Environmental Public Health Commons^™

Slides: Impacts Of Energy Deficits In Cooking, Illumination, Water, Sanitation, And Motive Power, Paul S. Chinowsky

2012 Energy Justice Conference and Technology Exposition (September 17-18)

Presenter: Dr. Paul Chinowsky, Director, Mortenson Center in Engineering for Developing Communities; Professor, University of Colorado

25 slides

Slides: The Green Climate Fund: Challenges And Opportunities: Some Thoughts On How The Green Climate Fund Could Close The Energy Justice Gap, Martin Hiller

2012 Energy Justice Conference and Technology Exposition (September 17-18)

Presenter: Martin Hiller, Director‐General, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), Vienna, Austria

22 slides

Slides: Nokero: Power To The Powerless, Stephen Katsaros

2012 Energy Justice Conference and Technology Exposition (September 17-18)

Presenter: Stephen Katsaros, Inventor, Founder, and CEO, Nokero

13 slides

Slides: Session 3: Decision-Making And The Energy Poor, Andrew Yager

2012 Energy Justice Conference and Technology Exposition (September 17-18)

Presenter: Andrew Yager, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Sustainable Development

33 slides

Slides: Unido: Partner For Prosperity, Kandeh K. Yumkella

2012 Energy Justice Conference and Technology Exposition (September 17-18)

Presenter: Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, Chairman, UN Energy; Director General, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

16 slides

Environmental Health News, Georgia Southern University

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Dr. Bossak Examines Changes to the Electronic Health Records

Biodegradation Of Textile Dye Anthraquinone Vat Blue 4 By Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Rajee Olaganathan, Jamila Patterson

Publications

Uncontaminated and Vat blue 4 contaminated soil were screened for heterotrophic bacterial population and the bacterial density were found to be 19.3 X 104 and 5.5 X 104 CFU/gm respectively. The bacterial genera of dye contaminated soil was dominated by Pseudomonas sp. (32.5 %) followed by Bacillus sp. (27.5 %), Aeromonas sp. (15.0 %), Micrococcus sp. (12.5 %) and Achromobacter sp. (12.5 %). The optimum inoculums load, pH and temperature were found to be 5%, 7 and 35oC respectively. The initial pH of the effluent prepared using Vat Blue 4 was 8.5. The free cells of P. aeruginosa reduced the …

Louisville / Jefferson County Hazardous Material Commodity Flow Analysis, Dr. Vijay Golla, Dr. Ritchie D. Taylor, Jonathan Suhl, Jacob Eagleson, Prachi Chavan, Roni Grigsby, Jim Bottom

Public Health Faculty Publications

This report presents the results of a Hazardous Material Commodity Flow Analysis for the Louisville Metro area and Jefferson County. Study components were conducted by Western Kentucky University in partnership with Louisville / Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency. The study area was focused in Louisville and Jefferson County, Louisville Metro area, and included monitoring in Bullet County and Oldham County, as shown in Figure 1.1. As part of the study, hazardous material transport was monitored at the following sites: Interstate-64 (I-64), East and West bound lanes at The Belvedere; I-64, East and West bound lanes at Blankenbaker exit location; Interstate-65 …

Inter-Method Comparison Of Us Epa Analytical Methods 507 And 508.1 To Test For Atrazine In Kentucky Drinking Water, Jonathan Suhl

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examined United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) methods 507 and 508.1; analytical methods used to test drinking water for Atrazine. Additionally, this study examines the seasonal variation of Atrazine in Kentucky drinking water. Atrazine is a triazine herbicide used to control and inhibit the growth of broad leaf and grassy weeds. Atrazine’s ability to be transported to community drinking water supplies makes it a significant public health issue, as it has been linked to myriad negative health endpoints ranging from endocrine disruption to various forms of cancer, including stomach and ovarian cancer. To date, there is little …

Identifying And Correcting Health Hazards In The Home: A Pilot Test Among Homes In Clark County, Nevada, Sabrina La Monica

