Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

Assessment Of The Radionuclide Concentration Levels Of Water And Sediments Along The Mara River, Gasper Kachenge, Abubakary Salama, Abdalah Kileo, Furaha Chuma

Tanzania Journal of Science

For many years, several factors have impacted the water quality of the Mara River, including population growth, agricultural expansion, livestock keeping, mining, and industrial activities. These factors have intensified water pollution and climate change effects around the river. While previous studies have mainly focused on assessing heavy metal pollution risks on the Mara River, this study evaluates the concentration levels of radionuclides in boreholes, water, and sediments along the river and its tributaries. Naturally occurring radioactive materials, including 226Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K, were evaluated. A high-purity germanium radiation detector (HPGe) with a coaxial detector system coupled with Gamma Vision software …

Clearing The Air: Tracking Spatial And Temporal Pm2.5 Variability Along A Biking Transect In Chicago, Beau R. Rass

DePaul Discoveries

Fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) poses significant risks to human health and disproportionately affects marginalized communities in urban environments (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021; Tessum et al., 2021). Using low-cost mobile sensors, this study explored spatiotemporal PM₂.₅ concentration patterns along a north–south transect of Halsted Street in Chicago. A 2B Technologies Portable Aerosol Monitor (PAM) mounted on a bicycle was used to continuously record PM₂.₅ concentrations with associated GPS coordinates at approximately two-second intervals during 16 sampling events between 08-12-2025 and 10-05-2025. PM₂.₅ concentrations did not differ significantly among the South Side, West Loop, and North Side regions, contrary to the …

Insurgent Until Proven Innocent: Land, Power, And The Right To Defend Rights, Kelsey Jost-Creegan

Michigan Journal of International Law

As the climate crisis intensifies, advocates worldwide have stood up to defend their communities, territories, and environment. In response, they have faced violent retaliation. This repression persists despite evolving international, regional, and national-level legal frameworks around the “right to defend rights” and the “right to protection.” This article begins by providing a comprehensive overview of this evolving legal landscape. Against this backdrop, the article examines the tactics and architectures of violence used to repress land and environmental defenders through the lens of counterinsurgency theory.

The article proposes a typology of counterinsurgent violence including: surveillance; stigmatization; criminalization; arbitrary detention; infiltration; cooptation; …

Natural Radioactivity And Radiological Hazards In Sediments From The Lindi Coast, Indian Ocean, Tanzania, Viator Mujuni, Innocent J. Lugendo

Tanzania Journal of Science

The Lindi coast of the Indian Ocean, located in southeastern Tanzania, supports rich biodiversity and has recently experienced rapid growth in socio-economic activities such as fishing, mining, and oil and gas exploration. These activities may enhance levels of natural radioactivity in coastal sediments, potentially increasing radiation exposure to local populations. Therefore, monitoring radioactivity levels and estimating associated radiation doses in this region is important. In this study, thirty-six sediment samples were collected from twelve locations along the Lindi coast and analysed for naturally occurring radionuclides using high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometry. The activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and …

Trophic Transfer Of Fluorescent Polyethylene Microplastics In A Simplified Artemia–Oreochromis Aquatic Food Chain, Dativa J. Shilla

Tanzania Journal of Science

Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive contaminants in aquatic ecosystems, yet experimental evidence of their trophic transfer within tropical African food webs remains scarce. This study provides experimental evidence of indirect trophic transfer of microplastics from Artemia salina to Oreochromis urolepis, a cichlid species of ecological and economic importance in African inland and coastal waters. A simplified two-level food chain was established by exposing A. salina nauplii to fluorescent polyethylene microplastics (10–20 µm; 1, 10, and 100 mg L⁻¹) and subsequently feeding them to juvenile O. urolepis under controlled laboratory conditions. These concentrations were selected to represent a range of exposure levels …

Municipality Of Bayamón V. Exxon Mobil Corp. (2025): Bringing Racketeering Charges For Climate Justice, Ilinca C. Johnson

Pace Environmental Law Review

Environmental justice communities should have their climate change damages heard in the courtroom. One means to increase environmental justice claims is through claims under the federal Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Using Municipality of Bayamón v. Exxon Mobil Corp. (2025) as a model, this Article suggests a novel RICO case strategy to pursue climate damages for marginalized communities. Fundamentally, environmental justice RICO claims involve careful case design based on the climate-related damages a marginalized community has faced because of the long-term deception by fossil fuel actors upon those communities. Pursuing such claims forwards the intersectional issues faced by …

Corporate Fiduciary Duties And The Climate And Biodiversity Crisis, Eric W. Orts, Sandra G. Schafhäutle

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

This Article argues that addressing one of the most urgent environmental challenges facing humanity today—the global climate and biodiversity crisis—calls for a transformation at the heart of corporate law: its fiduciary duties. After demonstrating how current corporate fiduciary duties are implicated in this crisis, we argue for reform of fiduciary duties operating at two levels: those governing directors and officers of business corporations, and those governing institutional investors and asset managers. We then distinguish between two general kinds of corporate fiduciary duties: permissive and mandatory. We contend that corporate law should accommodate a more expansive understanding of fiduciary duties by …

Bio-Papcz: Corn Starch-Based Composite Bioplastic Reinforced With Pineapple Leaf Fiber (Palf), Zinc Oxide (Zno), And Polyvinyl Alcohol (Pva), Marvin C. Caya, Shervin Austin C. Huang, Jovar Khalel J. Maghari, Ruel M. Levida

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Plastic pollution poses a serious global threat, as petroleum-based plastics persist for centuries, and their surging production of over 450 million tons overwhelms ecosystems (Ritchie et al., 2023). Using a quantitative experimental research design, the study examined the effects of varying concentrations of cornstarch-based bioplastic reinforced with pineapple leaf fiber (PALF), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and zinc oxide (ZnO) on the bioplastic’s tensile strength and soil degradability. Sample C2 (ZnO 3.0 %w/w; PVA 9.0 %w/w) demonstrated the optimal tensile properties with a tensile strength of 0.76 MPa and an elongation at break of 6.40%, which was attributed to the addition of …

Experiences Of Bukidnon Farmers On The Use Of Carbonized Rice Hulls (Crh) Waste From Biomass Boilers As A Soil Conditioner, Dash Constantine S. Chamen, Queen Loraine D. Ban, Michael Justin O. Eluna, Pole Honson B. Gabitano, Ian Jay P. Saldo, Jhovel Roy D. Calo

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

The long-term use of agricultural products that adversely affect soil is a significant issue for farmers. This study explored the potential of carbonized rice hulls (CRH) waste from biomass boilers as a sustainable soil conditioner. The research investigated the specific soil conditioning properties of CRH and explored the lived experiences of nine (9) Bukidnon farmers to correlate their observations with the material’s chemical profile. The composition analysis identified a high silica content and essential micronutrients, such as calcium and magnesium, which act as nutrient restorers and pH regulators. The thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, four themes emerged to summarize the …

Protocol For Assessing And Managing Radon Gas Exposure Risks In Caves: A Case Study Of Altamira And Paleolithic Cave Art Of Northern Spain World Heritage Site, Sergio Sanchez-Moral, Javier Lario, Soledad Cuezva, Juan Carlos Cañaveras, Tamara Martín-Pozas, Angel Fernández-Cortés

International Journal of Speleology

Exposure to radon and its progeny poses a significant health risk for workers in tourist caves. Implementing protective measures is challenging due to increasingly strict gas concentration and dose limits in new regulations. This study evaluates the annual effective radiation doses received by workers and researchers, considering seasonal and spatial radon variability. Radon levels, temperature, and ventilation patterns were continuously monitored for at least one year in each cave. Results show significant radon fluctuations influenced by seasonal ventilation regimes driven by thermal gradients between the cave and external atmosphere. Using International Commission on Radiological Protection guidelines, the study calculates the …

Correlation Of Radon Gas Concentrations And Associated Radiological Risks In Soil Using Ssntds With Gis And Spss At Najaf Governorate, Iraq, Rafal Mohamed Abdulsada, Lubna A. Alasadi

Al-Bahir

All human beings are affected by soil directly or indirectly. This study focuses on the effect of radon gas and related radiological risks using SSNTDs, specifically CR-39 detectors, in eighty secondary schools in Najaf and Kufa cities, Najaf Governorate, Iraq. As we recognize the importance of soil and its strong connection to humans, the study focused on areas where public and private schools were built, where students are present, and the potential for radiation risks to affect students' health. The results show that the average concentrations of C, C_Rn were 64.329±59.149 Bq / m³ and 3150.699±2897.036 Bq / …

A Technical And Statistical Analysis Of Unleaded Aviation Fuel (Ul94) Adoption In A High- Volume Collegiate Aviation Environment, Nicholas D. Wilson, Ryan Guthridge, Brandon Wild, Jeremy Roesler, Daniel Kasowski, Nick Geinert, Aaron Terbest, Aaron Fettig, Robert Kraus

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The University of North Dakota (UND) adopted unleaded aviation fuel (UL94) for approximately a four-month period in the summer and early fall of 2023. The UL94 fuel was used in all reciprocating engine fleets based at the university’s primary training airport, Grand Forks International Airport in North Dakota. During the operational implementation of UL94, the UND flew 46,600 flight hours, consuming 386,778 gallons of fuel across all fleets powered by Lycoming engines. After approximately two months of using UL94, operational reports and maintenance inspections began to indicate potential for exhaust valve seat recession (EVSR), although early indications were limited in …

Detection Of Oil Pollution On The Tigris River In Iraq Using Fluorescence And Reflecting Techniques, Ahmad K. Ahmad, Thamer M. Mohammed

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

In this study, a broadband light source (visible and ultraviolet) was used to name minerals via fluorescence spectra and estimate slick oil thickness, ranging from sub-millimetres, using the reflecting spectrum technique. Using a fluorescent technique, we obtained fluorescence spectra of the samples, converting and processing the signals to produce high-resolution data, which enabled the identification of the types of dissolved elements and oil slicks in the Tigris River, highlighting pollution sources and potential control measures. This system aims to show the faint signal in fluorescence samples collected from the cooling system outlet water throughout the refining process from AL-Dora (Baghdad) …

Measuring And Mapping Spatial Distributions Of Soil Lead Concentrations Across An Urban-To-Rural Gradient In Chicagoland, Lulia Woldemicael, Andrea Stoeva

DePaul Discoveries

Lead (Pb), a highly toxic chemical has found its way into many aspects of our communities through a plethora of different pathways such as paint, gasoline, and industrial activity. Exposure to lead poses harmful risks to all age groups as a higher blood lead level is associated with higher mortality. Although actions have been taken to eliminate lead from the atmosphere, it remains in the environment, especially accumulating in urban areas where the use of automobiles and highly industrialized landscapes are prevalent. This study examines the soil lead concentrations along an urban-to-rural gradient connecting Humboldt Park, Skokie, and Buffalo Grove, …

Environmental Justice And Soil Lead Contamination: Spatial Analysis Across Seven Community Areas, Arsene Lionel Apabaga

DePaul Discoveries

Pb is a pervasive metal with toxicity linked to numerous human health issues. Urban soil is a well-documented environmental sink for Pb, persisting as a legacy pollutant decades after the phaseout of leaded gasoline. This study measured, mapped, and analyzed the spatial distribution of total soil Pb concentrations across seven Chicago Community Areas (CCAs). The objectives were to: (1) assess the relationship between mean soil Pb concentration and mean Community Environmental Justice Index (CEJI) score per CCA, (2) determine the relationship between soil Pb levels and the percentage of industrial land use, and (3) quantify and compare the percentage of …

Planetary Thinking: Hellbenders As Emissaries Of Appalachia, Tierra R. Curry

Critical Humanities

Hellbenders are prehistoric salamanders that have thrived in cold rivers since before the continents divided. Once found throughout Appalachian watersheds, due to exploitation and habitat degradation only a few dozen healthy populations survive. Monstrous yet fascinating, hellbenders were often reviled historically, but in recent decades they have gained iconic status and are now celebrated as charismatic indicators for clean rivers. Hellbenders are symbols of the wild because of their ancient history, elusive nature, and contribution to ecosystem resilience. The same forces that drove the decline of these amphibian sentinels have sacrificed public health in Appalachia. Their demise echoes the struggle …

Digital Infrastructure For The Regenerative Movement: A Case Study Of The Mycelium Learning Network, Abigail Karparis

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

The regenerative movement is gaining momentum worldwide, driven by communities working to restore ecological and social systems through place-based, culturally rooted action. Yet many of the groups leading this work, especially in the Global South or in hyper-local contexts, remain digitally invisible due to structural barriers, including limited access to appropriate technology, funding constraints, and misalignment between available tools and local values. Conventional digital infrastructures often exclude or marginalize these efforts, leaving regenerative practitioners disconnected from each other and from potential sources of support.

