Public Health Commons^™

Heavy Metals In Afforested Mangrove Sediment From The World's Largest Delta: Distributional Mapping, Contamination Status, Risk Assessment And Source Tracing, Md Saifur Rahman, Moshiur Rahman, Yeasmin N Jolly, Md Kamal Hossain, Sanjida Afrin Semme, Bilal Ahamad Paray, Takaomi Arai, Jimmy Yu, M Belal Hossain

Journal Articles

This study aims to assess seasonal and spatial variations, contamination status, ecological risks, and metal sources (Ni, Pb, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Zn) in human-afforested mangrove sediments in a deltaic region. Five sampling locations were sampled during dry and wet seasons. Heavy metal concentrations followed the order: Mn > Zn > Ni > Cr > Cu > Pb. Metal loads, except Cu and Pb, were higher during the dry season, aligning with national and international recommendations. Sediment quality guidelines, contamination factor, geoaccumulation index, enrichment factors, and pollution load index indicated uncontaminated sediment in both seasons. Potential ecological risk assessment showed low risk conditions in all …

Case Study: Lead Contamination In Soil And Plants Of A Metro Atlanta Home, Jaci Carithers, Samantha Gowen, Farmaan Judge, Brian Matayoshi

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: Lead contamination in housing developments of the Metro Atlanta Area has prompted the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish the Westside Lead Superfund Site for soil and plant remediation efforts. As a result, affected residents have to review their own health and wellness in a different perspective due to the possibility of having lead contamination. No quantity of lead is considered safe in the human body, especially since it is known to compete with the functionality of calcium in many vital biological processes. Manufacturing and disposal procedures in lead-based industries have contributed to lead contamination of soil and …

A Survey And Analysis Of Educational Materials Addressing The Health Consequences Of Drinking Nitrate Contaminated Water In Medical Clinics Located In The Most At-Risk Areas Of Nebraska: Are Healthcare Providers Equipped To Protect And Educate Their Patients?, Laura Nagengast

Capstone Experience

Background: Eighty five percent of Nebraskans rely heavily on groundwater sources, including private wells, as their primary source of drinking water. Nitrate is one of the most common chemicals found in private well water. Numerous studies demonstrated the serious human health consequences from prolonged nitrate exposure. Therefore, due to the potential health risks, this project aimed to identify and evaluate the existing knowledge and awareness among healthcare providers as well as the educational materials in medical clinics in Nebraska related to health effects of drinking nitrate contaminated water.

Methods: An 8 multiple choice question survey was developed using Microsoft Forms. …

Evaluation Of Nitrite Concentration In Edible Bird’S Nest (White, Yellow, Orange, And Red Blood), Siti Gusti Ningrum, Bagus Uda Palgunad, Rochiman Sasmita

Makara Journal of Science

The color of edible bird’s nest is associated with its nitrite concentration, but this relationship remains inconclusive. This investigation aimed to evaluate the nitrite content in edible bird’s nest of four different colors: white, yellow, orange, and red blood. Fifty-eight edible bird’s nest samples were obtained from five swiftlet farmhouses in Borneo Island, Indonesia and analyzed for nitrite content using Genesys 30 visible spectrophotometer. Results showed that the dark-colored edible bird’s nests (yellow, orange, and red blood) had higher nitrite concentrations of 304, 317, and 309 ppm, respectively, compared with the white-colored one (15 ppm). Therefore, the color of edible …

Perceptions Of Drinking Water Access And Quality In Rural Indigenous Villages In Fiji, Sarah Nelson, Jacqueline Thomas, Aaron Jenkins, Kelera Naivalu, Timoci Naivalulevu, Vilisi Naivalulevu, Kinikoto Mailautoka, Shylett Anthony, Mereia Ravoka, Stacy D. Jupiter, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Pierre Horwitz, Seye Abimbola, Joel Negin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Poor rural water quality is a health challenge in Fiji. A mixed-methods study in six iTaukei (Indigenous Fijian) villages was conducted to understand local perceptions of drinking water access and quality, how this changes drinking water source choices, and impacts of age and gender. Seventy-two household surveys, 30 key informant interviews (KIIs) and 12 focus group discus-sions (FGDs) were conducted. Household surveys revealed 41.7% of community members perceived their water as dirty and 76.4% perceived their water as clean. Two-thirds of households reported that they always or usually had enough water. FGDs and KIIs revealed water access and quality was …