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Nevada Healthy Homes Partnership (NVHHP) is collaboration between University of Nevada - Las Vegas (UNLV), the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), and other public and private housing authorities and health agencies throughout Clark County, Nevada. The primary mission of the NVHHP is to improve the health of Nevada residents, particularly those in disadvantaged communities, by identifying and addressing conditions in the home environment. For this study, a program created by the NVHHP, entitled "Nevada Healthy Homes" (hereafter, Healthy Homes) was piloted. Home health and risk assessments were conducted in 52 homes, with one or more interventions being provided to …

Model Provisions For Building A Successful Lead Poisoning Prevention Program: A Case Study For The Western United States, Kathleen Lauckner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

It has been 236 years since Benjamin Franklin voiced his concerns about lead poisoning from the occupational exposures in his printing shop, yet, in 2012 childhood lead poisonings and adult occupational exposures are still serious public health issues in the United States. Lead poisoning is a 100% preventable affliction if the ingestion or inhalation of lead from environmental exposures can be avoided.

The quality of blood lead detection methods and brain function studies have improved dramatically over the last few decades and far more is now known about the adverse health effects from low level (microgram- µg) exposures to lead. …

The Potential Environmental Benefits Of Hybrid Rice Varieties, Haxhire Myrteza

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With water insufficiency being already a major issue and potential carbon policies on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Arkansas rice producers may need to undergo some changes in regards to rice cultivar selection. The purpose of this study is to estimate the environmental benefits of cultivating hybrid rice varieties as opposed to conventional and Clearfield rice varieties. To accomplish this goal, water use and GHG emissions were estimated on per acre (ac) and per bushel (bu) basis for most commonly cultivated rice varieties in Arkansas. The study focuses particularly on six main rice stations in the State of Arkansas. The hypothesis …

Surveillance Of Mosquitoes For Arthropod-Borne Viruses In El Paso, Tx., Stephanie Coronado, Douglas Watts

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Summer 2012

West Nile encephalitis is the only arthropod-borne virus that causes annual cases of human illness in El Paso, Texas. Cases more commonly affect the young and elderly and the illness may range from a mild febrile disease to fatal encephalitis. The primary vector(s) of West Nile virus are Culex species mosquitoes, including Culex tarsalis and Culex quinquefaciatus. Further, surveillance is needed to determine the relative importance of these and possibly other mosquito species. More recently, cases of dengue fever and fatal hemorrhagic fever have been occurring in communities along the USA-Mexico border. Dengue has been endemic in Mexico since the …

Multilevel Analysis Of Physical Activity Among Us Adults Across Us Census Regions: The Role Of Environmental Contexts, Sariyamon Tiraphat

Health Services Research Dissertations

This study uses nationally representative data to explain the variation in physical activity among U.S. adults across four geographic regions of Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether environmental conditions inclusive of natural amenity, built environment, urbanization, crime, and social economic neighborhood are associated with physical activity and whether these associations are modified by geographic region. The study also investigates whether the influences of environmental contexts vary by subgroup and whether they are modified by geographic region. Determining regional factors that influence physical activity is essential to planning appropriate physical activity interventions.

The …

Associations Between Toenail Arsenic Concentration And Dietary Factors In A New Hampshire Ppopulation, Joann F. Gruber, Margaret R. Karagas, Diane Gilbert-Diamond, Pamela J. Bagley, M Scot Zens, Vicki Sayarath, Tracy Punshon, J Steven Morris, Kathryn L. Cottingham

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Dietary factors such as folate, vitamin B12, protein, and methionine are important for the excretion of arsenic via one-carbon metabolism in undernourished populations exposed to high levels of arsenic via drinking water. However, the effects of dietary factors on toenail arsenic concentrations in well-nourished populations exposed to relatively low levels of water arsenic are unknown.