This article explores these challenges and presents a case study response: the co-creation of accessible, relational …

Educational Efficacy Of Private Well-Testing Workshops And The Surveillance Of Private Drinking Water Quality In Connecticut, Alec Janis, Michael Dietz, Meredith Metcalf

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

More than 820,000 Connecticut residents rely on groundwater from private wells, yet minimal regulations address well water quality. Extension programs across the United States have begun to provide private drinking water education and testing assistance to address this public health gap. Few studies have analyzed the efficacy of these programs.

We delivered four workshops across Connecticut, from November 2022 to November 2023, where participants were given an educational presentation on private drinking water and an opportunity to test their well-water quality at a subsidized cost. After participating in the workshops, participants believed they were more confident to begin annual testing, …

Prevalence Of Well Water Contaminants In Georgia From 2010-2022, Angelique B. Willis, Suhasini Ramisetty-Mikler, Christine E. Stauber, Uttam Kumar Saha

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Safe, reliable, and clean drinking water sources are a basic necessity. More than 1.7 million individuals rely on private wells for drinking water in Georgia and are confronted with water quality challenges stemming from chemical contamination as private wells are not under mandated regulations as public water supplies. In Georgia, previous studies suggested that the variation of soil and rock in a physiographic province (region) plays an essential role in the quality of private well water. There is a need to understand the distribution of these chemical contaminants above the federal Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) and how different geologies …

Streamlining Wildlife Regulation, Robert L. Fischman

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

A recent burst of revisions in the bedrock regulations governing projects that may adversely affect wildlife represents a generational shift in policy. Streamlining federal decision -making drove much of this reform. Streamlining offers a path to address climate change without abandoning a longstanding commitment to wildlife conservation. The conservation community recognizes the need to build new infrastructure to reduce the rate of climate change through air emissions. The most urgent priority is decarbonizing the electrical ~rid through renewable energy generation and a better transmission network. Adaptation to the "new abnormal" of climate-driven environmental disruption demands federal approvals for a host …

Lead Telecommunications Cables: A Call For Concern?, Zachary Young

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

From the late 1800s until the 1950s, telecommunication companies across the United States utilized lead casing to protect their telecommunication lines. As technology developed and different types of plastic coatings were created, telecommunication companies phased out the use of lead cables. However, the lead cables remain in the air and buried in the ground, even continuing to provide telephone service for some. The failure to remove these cables, most of which are not in use anymore, has generated a slew of issues for the modem-day telecommunication companies that have inherited these cables from their predecessors. As the protective casing decays, …

The Climate Whisperers, Cale Jaffe

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

Environmental groups and their allies have seen two of the bedrock statutes of modern environmental law (the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act) eroded through recent decisions from the Supreme Court. At the same time, political polarization around climate policy- the gap between Republicans and Democrats on whether worsening global warming merits a response- is wider than it has ever been.

Despite these dispiriting headwinds, there are some encouraging counterpoints of recent climate progress in politically conservative communities. The heart of this essay is simply sharing these stories so we can learn from them. I label the advocates who succeeded …

Drawing Lines In The Sand: Armed Conflict, Climate Damage And Setbacks To Climate Action, Beatrice L. Hamilton

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

Armed conflicts have a significant and detrimental effect on the climate system, with considerable implications for efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change and the civilian population. Yet the environmental provisions under the law of armed conflict (LOAC), drafted some half a century ago, struggle to adequately address these concerns. This article assesses the capacity of LOAC to address conflict-driven climate damage and its cascading impacts by characterizing these harms as environmental damage and as injury to civilians. The analysis highlights opportunities for broadening LOA C's scope and offers recommendations to enhance its capacity to address climate damage and …

