Environmental Health Commons^™

Air Pollution And Public Health: Global Evidence And Implications, Mohammed Obaid Al-Mansoori

Al-Bahir

Globally, the issue of air pollution keep being one of most serious challenges that affecting environment and human health, coming from emissions of industries, transport, agriculture and also from the fuel people use in homes, in addition to natural events that make the situation worse. This review try to bring together the available evidences about the sources, types, and the health impacts of the main air pollutants, including the gaseous ones like SO₂, O₃, NO₂, and CO, and the particulate matter (PM₁₀, PM₂.₅). Exposure for short or long time to these pollutants is linked with many harmful outcomes, such as …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Concerning Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene And Related Diseases Among University Students In Malaysia, Renee Ng Jeffrey, Aida Soraya Shamsuddin, Farah Diyana Ariffin, Aziemah Zulkifli

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices are fundamental components of public health, being crucial in preventing disease transmission and promoting healthy living environments. In this context, university students play an essential role as future professionals and community advocates in fostering proper hygiene behaviors and preventing disease outbreaks. Understanding knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) in regard to WASH among individuals, particularly university students, is crucial for promoting proper hygiene behaviors. This study aimed to assess the KAP in regard to WASH and related diseases among undergraduate students from the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

Methods: …

Frontier Healthscapes: Competing Narratives Of Disease, Environment, And Wellbeing In Early Minnesota, Aidan Reynolds

Geography Honors Projects

Across settler societies, health narratives were shaped by evolving tensions between lay and expert knowledge, frameworks of disease causation, and perceptions of the environment as both a source of health and a threat. In the decades following Euro-American settlement (1860-1900), Minnesota became a focal point for these debates, with its landscape fostering complex and competing narratives on health, wellbeing, and disease. This paper explores how public health discourse developed in Minnesota through the perspectives of institutions, the public, and economic interests. Combining environmental history with critical discourse analysis of archival materials, this study examines shifts within the Minnesota State Board …

Environmental Impact Of Water And Air Contaminants On Public Health, Astrid-Ines Foamkom, Luis A. Peña Marquez, Maria Sophia Malbas, Esmeralda Rodriguez, Noe Garza, Ney Alliey-Rodriguez

Research Colloquium

Background: Established literature suggests a strong relationship between exposure to air contaminants and physical health. Similarly, numerous studies have demonstrated the effects of water pollution on public health. Texas denizens are often victims of poor air and water quality, yet there are scant studies that have integrated evidence of health tolls caused by air and water pollution across the state. In this study, we assessed the relationship between particulate matter

Methods: The study used data from the 2018 Medicare and Medicaid report which displayed chronic health conditions across all counties in Texas. Additionally, the study also includes collected data on …

Canine Parasites In Southern Nevada Urban Dog Parks: Paravec Study, Miklo Azrael A. Alcala

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

While dogs are one of humans’ greatest companions, they also serve as hosts for a multitude of parasites. Urban dog parks serve as environments where the transmission of diseases is likely to occur. Exposure to infective agents, contained within the soil, intermediate hosts (e.g., rodents, rabbits), and feces, can directly affect the health of dogs and their owners. Other factors that can further influence canine health include age, previous diagnoses of parasites/diseases, and migration. Many dog owners visit dog parks to encourage socialization and exercise. Such activities are meant to improve health, but unawareness of microbiological organisms can lead to …

Assessing Health Implications Of Monarch Butterfly Populations And Behaviors, Kira Goldman, Kelsey E. Fisher Dr.

Honors Scholar Theses

Pollinator populations have seen massive declines over the past decade due to anthropogenic activity and climate change posing serious threats to the health of humans and ecosystems (Ulyshen & Horn, 2023). As agents responsible for the production of about 35% of micronutrient rich food crops necessary for adequate nutrition to lead healthful lives and prevent nutrition associated diseases, pollinator decline is a public health concern (Aizen et al., 2009). Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) serve as bio indicators for the health of pollinator populations because of their analogous habitat and food resources shared with many other pollinator species, including bees and …

Low-Cost Pm2.5 Sensors Can Help Identify Driving Factors Of Poor Air Quality And Benefit Communities, Tim Keyes, Rea Domingo, Samantha Dynowski, Royal Graves, Martha Klein, Melissa Leonard, John Pilgrim, Alison Sanchirico, Kate Trinkaus

WCBT Faculty Publications

Air quality is critical for public health. Residents rely chiefly on government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States to establish standards for the measurement of harmful contaminants including ozone, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), and fine particulate matter at or below 2.5 μm. According to the California Air Resources Board [1], “short-term PM2.5 exposure (up to 24-h duration) has been associated with premature mortality, increased hospital admissions for heart or lung causes, acute and chronic bronchitis, asthma attacks, emergency room visits, respiratory symptoms, and restricted activity days”. While public agency resources …

Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook

Sustain Magazine

As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic quickly spread from country to country and continent to continent in 2020, governments and scientists needed a way to track COVID-19 through populations in order to position public health interventions in the most impactful locations. Having a decision-based risk framework may help to guide policy creation that could minimize or prevent possible outbreaks and surges of infection within communities. The University of Louisville in partnership with Louisville’s Department of Public Health and Wellness tested this strategy in 2021 and 2022. This Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook describes the decisions and actions of that academic and public …

Aeromonas Phage Research And The Public Health Impact Of Antibiotics In Aquaculture Workers, Madelyn Merchant

Honors Projects

One of the most common fish diseases in aquaculture is Aeromonas infection. The most common way to treat this infection is through antibiotics. The bacteria in the fish can become antibiotic-resistant and perpetuate the disease. The diseases in fish create a huge financial loss and the industry loses $6 billion per year due to diseases in fish. An alternative to antibiotics is bacteriophage which causes less environmental degradation and is better for human gut flora. In aquaculture there have been examples of aquaculture workers becoming sick from the water in aquaculture ponds as well as from people eating the fish. …

Surveillance Of Rnase P, Pmmov, And Crassphage In Wastewater As Indicators Of Human Fecal Concentration Across Urban Sewer Neighborhoods, Louisville, Kentucky., R. H. Holm, M. Nagarkar, R. A. Yeager, D. Talley, A. C. Chaney, J. P. Rai, A. Mukherjee, S. N. Rai, A. Bhatnagar, T. Smith

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Wastewater surveillance has been widely used as a supplemental method to track the community infection levels of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. A gap exists in standardized reporting for fecal indicator concentrations, which can be used to calibrate the primary outcome concentrations from wastewater monitoring for use in epidemiological models. To address this, measurements of fecal indicator concentration among wastewater samples collected from sewers and treatment centers in four counties of Kentucky (N = 650) were examined. Results from the untransformed wastewater data over 4 months of sampling indicated that the fecal indicator concentration of human ribonuclease P (RNase …

Disability In An American Indian Community : Prevalence, Distribution, And The Role Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Thoin F. Begum

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Phthalates have been implicated as reproductive toxicants in animal models and in human populations. This study examined associations between potential exposure sources and urinary phthalate concentrations among couples undergoing infertility treatment. Women (n=56) and their male partners (n=43) undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) were enrolled in a prospective cohort investigation of environmental chemicals and IVF outcomes at an academic medical center. On the day of oocyte retrieval, participants provided urine samples and completed questionnaires detailing use of personal care products (PCPs), and consumption of medications, foods, and beverages in the preceding 24-hours. Urine was analyzed for MEP, MBP, MPP, MHxP, …

An Assessment Of Disinfection-Related Water Chemistry At Public Pools And Spas In Louisville, Kentucky, Thomas Gerding, Tim Wilder, Jason W. Marion

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The growth in the number of pools to more than 7.4 million in the U.S. has been accompanied by a rise in recreational water illnesses (RWIs). Effective pool management, though, can mitigate RWI risks. Inadequate management presumably occurs more frequently where training is less formalized and/or pool operation is a minor aspect of the job of the responsible pool manager(s). During summer 2018, weekly evaluations were performed at public venues in Louisville, Kentucky. Disinfectant levels and other items were monitored and compared with venue-specific (pool or spa) criteria. Among 1,312 venue surveys, 1,173 (89.4%) met criteria and 139 (10.6%) did …

Ailing In Place: Environmental Inequities And Health Disparities In Appalachia, Michele Morrone

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

In Ailing in Place, Michele Morrone explores the relationship between environmental conditions in Appalachia and health outcomes that are too often ascribed to individual choices only. She applies quantitative data to observations from environmental health professionals to frame the ways in which the environment, as a social determinant of health, leads to health disparities in Appalachian communities. These examples—these stories of place—trace the impacts of water quality, waste disposal, and natural resource extraction on the health and quality of life of Appalachian people.

Public health is inextricably linked to place. Environmental conditions such as contaminated water, unsafe food, and polluted …

There Must Be Something In The Water: Understanding Pfas Contamination Of Groundwater As A National Security Issue, Kylie N. Ford

Student Theses 2015-Present

This report addresses the widespread pollution of domestic groundwater resources with Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) caused by firefighting activities performed at military installations across the United States. Two former military bases in Southeastern Pennsylvania are used as a single case study: the Naval Air Development Center (NADC) in Warminster and the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NASJRB) in Horsham. Chapter 1 gives a history of domestic military bases from the perspective of the infrastructure buildup and downsizing that occurred over the 20th Century, along with the environmental degradation revealed during brownfield redevelopment. The chapter then gives specifics about …

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

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.