Knowledge And Beliefs Associated With Environmental Health Literacy: A Case Study Focused On Toxic Metals Contamination Of Well Water, Kathleen M. Gray, Victoria Triana, Marti Lindsey, Benjamin Richmond, Anna G. Hoover, Chris Wiesen

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Environmental health literacy (EHL) is developing as a framework that can inform educational interventions designed to facilitate individual and collective action to protect health, yet EHL measurement poses several challenges. While some studies have measured environmental health knowledge resulting from interventions, few have incorporated skills and self-efficacy. In this study, a process-focused EHL instrument was developed, using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) health literacy instrument as a model and tailoring it for the context of private well contamination with toxic metals. Forty-seven (47) participants, including undergraduate students and residents of communities with contaminated well water, piloted a prototype EHL instrument …

Clinical Consequences And Determinants Of False Positive Blood Cultures In Adult Hospitalized Patients, Sidra Liaquat

Theses & Dissertations

Blood cultures are the gold standard for detecting blood stream infections. However, in the US, 0.6-6% of all blood cultures get contaminated leading to adverse clinical outcomes such as unnecessarily prolonged hospital stay and antibiotic therapy. Using electronic medical records, we explored the clinical outcomes and patient-specific risk factors of contaminated blood cultures in an era where rapid blood culture testing was being utilized to provide blood culture results within hours. Rapid blood culture test results can help clinicians in early and more effective management of patients with contaminated blood cultures, thus improving clinical outcomes. We also studied the impact …

Food Contact Surfaces: Challenges, Legislation And Solutions, Shubham Sharma, Amit Jaiswal, Brendan Duffy, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

Food contact surfaces (FCSs) include all surfaces that may come in contact with the food during production, processing, and packaging. Food processing industries encounter several challenges due to its microbial interaction with the FCSs, such as cross-contamination of pathogenic microorganisms or allergens in food, formation of biofilm, biodeterioration of food contact surface leads to food with reduced shelf-life and quality. A legal EU framework provides the fundamental postulates for the safety and inertness of all Food Contact Materials (FCMs). Legislations have an important role in providing regulatory guidance on the quality assurance systems and verifying their implementation as a means …

Microbial Load Of Touch Screen Mobile Phones Used By University Students And Healthcare Staff, Abdelraouf Elmanama

Journal of the Arab American University مجلة الجامعة العربية الامريكية للبحوث

Mobile phones have become an indispensable part of our lives. Though they offer plenty of advantages, they are prolific breeding grounds for infectious pathogens in communities and hospitals. The present study seeks to identify the counts and types of bacteria contaminating touch screen mobile phones (TSMP) used by students of the Islamic University-Gaza (IUG) and healthcare workers (HCWs) at Al-Shifa Hospital. It also tries to investigate the antimicrobial resistance profiles. A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2013 to April 2014. Two hundred and fifty swab samples were collected: 100 IUG female students, 100 IUG male students and 50 from …

The Legacy Of Mining In Southwest Missouri: Past And Present Conditions Of The Tri-State Mining District, Anastasia M C Mcclanahan

MSU Graduate Theses

The historic Tri-State Mining District (TSMD) of southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma has a history of lead and zinc mining that extended over a hundred years. During the district’s peak production period, the TSMD was one of the world’s largest producers of lead and zinc. The mining activities in the TSMD produced economic growth that supported the local communities and were essential to the victory of the Allied Forces during World War I and World War II. Beginning in the 1920s, the mining activities in the district slowly began to cease due to depletion of metal ores and …

Anesthesia Services In The Time Of Covid, James Chen, Daisy Sangroula, Katelyn Williams, Sydney Pham, Ozan Akca, Jiapeng Huang, Sean Clifford