Methods: As part of a population-based case-control study of skin and bladder cancer from the USA, we evaluated relationships between consumption of dietary factors and arsenic concentrations in toenail clippings. Consumption of each dietary factor was determined from a validated food frequency questionnaire. We …

Two Boundaries Separate Borrelia Burgdorferi Populations In North America, Gabriele Margos, Jean I. Tsao, Santiago Castillo-Ramirez, Yvette A. Girard, Anne G. Hoen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Understanding the spread of infectious diseases is crucial for implementing effective control measures. For this, it is important to obtain information on the contemporary population structure of a disease agent and to infer the evolutionary processes that may have shaped it. Here, we investigate on a continental scale the population structure of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis (LB), a tick-borne disease, in North America. We test the hypothesis that the observed d population structure is congruent with recent population expansions and that these were preceded by bottlenecks mostly likely caused by the near extirpation in the 1900s …

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 …

Under The Gun: Ongoing Assaults On Bahrain’S Health System, Richard Sollom, Holly G. Atkinson

Publications and Research

In February 2011, the Government of Bahrain began targeting health professionals who treated protesters. In April 2012, PHR's Richard Sollom, Deputy Director, and Holly Atkinson, MD, FACP, past President of PHR's Board and volunteer expert, authored a report showing the devastation on Bahrain's health system that have resulted from the Government of Bahrain’s continued assault on doctors, patients, and the healthcare system.

Get Your Butt Off The Ground!: Consequences Of Cigarette Waste And Litter-Reducing Methods, Joyce Lee

Pomona Senior Theses

Cigarette butts are rapidly accumulating on our planet; trillions of them are discarded every year. In this paper, I examine why cigarette litter is a problem. I first discuss the biodegradability of filters and its scientific basis, including ways to enhance degradation rates by chemically manipulating filters. I also talk about the persistence of cigarette chemicals and their potential toxic effects on children and animals. I consider other social, economic, and environmental consequences of cigarette filters and chemicals. Furthermore, I discuss various solutions smokers and non-smokers alike have created to address the problem of cigarette litter; these methods come from …

Evaluating “Not In Mama's Kitchen” Second-Hand Smoke Campaign In Georgia, Jonathan B. Vangeest, Verna L. Welch

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

In 2003-2005, the Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. initiated the Not in Mama’s Kitchen (NIMK) second-hand smoke (SHS) prevention campaign in Georgia as part of their effort to reduce exposure to SHS in African American communities statewide. This initiative was evaluated using baseline data from pledge cards as well as data from a self-administered mail survey of 1,000 campaign participants. 14,770 Georgians participated in NIMK, signing pledges to make their homes and cars smoke free. Majorities of those surveyed followed through with their pledge, banning tobacco use in their homes (76.1%) and cars (80.2%). The program was cited by 65.4% …

Raccoon Acclimation Towards Traps And Its Effect On Surveillance And Monitoring Of Zoonotic Diseases, Lindsay Rollend

Master's Theses

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) serve as a source of infection with various pathogens for people, most notably, rabies. Raccoons are specifically targeted for the control of rabies in the United States, primarily due to the 100% fatality rate in humans and animals. There is no cure or treatment for rabies and vaccines may be administered to people if it is administered promptly. In order to evaluate how successful trapping of raccoons is by using conventional methods, motion sensing cameras were placed on traps in order to captured raccoon behaviors. Pictures were coded based on these behaviors (around the trap but not …

Performance Changes During A Weeklong High Altitude Training Camp In Lowlander Youth Athletes, Jay R. Hydren

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Using Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Models To Incorporate Chemical And Non-Chemical Stressors Into Cumulative Risk Assessment: A Case Study Of Pesticide Exposures, Susan C. Wason, Thomas J. Smith, Melissa J. Perry, Jonathan I. Levy

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Cumulative risk assessment has been proposed as an approach to evaluate the health risks associated with simultaneous exposure to multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) models can allow for the inclusion and evaluation of multiple stressors, including non-chemical stressors, but studies have not leveraged PBPK/PD models to jointly consider these disparate exposures in a cumulative risk context. In this study, we focused on exposures to organophosphate (OP) pesticides for children in urban low-income environments, where these children would be simultaneously exposed to other pesticides (including pyrethroids) and non-chemical stressors that may modify the effects of these exposures …

The Evaluation Of Water Quality And Weather Patterns As Indicators For Escherichia Coli In Slaters Creek Watershed In Millersville, Tennessee, Jacqueline Brown