It's About Communities: The Commitment To Promoting A Culturally Competent Environmental Health Workforce, Clint Pinion Jr., Leslie D. Mitchell, Jason W. Marion

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Environmental health and public health are profoundly local. The Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs (AEHAP) firmly agrees and for this reason, it is important to have local environmental health experts who know the pulse of their communities. AEHAP believes in supporting the advanced scientific education of environmental health in these communities through people from these communities. Accordingly, AEHAP has sought to promote and support accredited environmental health programs among a diverse cross-section of the U.S. higher education landscape. AEHAP’s students are diverse in many ways, including socioeconomically, racially, ethnically, and culturally. The value of this approach enhances the overall …

Cross Photoreaction Of Glyoxylic And Pyruvic Acids In Model Aqueous Aerosol, Sha-Sha Xia, Alexis J. Eugene, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Aerosols of variable composition, size, and shape are associated with public health concerns as well as with light-particle interactions that play a role in the energy balance of the atmosphere. Photochemical reactions of 2-oxocarboxylic acids in the aqueous phase are now known to contribute to the total secondary organic aerosol (SOA) budget. This work explores the cross reaction of glyoxylic acid (GA) and pyruvic acid (PA) in water, the two most abundant 2-oxocarboxylic acids in the atmosphere, under solar irradiation and dark thermal aging steps. During irradiation, PA and GA are excited and initiate proton-coupled electron transfer or hydrogen abstraction …

Science, Advocacy, Policy, Planning: Tools For Advancing Transportation Equity, Garrett S. Mcallister

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

The theme of this portfolio is how different tools and approaches can be used for advancing transportation equity. Broadly defined, transportation equity is about fairness in transportation. There are a number of ways this fairness can be assessed. The most common way to assess transportation equity is by looking at the fairness of outcomes, distributed geographically, socially, or even by mode of transportation. Equity can also be defined by the fairness of processes. The first half of the portfolio illustrates some of the problems with the current transportation system and how it is unhealthy (Piece 1) and unjust (Piece 2). …

Outdoor Air Quality, Taylor Curley

Global Issues in Public Health

Outdoor air quality is a significant issue for the entire world. It affects any and all people, but is more of an issue in low-income countries and among people that are more susceptible to respiratory issues such as young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people who already suffer from respiratory problems like asthma. Poor air quality is caused by the burning of fossil fuels which releases particles and chemicals into the air like carbon dioxide, particulate matter, and nitrogen to name a few. It can cause multiple health issues such as respiratory problems to people who are exposed to …

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

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & 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 …

Access To Groundwater And Link To The Impact On Quality Of Life: A Look At The Past, Present And Future Public Health Needs In Mzimba District, Malawi., R. C.G. Chidya, R. H. Holm, M. Tembo, B. Cole, P. Workneh, J. Kanyama

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Imagine a world where you have to get up at 4am to walk for two hours in the dark to fetch water. This remains true in Malawi, where it is said that the Millennium Development Goals have been met. This research aimed at understanding the impact access to groundwater has on people's ‘Being’, ‘Belonging’ and ‘Becoming,’ as well as on people's capabilities and on their quality of life in Mzimba District, Malawi. Being, Belonging and Becoming define three life domains. Being reveals ‘who one is,’ Belonging reflects ‘connections with one's environments’ and Becoming relates to ‘achieving personal goals, hopes and …

Health Hazards In Rental Housing: An Overview Of Clark County, Nevada, Amanda Nicole Sokolowsky

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A wide range of health conditions are associated with housing conditions, including asthma, respiratory infections, injuries, mental health issues, and lead poisoning. People in modern societies spend more than 90% of their time indoors, the vast majority of which is spent at home. Therefore, any new information on housing related health hazards in a population provides an opportunity for a new prevention program. Reports have shown that rental properties have more health related hazards than owner occupied housing, and rental properties are frequently occupied by low-income and minority individuals. This descriptive study intended to provide an overview of housing related …

Trace Element Analysis Of Environmental And Clinical Materials Using Novel Instrumentation Based On X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry : New Capabilities For Public Health Laboratories, Kathryn G. Mcintosh

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry is a well-established analytical technique for determining the elemental content of many different materials. XRF has long been used for public health applications, particularly for identifying lead-based paint hazards. The primary advantage of XRF over other atomic spectrometric techniques is that it is nondestructive. In addition, little sample preparation is required, so results are obtained rapidly and at low cost. The principal aim of this study was to characterize the utility and reliability of current XRF instrumentation for use in the environmental health sciences. Interest in the use of XRF for detecting lead in children's toys …

Mountains Of Injustice : Social And Environmental Justice In Appalachia, Michele Morrone, Geoffrey L. Buckley

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

Research in environmental justice reveals that low-income and minority neighborhoods in our nation’s cities are often the preferred sites for landfills, power plants, and polluting factories. Those who live in these sacrifice zones are forced to shoulder the burden of harmful environmental effects so that others can prosper. Mountains of Injustice broadens the discussion from the city to the country by focusing on the legacy of disproportionate environmental health impacts on communities in the Appalachian region, where the costs of cheap energy and cheap goods are actually quite high.

Through compelling stories and interviews with people who are fighting for …

When Every Drop Counts: The Public Health Impact Of Drought, Steven Konkel

Environmental Health Planning and Policy

No abstract provided.