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Our hospital is a 400-bed, Level-1 trauma center with 78 intensive care unit (ICU) beds serving the greater Louisville metropolitan area. The COVID-19 pandemic forced our hospital to re-evaluate our core business operations and to develop a coherent response to a fluid situation. Between March 15 and May 15, 2020, the University of Louisville Hospital admitted more than 100 COVID-19 inpatients; approximately 30 were admitted to the ICU, and most required endotracheal intubation. The following review describes our Department of Anesthesiology \& Perioperative Medicine foci, actions, and rationale during the COVID-19 pandemic. While we hope not to experience another pandemic …

Death By Contamination, Syeda Sana Batool

MSJ Capstone Projects

This research was conducted by Centre for Excellence in Journalism, IBA, Karachi during 2019 as a capstone project for Master of Science in Journalism. The data and information regarding water contamination was obtained and compiled through a thorough reporting, researched articles and documents provided by concerned organization.

The water which is used for the drinking purpose in Karachi is the most polluted and contaminated one as compare to the other cities of Pakistan. The reason behind this water contamination is the industries disposition of waste, which has ruined the environment by polluting the water bodies with its toxic effluent.

The …

Something’S In The Water: A Look At How Creativity And Innovation Can Prevent Future Water Crises, Tristan Holiday-Nowden

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The purpose of this project is to raise awareness and create a level of consciousness about water, unlike anything we have seen in the past. This project presents a synthesis of current writings and ideologies from the fields of Environmental Science and Water Research. As well as think pieces and informative news articles from various publications.

To illustrate the damaging effects of water contamination, water pollution, and water scarcity; Flint, Michigan will serve as a case study. After diagnosing and defining the problem using the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) framework. This project will explore the challenge and look at the …

Evaluation Of An Educational Campaign To Improve The Conscious Consumption Of Recreationally Caught Fish, Corey A. Krabbenhoft, Susan Manente, Donna R. Kashian

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Consumption guidelines are a common way of improving conscious consumption behaviors in areas where game fish are known to contain contaminants. However, guideline information can be difficult to distribute, and effectiveness difficult to measure. To increase the distribution and effectiveness of guideline information for the Detroit River, an educational campaign was launched in 2010, which included distribution of pamphlets with consumption information, posting of permanent signs at popular fishing locations, and hiring River Walkers to personally communicate with anglers. In 2013 and 2015, we conducted in-person surveys of active shoreline anglers to determine the effectiveness of education and outreach efforts. …

High Prevalence Of Toxigenic Clostridium Difficile In Public Space Lawns In Western Australia, Peter Moono, Su Chen Lim, Thomas V. Riley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Clostridium difficile is a well-established hospital pathogen. Recently, it has been detected increasingly in patients without hospital contact. Given this rise in community associated infections with C. difficile, we hypothesized that the environment could play an important role in transmission of spores outside the hospital. Lawn samples (311) collected in public spaces in the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia, from February to June 2016 were cultured for C. difficile. C. difficile was isolated from the samples by direct and enrichment culture, and characterized by standard molecular methods using toxin gene PCR and ribotyping. The overall prevalence of …

Lead Poisoning In Linn County & Cedar Rapids, Ia, Sydney Fedor, Lexys Magadan, Shannon Okland, Morghan Smith, Anna Willems

2016-2017: Scott County, Iowa and the Scott County Health Department

No abstract provided.

Chad : Hepatitis E, Hanna Pegarsch

Global Public Health

Contaminated drinking water in Chad is the main source for a Hepatitis E outbreak, leading Chad citizens to develop severe illness including jaundice, liver-failure, miscarriage, and death. There are 0.4 physicians for every 10,000 people living in Chad needing healthcare. Of the citizens in Chad, only 42% have access to uncontaminated drinking water. With such a long incubation period for Hepatitis E, the citizens don’t know they are spreading the illness to the rest of their community. Even with the symptoms, the citizens don’t have the access or the capacity for treatment, making Hepatitis E an epidemic in Chad.

Foodservice Employees Behaviors And The Presence Of Foodborne-Illness Responsible Microorganisms On Smart Phones, Louise Louise De Gracia, R.D.

