Environmental Health Commons^™

Nutrition Transition, Trace Elements In Nails, And Blood Pressure Along The Interoceanic Highway, Madre De Dios, Peru, Stacy M. Pettigrew

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The paving of the Interoceanic Highway (IOH) brought rapid development to the Madre de Dios (MDD) region in the Peruvian Amazon. Development brings concerns of toxic trace element exposures, and road development has been a major driver of the transition from traditional to calorie-dense processed ‘Western’ diets in lower and middle-income countries. Investigacion de Migracion, Ambiente, y Salud (IMAS) (Investigation of Migration, the Environment, and Health) is the first analysis of health, diet, and integrated toxic trace elements in nails in the region. In 2014 we collected household surveys from 310 households in 46 communities along the IOH and nails …

Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Thyroid Hormones, And Neuropsychological Function Among Older Adults From Upstate New York, Eva M. Tanner

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of persistent organic pollutants linked to changes in cognitive function and thyroid hormone (TH) levels. However, most studies of PCBs and cognitive function were conducted among children. No studies among older adults have prospectively collected PCB and cognitive performance measurements to evaluate the association over time, and no longitudinal studies have evaluated the association between PCBs and THs over time among a non-occupationally exposed population. Further, the biological mechanism by which PCBs impact cognitive function is unknown, but may be mediated by THs. In addition, reliable self-reported survey data is necessary to obtain precise …

Watered Down: The Challenges Of Managing Water Resources In Montana, Beau E. Baker

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Like much of the American West, Montana sits in the cross hairs of climate change. State drought resiliency projects and cooperative watershed management are on the rise in the face of decreased snowpack, early runoff, precipitation variability and lower seasonal stream flows. Population growth, land use practices, recreation and tourism all contribute to pressures on state water supplies.

Montana is faced with the arrival of invasive species that threaten the ecological health of its lakes, rivers and streams. State budget constraints and depressed agency capacity are hurting our ability to fend off these threats. There’s a lack of public education …

Application Of Polymer-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles For Oil Separation, Seyyedali Mirshahghassemi

Theses and Dissertations

Oil spills and storm water runoffs can have serious impact on the environment with potentially major economic impacts. Given the limitation of current oil clean-up technique, the application of nanotechnology for oil remediation has been widely studied showing a promising avenue of research. This dissertation reports a cheap, facile and cost-effective nanotechnology-based oil clean-up technique that has been optimized for effectiveness and feasibility and reduced adverse environmental impacts. The synthesized polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) have been characterized using different techniques and the oil removal efficiency investigated under a wide range of environmentally relevant conditions. Based on the characterization data, …

Effect Of Environmental Factors On The Aggregation Behavior Of Silver Nanoparticles In The Aquatic Environment, Kamelia Afshinnia

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the environmental factors that affect the fate and effects of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in the environment is crucial for NP risk assessment. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) readily transform in the environment, which alters their properties and subsequently their transport, fate, and toxicity. The overall aim of this dissertation was to evaluate the effects of Ag NPs physicochemical properties (e.g., size, surface charge, surface coating) and water chemistry (e.g., buffer concentration, organic ligands, natural organic matter) in controlling Ag NPs colloidal stability. This aim was achieved by systematically 1) review and rationalize many studies that investigated the aggregation kinetics of …

Linking Microbial Phylogenetic And Functional Gene Diversity To Microbial Mat Ecosystem Function Following Environmental Disturbance, Eva Christine Preisner

Theses and Dissertations

The ability of ecosystems to adapt to environmental perturbations depends on the duration and intensity of change and the overall biological diversity of the system. In this study, a microbial mat ecosystem located on San Salvador Island, the Bahamas was used as a model to examine how environmental disturbance affects microbial community resistance, their protein synthesis potential (PSP), ecosystem function as measured by biogeochemical cycling, community stability, and resilience. This ecosystem experienced a large shift in salinity (230 to 65 g kg-1) during 2011–2012 following the landfall of Hurricane Irene on San Salvador Island. High throughput sequencing and analysis of …

Investigating The Ecology Of A Rare Species On St. John, Usvi: Reintroducing Solanum Conocarpum In Light Of Climate Change, Cecilia Rogers

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Approximately two thirds of St. John is National Park territory. However, the land has been threatened with tourism and development, greatly impacting island biodiversity. One species that may become extinct due to this degradation is Solanum conocarpum. S. conocarpum is a rare shrub, endemic to the dry tropical forests of St. John, USVI. This plant is a species of conservation concern and is one of very few native and endemic plants on this island. Very little is known about the ecology and reproduction of S. conocarpum. Most plants are found on the southern half of the island. Recent observations …

A Cluster-Randomized Trial To Evaluate The Impact Of An Inclusive, Community-Led Total Sanitation Intervention On Sanitation Access For People With Disabilities In Malawi, Adam Biran, Lisa Danquah, Joseph Chunga, Wolf Peter Schmidt, Rochelle Holm, Ambumulire Itimu-Phiri, Wales Singini, Hazel Jones, Hannah Kuper, Sian White

Faculty Scholarship

Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) is a common method for promoting sanitation in low-income settings. This cluster-randomized trial evaluated an intervention to improve inclusion of people with disability in CLTS through training facilitators. A qualitative study examined intervention acceptability. The trial included 171 people with disabilities (78 control and 93 intervention) living in 15 intervention and 15 control communities. In the intervention arm, respondents were more likely to participate in a community meeting about sanitation (+18.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.2, 34.2) and to have been visited to discuss sanitation (+19.7, 95% CI: 0.6, 37.8). More intervention households improved latrine access …

Examining The Issue Of Compliance With Personal Protective Equipment Among Wastewater Workers Across The Southeast Region Of The United States, Tamara L. Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wastewater workers are exposed to different occupational hazards such as chemicals, gases, viruses, and bacteria. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a significant factor that can reduce or increase the probability of an accident from hazardous exposures to chemicals and microbial contaminants. The purpose of this study was to identify wastewater worker’s beliefs and practices on wearing PPE and protections offered by PPE through the integration of the Health Belief Model (HBM). Participants were workers in the wastewater industry, which included wastewater operators, laboratory analysts, maintenance workers, wastewater collection workers, equipment operators, managers, and supervisors (n=272). The instrument was a self-administered …

Heat, Disparities, And Health Outcomes In San Diego County’S Diverse Climate Zones, Kirsten Guirguis, Rupa Basu, Wael K. Al-Delaimy, Tarik Benmarhnia, Rachel Es Clemesha, Isabel Corcos, Janin Guzman-Morales, Brittany Hailey, Ivory Small, Alexander Tardy, Devesh Vashishtha, Joshua Graff Zivin, Alexander Gershunov

Joshua Graff Zivin