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Water quality sampling was conducted in conjunction with the city of Millersville, Tennessee in order to assess levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in Slaters Creek. The city of Millersville is under a storm water National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit that requires compliance monitoring. In the past, monitoring of E. coli has resulted in noncompliance with state water quality regulations. A water quality assessment, including E. coli and water quality parameters, was conducted to determine if E. coli levels varied between dates within the study area. Statistical methods were utilized to determine if variations existed between the sampling …

Fire Safety In 17 Irish Nursing Homes, John Moore, Victor Hrymak

Reports

Fire risk assessments were carried out in 17 Nursing Homes in Ireland. The results show that fire safety management needed to be improved. The recommendations include the need for improved training, management and regulation for fire safety in nursing homes.

Prioritization Of Biomarker Targets In Human Umbilical Cord Blood: Identification Of Proteins In Infant Blood Serving As Validated Biomarkers In Adults, Nicole Hansmeier, Tzu-Chiao Chao, Lynn R. Goldman, Frank R. Witter, Rolf U. Halden

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background: Early diagnosis represents one of the best lines of defense in the fight against a wide array of human diseases. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is one of the first easily available diagnostic biofluids and can inform about the health status of newborns. However, compared with adult blood, its diagnostic potential remains largely untapped.

Objectives: Our goal was to accelerate biomarker research on UCB by exploring its detectable protein content and providing a priority list of potential biomarkers based on known proteins involved in disease pathways.

Methods: We explored cord blood serum proteins by profiling a UCB pool of 12 …

Cattle Browsing Sagebrush Steppe During Fall: Effects On Plant Community Structure And Influence Of Experience On Cattle Foraging Behavior And Body Weights, Charles A. Petersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Historic and repetitious spring grazing by livestock, combined with altered fire regimes, has increased the density and abundance of big sagebrush and reduced the frequency of perennial grasses and forbs on many western landscapes. Periodic disturbance is critical for maintaining and improving sagebrush ecosystems. Compared with traditional disturbances – chemical, mechanical, and fire – strategic grazing with livestock offers several benefits. They include creating locally adapted cattle that can rejuvenate sagebrush steppe, which reduces costs associated with mechanical and chemical rejuvenation treatments and feeding cattle during winter, the major cost of ranch operation.

I evaluated the practicality of strategically timed …

Effects Of Temperature On Emergence And Seasonality Of West Nile Virus In California, David M. Hartley, Christopher M. Barker, Arnaud Le Menach, Tianchan Niu, Holly Gaff, William K. Reisen

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Temperature has played a critical role in the spatiotemporal dynamics of West Nile virus transmission throughout California from its introduction in 2003 through establishment by 2009. We compared two novel mechanistic measures of transmission risk, the temperature-dependent ratio of virus extrinsic incubation period to the mosquito gonotrophic period (BT), and the fundamental reproductive ratio (R₀) based on a mathematical model, to analyze spatiotemporal patterns of receptivity to viral amplification. Maps of BT and R₀ were created at 20-km scale and compared throughout California to seroconversions in sentinel chicken flocks at half-month intervals. Overall, estimates of BT and …

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, …

Kejadian Infeksi Saluran Pernapasan Akut Pada Pekerja Pabrik, Y. Denny Ardianto, Ririh Yudhastuti

Kesmas

Infeksi saluran pernapasan akut (ISPA) yang merupakan masalah kese- hatan masyarakat di Indonesia biasa menyerang anak usia di bawah usia lima tahun (balita), tetapi dapat menyerang kelompok usia produktif. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan lingkungan rumah dengan kejadian ISPA pada pekerja pabrik di Kecamatan Rungkut Surabaya. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain studi kasus kontrol dengan populasi pekerja pabrik. Kasus adalah penderita ISPA dan kontrol adalah yang tidak terkena ISPA berdasarkan diagnosis klinis. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan wawancara terstruktur menggunakan kuesioner. Hasil analisis multivariat menunjukkan kepadatan hunian ruang tidur (nilai p = 0,003; odds ratio, OR = 15,687), kelembaban kamar (nilai …