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

As technology advances, smart phone (SP) use is on the rise, including in foodservice establishments. Likewise, the incidence of foodborne-illness in the United States remains high. The presence of disease-responsible microorganisms on health care employees’ mobile phones is well-documented, but little research has examined this relationship concerning foodservice employees’ SPs. Employees (n=50) from a Michigan foodservice establishment were surveyed for their SP use behaviors, and their SPs were swabbed to detect Salmonella, coliforms, and norovirus. Poor hygienic behaviors, such as SP use in the bathroom (75.5%, n=37) were widespread. ServSafe®-certified employees (46%, n=23) were significantly (p=0.041) less likely to use …

Selection Of Pathogen Surrogates And Fresh Produce Safety: Implications For Public Health And Irrigation Water Quality Policy, Ethan Givan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Foodborne illness continues to be a substantial public health issue in the United States, with fresh produce being one of the leading causes of outbreaks. Understanding routes of contamination of fresh produce and how pathogens survive on plant surfaces is paramount in improving food safety and reducing risk to public health. The objectives of this study were to select environmental E.coli isolates as pathogen surrogates of Salmonella typhimurium and E.coli O157:H7, assess lettuce plant contamination by spray irrigation water, and evaluate a common industry quality control (QC) E.coli strain (ATCC 25922). Selections of E.coli surrogates were made utilizing biofilm and …

Envh 7231 - Air Quality, Simone M. Charles

Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health Syllabi

Introduces students to chemical, physical, and biological principles of air quality, as well as potential sources of contamination and the resulting effects. The course will also introduce environmental policies pertinent to air issues along with current remediation strategies to ameliorate pollution.

Microbiological Contamination Of Mobile Phones Of Clinicians In Intensive Care Units And Neonatal Care Units In Public Hospitals In Kuwait, Mohammed Heyba, Mohammad Ismaiel, Abdulrahman Alotaibi, Mohamed Mahmoud, Hussain Baqer, Ali Safar, Noura Al-Sweih, Abdullah Al-Taiar

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: The objective of this study was to explore the prevalence of microbiological contamination of mobile phones that belong to clinicians in intensive care units (ICUs), pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), and neonatal care units (NCUs) in all public secondary care hospitals in Kuwait. The study also aimed to describe mobile phones disinfection practices as well as factors associated with mobile phone contamination.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that included all clinicians with mobile phones in ICUs, PICUs, and NCUs in all secondary care hospitals in Kuwait. Samples for culture were collected from mobile phones and transported for microbiological …

"Nursing Contamination: Wearing Scrubs In Public", Kemble Green

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Nurses are frequently seen in public in their “scrubs,” which could mean that contaminated clothing is being brought into the community, thereby posing an infection risk. The purpose of this study is to investigate if and which contaminants are present on the fabrics and the actions nurses are taking to eliminate contamination risks.

Eleven scrub tops were worn on hospital units over one twelve-hour shift. The contaminated scrubs and three control tops were then swabbed and used to inoculate agar plates. After incubation, colonies were counted, streaked onto nutrient and Mannitol-salt agar for isolation, and incubated. Using API Staph strips …

An Hsi Report: The Public Health Implications Of Intensive Farm Animal Production In South Asia, Humane Society International

HSI REPORTS

Intensive farm animal production (IFAP) is being increasingly implemented to meet the rising demand for animal source foods in South Asia. The siting of IFAP facilities in urban or peri-urban areas leads to large proximate animal populations, increasing human exposure to pollutants and pathogens. Improperly managed wastes from IFAP facilities and abattoirs can contaminate water with excess nutrients, pathogens, veterinary pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, heavy metals, and hormones, and can release ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, volatile organic compounds, bioaerosols, and particulate matter into the air compartment. The unregulated nature of IFAP in South Asia creates a risk for zoonotic transmission, including anthrax, brucellosis, …

Kondisi Sanitasi Lingkungan Perumahan Dan Kontaminasi Escherichia Coli Pada Penyajian Makanan Pendamping Air Susu Ibu Lokal, Aria Kusuma, Haryoto Kusnoputranto, I Made Djaja, Rizal Syarief

