, W F. Holman

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of rangelands in the Ashburton River catchment, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 1976 and 1978, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed …