Environmental Health Commons^™

Dreissena Rostiformis Bugensis: Desiccation Of Adult Quagga Mussels Found In Lake Mead As A Preventive Measure Against Overland Dispersal In The Western United States, Matthew Kappel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The expansion of civilization across all borders of the world has proven to affect major components of ecosystems. Since the introduction and establishment of the aquatic invasive species (AIS),Dreissena rostiformis bugensis, commonly known as the quagga mussel, into the United States there has been an extensive amount of time and money spent on controlling and preventing their expansion across the United States. The quagga mussel is of major concern because of its ability to disrupt the ecological communities in previously non-infested bodies of water, which may cause a loss in biodiversity and effect environmental health. The quagga mussel has spread …

Effects Of Salinity On The Toxicity Of Ionic Silver And Ag-Pvp Nanoparticles To Tisbe Battagliai And Ceramium Tenuicorne, Ailbhe Macken, Hugh Byrne, Kevin Thomas

Articles

The toxic effects of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coated silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP_PVP) and ionic Ag, to Tisbe battagliai (Tb) and Ceramium tenuicorne (Ct) were investigated and the usefulness of standardised marine guidelines for ENP risk assessment were assessed. The toxicity of Ag-NP_PVP [CtEC₅₀ = 26.6 µg/L, TbEC₅₀ = 7.9 µg/L] and Ag⁺ [CtEC₅₀ = 2312.2µg/L, Tb EC₅₀ = 90.9 µg/L] to both test species differed, with the silver ENPs being more toxic. In contrast to Ag⁺ the toxicity of Ag-NP_PVP increased significantly with increasing salinity, however, after thorough characterisation it was not …

Evaluation Of The Tagelus® Ta 100d Sand Filter For Removing Quagga Mussel Veligers (Dreissena Rostriformis Bugensis) From Lake Water And The Effectiveness Of The Safeguard Ultraviolet Radiation System As A Biocide Against Veligers, Patricia Kathleen Delrose

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Lake Mead National Recreational Area was created by the construction of the Hoover Dam during the years 1931-1936. In January 2007, the quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis), was found in Lake Mead. This became the first known Dreissenid species in the southwest and the only time a large water system was first infested by the quagga mussel and not the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha). This invasive species has quickly spread to Lake Mohave and further down the lower Colorado River drainage. The microscopic size (70 µm or larger) of the veliger life stage makes it impossible to see with …

Environews #1: Nov 2/12, Richard Philp

Data and Test Instruments

Environews #1 is, hopefuly, the first of a series dealing with current issues of environmental concern. This issue discusses the possible role of climate change in the massive floods that followed hurricane sandy, depletion of the world's fish stocks, the possible role, bothe positive and negative, of aquaculture, and the trend to seek oil in increasingly environmentally dangerous venues.

Of Gardens, Microorganisms, And Long Island Sound, Judy Preston

Wrack Lines

How healthy soil can make an environmental difference.

"I happened to turn over a large rounded stone in my garden to find a mesmerizing world of organisms that had, just moments earlier, been going about their business before being exposed to the sunlit world, and me."

Ken Beatrice: A Volunteer For All Seasons, Peg Vanpatten

Wrack Lines

"It was really interesting, and as I read, I wondered how I could personally get involved in efforts to conserve the Sound," Ken said. One of the listings in the box titled "What Can I Do to Help?" was the NOAA volunteer Phytoplankton Monitoring Network.

Health Disparities Experienced By People With Disabilities In The Us: A Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Study, Jennifer Renee Pharr, Timothy J. Bungum

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

The Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990; since then research has shown that people with disabilities continue to experience barriers to health care. The purpose of this study was to compare utilization of preventive services, chronic disease rates, and engagement in health risk behaviors of participants with differing severities of disabilities to those without disabilities. This study was a secondary analysis of 2010 data collected in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System national survey in the United States. Rao Chi square test and logistic regression were employed. Participants with disabilities had significantly higher adjusted odds ratios for all …

Recent History Provides Sustainable African Water Quality Project Insight., Rochelle H. Holm

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Small-scale projects to provide clean drinking water undertaken in the developing world can contribute to significantly improving the livelihood of rural communities. There has been a historical tendency to poorly plan such projects leading to an unsustainable future. Recent history indicates three simple steps to ensuring successful and enduring clean water projects. First, identification of need by the indigenous community provides ownership in the project. Second, a partnership between key individuals in the indigenous community with the donor provides for ambassadors on both sides of the project. Finally, an exit strategy by the donors for the indigenous communities ensures local …