Kesmas

Bayi sangat rentan terhadap penyakit yang disebabkan oleh Makanan Pendamping Air Susu Ibu lokal (MP-ASI lokal). Sampai saat ini belum diketahui keamanan penyajiannya dari kontaminasi mikrobiologi. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui kontaminasi Escherichia coli (E. coli) pada penyajian MP-ASI lokal dan mengamati hubungan antara kondisi sanitasi rumah, seperti Sarana Air Bersih (SAB), tempat mencuci peralatan makan bayi, kondisi Saluran Pembuangan Air Limbah (S PAL), kondisi tempat sampah dan keberadaan hewan berkeliaran di dalam rumah terhadap kontaminasi E. coli pada penyajian. Desain penelitian ini adalah potong lintang yang mengamati penyajian MP-ASI lokal bagi bayi usia 6-12 bulan pada 138 rumah. Lokasi penelitian …

Agenda: Monitoring And Protecting Groundwater During Oil And Gas Development, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center. Intermountain Oil And Gas Bmp Project, Colorado Water And Energy Research Center

Monitoring and Protecting Groundwater During Oil and Gas Development (November 26)

This workshop is cosponsored by the Intermountain Oil and Gas BMP Project and the Colorado Water and Energy Research Center, with financial support from the Environmentally Friendly Drilling Project and the CU-Boulder Outreach Committee.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) recently initiated a rule making process to develop new, statewide regulations for baseline sampling and monitoring of groundwater near new oil and gas wells. COGCC’s first rule making hearing was held November 14; the rule is expected to be finalized December 10. This workshop will discuss oil and gas development procedures that can impact groundwater, the current rules …

Analisis Bahaya Titik Kendali Kritis Proses Pengolahan Bola-Bola Daging Di Instalasi Gizi Rumah Sakit, Inoy Trisnaini

Kesmas

Pada simpul lingkungan terdapat beberapa media yang dapat menjadi transmisi penularan penyakit, salah satunya melalui makanan. Bola-bola daging dengan bahan utama daging sapi merupakan salah satu makanan yang dibuat di Instalasi Gizi Rumah Sakit Umum Pusat (RSUP) dr. Mohammad Hoesin Palembang. Bahan pangan hewani merupakan sumber utama bakteri penyebab infeksi dan intoksikasi termasuk Salmonella sp. dan Escherichia coli . Bola-bola daging rentan mengalami kontaminasi oleh bahaya fisik, biologi, maupun kimia. Tujuan dari penelitian ini ialah analisis bahaya dan titik kendali kritis terhadap proses pengolahan bola-bola daging. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif kualitatif. Sumber informasi terdiri atas enam orang informan. Penelitian …

A Review Of The Alteration Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls In The Aquatic Environment With An Analysis Of The Pcb Contamination Of The St. Lawrence River Fish, Kate Bennett

Public Health Undergraduate Program

No abstract provided.

Pcb-Contaminated Food In The Canadian Arctic: Interactions Between Environmental Policy, Cultural Values, And The Healthcare System, Katharine K. Brieger

Pomona Senior Theses

Current Canadian policies do not adequately prevent water contamination or mitigate the effects of existing polychlorinated biphenyl pollution. There is conflict between the Canadian government and the Inuit people over how to approach the pollution problem, arising from a clash of cultural values and traditions. Legislation related to healthcare is an inherently sensitive issue and some measures that seem acceptable to westernized societies are not appropriate for the Inuit. The purpose of this thesis is to answer (a) why polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are in the Arctic, (b) what the effects of PCBs are on the Arctic people, and (c) how …

The Decontamination Of Methamphetamine Labs - A Search For Best Practices, Robert Perry

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

The use of methamphetamine as a drug of abuse in the United States has skyrocketed in recent years, with much of the drug being manufactured in primitive makeshift laboratories clandestinely located in residential dwellings. The contamination of these environments with methamphetamine, its precursors, and its by-products can be severe. Often, after being contaminated, these dwellings are re-occupied by people unaware of the former use as a methamphetamine production site, and unaware of the contaminant load they now find themselves living in. This paper discusses the extent of contamination of the lab area and how this contaminant loading may affect the …

Anywhere But Here: An Introduction To State Control Of Hazardous-Waste Facility Location, A. Dan Tarlock

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.