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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Sustainability Of Western Kentucky University: An Examination Of Campus Environmental Policies, Performance And Potential For Change, Christian Ryan-Downing
Sustainability Of Western Kentucky University: An Examination Of Campus Environmental Policies, Performance And Potential For Change, Christian Ryan-Downing
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Institutions of higher learning are in a pivotal position to address the environmental problems that global society faces now, but response to this challenge requires transformation in priorities and practices. Recognizing the impacts that universities have on the environment and the social and economic costs associated with these impacts, institutions of higher learning are changing policies and management to become more sustainable. Sustainability is defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (1987). To evaluate the environmental impacts …
The Whitehead Link On The Cubic Lattice, Elizabeth Haynes
The Whitehead Link On The Cubic Lattice, Elizabeth Haynes
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
The cubic lattice is a graph in Â3 where the vertices are points with integer coordinates and edges are unit length line segments parallel to the x-, y-, or z-axis. A step is a line segment that connects one vertex to a neighboring vertex one unit away in the x-, y-, or z-direction. This thesis will show that the Whitehead Link needs at least 34 steps to be embedded on the cubic lattice.
Relationships Between Environmental Factors And Fungi On Occupants' Perceptions Of Indoor Air Quality, Monica Rodriguez
Relationships Between Environmental Factors And Fungi On Occupants' Perceptions Of Indoor Air Quality, Monica Rodriguez
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
In recent decades, concerns about potential health effects resulting from exposure to contaminants that cause indoor air pollution have dramatically increased. The purpose of this study was to assess the indoor air quality of three buildings at Western Kentucky University and to examine and characterize indoor levels of basic comfort parameters, carbon dioxide, and fungi as well as occupants' perceptions of poor indoor air quality and the role of fungi on reported health symptoms. The three buildings included in the study were: Tate Page Hall (TPH), Jones Jagger Hall (JJH) and Science and Technology Hall (STH). Fifty-three questionnaires were completed …
Exposure Assessment Of Mercury In Fish From Kentucky Surface Waters, Najla Gubari
Exposure Assessment Of Mercury In Fish From Kentucky Surface Waters, Najla Gubari
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Consumption of fish contaminated with mercury is the primary exposure pathway by which humans are exposed to mercury. Mercury is known to be a neurological toxin that can cause attention and language deficits, impaired memory, and impaired visual and motor function, especially in children under the age of six. In addition, mercury exposure can lead to other health problems in adults, such as damage to the kidney and increased risk of coronary heart disease. This study assesses the exposure to mercury through consumption of fish from Kentucky surface waters. The exposure assessment is based on data collected by the Kentucky …
Evaluating Uranium Depth Versus Socio-Economic Statistics For Residential Radon Vulnerability In Warren County, Kentucky, Anthony Iovanna
Evaluating Uranium Depth Versus Socio-Economic Statistics For Residential Radon Vulnerability In Warren County, Kentucky, Anthony Iovanna
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Residences in Warren County, Kentucky, are characterized by high levels of residential radon, which is one of the radioactive daughter products of uranium. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), radon exposure causes approximately 22,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States per year. The City of Bowling Green, in Warren County, is underlain by karst, an easily soluble limestone subsurface, which allows radon gas to travel easily through cracks and fissures. Carbonate rocks under Bowling Green are underlain by the Devonian Chattanooga Shale, a low-grade uranium ore and a potential source of radon gas. A digital …
Analysis Of Soil Lead Levels In An Historic District Of A South Central Kentucky City, Robert Cummins
Analysis Of Soil Lead Levels In An Historic District Of A South Central Kentucky City, Robert Cummins
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Lead in soil has been shown to be a significant pathway of lead exposure in children. Several factors including age of housing units, exterior composition, and paint loading may affect the amount of lead present in the soil. The purpose of this study was to analyze soil lead levels on properties located in an historic district and relate those levels to the variables previously mentioned. A total of 30 soil samples were collected from housing units in a nationally recognized historic district. Concentrations of lead in the soil were analyzed using a NITON X-ray Fluorescence Spectrum Analyzer, following EPA Method …
Study Of The Distribution And Variation Of The Herbicide Atrazine In Finished Drinking Water At A Small Community Water System In Kentucky, Vijay Golla
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
This study examines the variation in the distribution of the concentration of atrazine, a triazine herbicide used in Kentucky to control weeds primarily in corn fields. Atrazine is known to have carcinogenic properties and is an endocrine disruptor in aquatic species even at low concentrations. Atrazine has the ability to be transported through the environment into water bodies due to its physical and chemical properties favoring its occurrence and distribution. Raw and Finished drinking water samples were collected from the Lewisburg water treatment plant which derives its drinking water supplies from a source water intake namely Spa Lake, which has …
Water Quality Assessment In Cypress Creek Nature Preserve, Jason Flora
Water Quality Assessment In Cypress Creek Nature Preserve, Jason Flora
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Swamps are unique ecological communities that provide many valuable ecosystem services. In Kentucky, however, many swamps were altered by cypress removal and land development in their watersheds. Cypress Creek Swamp, which lies near Paducah in western Kentucky, is a good example of a swamp whose ecological integrity may be threatened by past and current nearby land use practices. This study was conducted to assess the water quality and macro- and microinvertebrate communities in the swamp. Three sites were monitored for temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductivity, depth, phosphorus measured as orthophosphate, nitrite (NO2") and nitrate (NO3", NOx collectively), and ammonia …
Actiononaias Ligamentina As A Biomonitor In The Green River: An Unique Approach For Analysis Of Environmental Impacts, Robert Kirkland
Actiononaias Ligamentina As A Biomonitor In The Green River: An Unique Approach For Analysis Of Environmental Impacts, Robert Kirkland
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Biomonitoring has become an important component in bioassessment programs. It is used to maintain high water quality standards, and determine contaminant levels and biological affects in areas that have been heavily disturbed. The objectives of this research were 1) to improve and apply certain modern biomonitoring techniques and 2) to locate possible contaminant sources affecting the flora and fauna of the Green River and of Mammoth Cave. Actinonaias ligamentina (Lamarck, 1819), a freshwater mussel, was used for interpretation of these impacts as well as refinement of biomonitoring techniques. The mussels were collected in the Lawler Bend region of the Green …