Valuing Improvements To Coastal Waters Using Choice Experiments: An Application To Revisions Of The Eu Bathing Waters Directive, Stephen Hynes, Dugald Tinch, Nick Hanley

Working Papers

Planned changes to the European Union’s Bathing Waters Directive (2006/7 EC) will force member states to produce improvements in a number of parameters of coastal water quality. This study uses the choice experiment method to estimate the economic benefits attached to such improvements, based on a sample of recreationalists on beaches in Ireland. The analysis indicates that improvements in all of the bathing water related attributes studied result in positive willingness to pay, and also show evidence of scope effects. Using random parameters and latent class modelling techniques, potential heterogeneity in preferences is then investigated and shown to be present …

Application Of Multivariate Statistical Methodology To Model Factors Influencing Fate And Transport Of Fecal Pollution In Surface Waters, Kimberlee K. Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Degraded surface water quality is a growing public health concern. While indicator organisms are frequently used as a surrogate measure of pathogen contamination, poor correlation is often observed between indicators and pathogens. Because of adverse health effects associated with poor water quality, an assessment of the factors influencing the fate and transport of fecal pollution is necessary to identify sources and effectively design and implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) to protect and restore surface water quality. Sinking Creek is listed on the State of Tennessee’s 303D list as impaired due to pathogen contamination. The need to address the listing of …

Superfund Evaluation: The Families Of Tar Creek, Gary D. Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Tar Creek Superfund Site is located in far northeastern Oklahoma near the Oklahoma/Kansas border in Ottawa County. The Site generally consists of a forty-square-mile area which is also part of the larger Tri-State Mining District that includes areas of Kansas and Missouri. The Site includes parts of five communities: Picher, Cardin, Quapaw, North Miami, and Commerce in Oklahoma. It also includes Treece, Kansas, and affects a total population of roughly 30,000 residents. Following Superfund designation, families in the Tar Creek area had to decide whether to accept or reject buy-out offers. This project explored the decision-making processes employed by …

Unintentional Home Injury Risks Among The Elderly In Southern Nevada, Michelle Echauz Ching

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The elderly population (65 years of age and older) is one of the fastest growing populations in the US. A major public health concern involving the elderly population is unintentional injuries in the home. Since elderly adults typically spend the majority of their time in the home, minimizing unintentional home injury hazards is crucial for this population. The Nevada Healthy Homes Partnership (NHHP) program is a grant funded effort that helps to improve the quality and availability of safe and healthy homes in Nevada. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the NHHP program interventions …

Analysis Of Nanoparticle Exposure On Legionella Pneumophila Biofilm Morphology And Host-Bacteria Interactions, Tara Diane Raftery

All Theses

An increase in the amount of money spent on nanotechnology has led to an increase in funding to support nanoparticle (NP) research. Due to their stable, beneficial properties, NPs are found in daily consumer products such as bike frames, socks, cosmetics, and sunscreens. As a result of this, these NPs have the potential to enter the environment and interact with various organisms that play integral roles in the ecosystem as a whole. The effect that NPs have on aquatic systems is largely unknown and understudied. Biofilms are an important structural and functional part of aquatic ecosystems, and comprise various microorganisms …

Continental-Scale Characterization Of Molecular Variation In Quaking Aspen, Colin M. Callahan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Quaking aspen has the largest natural distribution of any tree native to North America, ranging from Alaska through the breadth of Canada and south to mid-Mexico. Recent studies suggest a general decline of aspen throughout much of the range since at least the mid-20th century, though these findings remain inconclusive. Regardless, factors such as climate change, periods of drought, soil nutrient deficiencies, pathogens, insects, and encroachment by other tree species all pose risks to the health and maintenance of aspen across the continent. This situation is exemplified in the western United States where climate change is forecasted to have an …

Thyroid Function And Perfluoroalkyl Acids In Children Living Near A Chemical Plant, Maria-Jose Lopez-Espinosa, Debapriya Mondal, Ben Armstrong, Michael S. Bloom, Tony Fletcher

Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Scholarship

Background: Animal studies suggest that some perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), including perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) may impair thyroid function. Epidemiological findings, mostly related to adults, are inconsistent.

Objectives: We investigated whether concentrations of PFAAs were associated with thyroid function among 10,725 children (1–17 years of age) living near a Teflon manufacturing facility in the Mid-Ohio Valley (USA).

Methods: Serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), total thyroxine (TT4), and PFAAs were measured during 2005–2006, and information on diagnosed thyroid disease was collected by questionnaire. Modeled in utero PFOA concentrations were based on historical information on PFOA releases, …

Rickettsia Felis In Ctenocephalides Felis From Guatemala And Costa Rica, Adriana Troyo, Danilo Alvarez, Lizeth Taylor, Gabriela Abdalla, Olger Calderon-Arguedas, Maria L. Zambrano, Gregory A. Dasch, Kim A. Lindblade, Laya Hun, Marina Eremeeva, Alejandra Estevez

Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Rickettsia felis is an emerging human pathogen associated primarily with the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis. In this study, we investigated the presence of Rickettsia felis in C. felis from Guatemala and Costa Rica. Ctenocephalides felis were collected directly from dogs and cats, and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction for Rickettsia-specific fragments of 17-kDa protein, OmpA, and citrate synthase genes. Rickettsia DNA was detected in 64% (55 of 86) and 58% (47 of 81) of flea pools in Guatemala and Costa Rica, respectively. Sequencing of gltA fragments identified R. felis genotype URRWXCal2 in samples from both countries, and genotype Rf2125 in …

San Antonio High School Food Justice Program: A Handbook And Evaluation Of Edible Education, Katherine B. Tenneson

Pitzer Senior Theses

This senior environmental studies thesis explains and analyzes edible education through a food and gardening program at a continuation high school in Claremont, California. The first chapter situates the program-specific analysis by providing background information of the edible education movement, a history of the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, California, and an explanation of why food is a powerful teaching tool. The second chapter delineates the program by describing all of its components and compiling essential resources and teaching documents. The third chapter is based on interviews with 9 of 12 involved students and 7 teachers, and thoroughly explains the outcomes …

Arsenic Contamination In Groundwater In Vietnam: An Overview And Analysis Of The Historical, Cultural, Economic, And Political Parameters In The Success Of Various Mitigation Options, Thuy M. Ly

Pomona Senior Theses

Although arsenic is naturally present in the environment, 99% of human exposure to arsenic is through ingestion. Throughout history, arsenic is known as “the king of poisons”; it is mutagenic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic. Even in smaller concentrations, it accumulates in the body and takes decades before any physical symptoms of arsenic poisoning shows. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the safe concentration of arsenic in drinking water is 10 µg/L. However, this limit is often times ignored until it is decades too late and people begin showing symptoms of having been poisoned.

This is the current situation for Vietnam, …

Las Carreteras Ya No Cantan: Una Investigación Sobre La Riqueza Y Diversidad De Especies De Anfibios En Sitios Sensibles A Lado Del Eje Vial N°4 En La Reserva Biológica Tapichalaca, Harrison Goldspiel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Tapichalaca Biological Reserve (RBT), located in Zamora Chinchipe Province in southern Ecuador, is a zone with high biodiversity and endemism. Although famous for the Jocotoco antpitta (Grallaria ridgelyi), the reserve is very rich in anphibians, especially frogs of the genus Pristimantis. RBT hosts at least 29 species of amphibians, including the new and endemic Hyloscirtust tapichalaca and 25 Pristimantis species (Meza-R. et al. 2008). RBT faces various threats, such as climate change, farms, and the exploitation of palm trees. One pertinent threat is Eje Vial N°4, a main road that passes through the reserve. This study investigated …

Associations Between The Quality Of The Residential Built Environment And Pregnancy Outcomes Among Women In North Carolina, Marie Lynn Miranda, Lynne C. Messer, Gretchen L. Kroeger

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: The built environment, a key component of environmental health, may be an important contributor to health disparities, particularly for reproductive health outcomes.Objective: In this study we investigated the relationship between seven indices of residential built environment quality and adverse reproductive outcomes for the City of Durham, North Carolina (USA).

Methods: We surveyed approximately 17,000 residential tax parcels in central Durham, assessing > 50 individual variables on each. These data, collected using direct observation, were combined with tax assessor, public safety, and U.S. Census data to construct seven indices representing impor­tant domains of the residential built environment: housing damage, property disorder, …

Research, Monitoring, Assessment And Development Plan 2011 – 2012, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Anthropogenic Climate Change And Allergic Diseases, James Blando, Leonard Bielory, Viann Nguyen, Rafael Diaz, Hueiwang Anna Jeng

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Climate change is expected to have an impact on various aspects of health, including mucosal areas involved in allergic inflammatory disorders that include asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis and anaphylaxis. The evidence that links climate change to the exacerbation and the development of allergic disease is increasing and appears to be linked to changes in pollen seasons (duration, onset and intensity) and changes in allergen content of plants and their pollen as it relates to increased sensitization, allergenicity and exacerbations of allergic airway disease. This has significant implications for air quality and for the global food supply.

Toxicological Assessment Of Intra‐Tracheal Instilled Nanoceria On Kidneys Of Sprague‐Dawley Rats, Geeta Nandyala

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Recent studies suggest that use of nanoceria in industry is associated with increased risk of human and environmental exposure. How inhaled nanoceria might affect the kidneys is not yet known. To investigate this possibility, Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to a single dose of 7mg/kg body weight cerium oxide nanoparticles by intratracheal instillation. Animals were sacrificed at day 1, 3, 14, or 28 days after exposure and the kidneys collected for histological and biochemical analysis. No significant difference was observed in kidney to body weight ratio between the different groups. Hematoxylin and eosin staining did not reveal any significant changes …

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle? An Examination Of Factors Influencing Environmental Behavior In Denver, Colorado, Dan J. Kasper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Non-recycling and non-composting of municipal solid waste have important natural resource management implications, in that they both reduce energy, water, and raw natural resource use. Responsible waste management also likely has positive climate impacts by virtue of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling and composting are pro-environmental behaviors that have been shown to be influenced by numerous socio-demographic and psychological factors. This study analyzes the correlation of a number of variables with frequency of recycling and composting in select census tracts in Denver, CO, USA, with the goals of informing waste management policy and contributing to the overall pro-environmental behavior literature. …

Extinction Risk And Bottlenecks In The Conservation Of Charismatic Marine Species, Loren Mcclenachan, Andrew B. Cooper, Kent E. Carpenter, Nicholas K. Dulvy

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The oceans face a biodiversity crisis, but the degree and scale of extinction risk remains poorly characterized. Charismatic species are most likely to gar- ner greatest support for conservation and thus provide a best-case scenario of the status of marine biodiversity. We summarize extinction risk and diagnose impediments to successful conservation for 1,568 species in 16 families of marine animals in the movie Finding Nemo. Sixteen percent (12–34%) of those that have been evaluated are threatened, ranging from 9% (7–28%) of bony fishes to 100% (83–100%) of marine turtles. A lack of scientific knowledge impedes analysis of threat status …

Associations Between Serum Concentrations Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Serum Carotenoids, And The Probability Of Metabolic Syndrome In The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004, Carolyn R. Hofe

Theses and Dissertations--Nutritional Sciences

Diabetes and cardiovascular disease are leading causes of death and disability in the United States. These chronic diseases are clinical sequelae of metabolic syndrome (MetS), a condition that affects approximately one-third (1/3) of American adults. Metabolic syndrome occurs in response to environmental and genetic influences, among them food intake, a sedentary lifestyle, BMI, advancing age, and exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). POPs are known to cause endocrine disruption and PCBs cause oxidative stress, disrupt endothelial cell integrity, and promote atherosclerosis. Nutrition plays a significant role in the prevention and management of these chronic diseases and has been shown to …

Short-Term Associations Between Pm2.5, Black Carbon, Delta-C, And Cardiovascular Diseases In A Large Developing Megacity, Daniel Malashock

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Introduction: Association between ambient air pollution and cardiovascular disease (CVD) have been demonstrated by many epidemiological studies in developed countries, however few studies have been performed in developing countries of Asia.

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 …

Occupational Exposure And Risk Of Skin Cancer In A Multinational European Study, Simona Surdu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) comprise more than one third of all cancers, and are increasing worldwide. The most common NMSC are Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). Studies on humans and animals suggest that sunlight and arsenic play important roles in the pathogenesis of these skin malignancies. However, the number of epidemiological studies focusing on NMSC in workers exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation or airborne arsenic is limited, and the findings are contradictory.

Association Between Chemical Constituents Of Particulate Matter And Cardiovascular And Respiratory Morbidities In Nys, Rena Jones

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Improved understanding of health risks from short- and long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) constituents may explain seasonal and geographic heterogeneity in PM_{2.5-health associations and inform control efforts targeting PM sources. Few studies have examined PM species health effects; most have been limited by their exposure assessments and modeling approaches. The goals of this project were to improve the PM exposure assessment and explore relationships between PM2.5 species and health in acute and chronic contexts.}