The Modern-Day Discovery Doctrine: Reforming Property Law's "Productive Use" Doctrine For The Age Of Climate Change, Shanthi M. Chackalackal

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

When European settlers first colonized the Americas, claiming Native land as their own, they largely believed their actions to be justified. To Europeans, property rights over land emanated from putting one's labor into that land, "improving" it by removing it from a state of nature. Absent such ''productive use," land had not been claimed and was therefore ripe for the taking. Yet while Native Americans had labored significantly and fundamentally shaped the land around them, European settlers deemed the Americas to be in a state of nature. Such attitudes towards Native American labor and property rights reveal a strikingly limited …

Coastal Erosion In Ireland, Brian Nguyen, Jeanne Sumrall

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Ireland's approach to managing its coastlines focuses more on a short-term solution method rather than long-term, eco-friendly solutions. Their coastal defenses are created upon an immediate need without clear policies and sufficient research. As a result, beach ecosystems are frequently damaged, and the erosion is only reduced to a certain extent. To reduce erosion and protect both the environment and Irish culture, this study suggests that Ireland should implement national policies focused on regularly monitoring coastal erosion, researching nature-based solutions, and implementing them to address the problem. Moving forward, it’s important for research to focus on understanding the overall impact …

Impact Of Urban Development On Uv Exposure: A Clustering And Machine Learning Assessment, Taufik Roni Sahroni Mr., Verdi Yasin, Lulut Alfaris, Reza Ariefka, Ruben Cornelius Siagian, Mohammad Alfin Karim, Nana Rahdiana, Ade Suhara

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

The relocation of Indonesia's capital city is anticipated to promote inclusive economic growth while embracing cultural diversity. However, this transition may affect ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure patterns. The study investigated variations in UV exposure in the IKN region, focusing on urban development factors such as land use and population density that affect public health, sun protection, and skin cancer prevention. The research hypothesized that UV radiation is significantly correlated with these factors. UV Index data from 2010-2023, a hierarchical clustering method, identifies complex data patterns without determining the number of clusters. XGBoost, a machine learning model, was used for handling …

And Climate Justice For All

DePaul Magazine

DePaul is taking its environmental sustainability and equity prowess to the next level through its Just DePaul and President's Sustainability Committee initiatives that incorporate a climate action plan and student voices. Plus, community partnership courses that involve students in environmental action and justice efforts.

The Impact Of Student Engagement Activities On Future Climate Change Adaptation: The Case Of Student Simulation Models, Bassel Mostafa Elkalaf

Future Journal of Social Science

This paper explores the critical role of student engagement in addressing the growing challenges of climate change, with a focus on the Model United Nations (MUN) as a case study. As climate-related security threats increase globally, educational platforms that prepare youth for effective leadership in climate politics are more essential than ever. MUN, a widely practiced student activity simulating global policy-making, provides a valuable opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of the interconnectedness between climate change, peace, and security. By participating in MUN simulations, students engage in debates, develop innovative solutions, and practice diplomatic skills, all while exploring the …

Qualitative Study On Hydrocarbon Contamination In Cpo_A Case Study Of A Palm Oil Mill Based In Sumatera_Indonesia, Kanagasabai Narayanan, Jamalludin Helmi Hashim, Shirley Sie Ling Tan

Jesselton Journal of Educators and Scholars

This study addresses hydrocarbon contamination in Crude Palm Oil (CPO) from Sumatera, Indonesia, focusing on identifying sources, establishing acceptable levels, and proposing mitigation strategies. Key challenges include high costs of alternative lubricants and limited awareness among small-scale producers. The research employs a comprehensive approach, including data collection from Palm Oil Mills, interviews with RSPO auditors and Palm Oil Managers, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) implementation. Findings reveal contamination sources such as gear oil and plastic containers, with recommendations including enhanced equipment maintenance, awareness campaigns, and stricter regulations. The study emphasizes the importance of collaboration, regulatory compliance, and …

Hell You Talmbout: Mixtapes As Method For Online Environmental Justice Pedagogy, Elspeth Iralu, Caitlin Grann

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This paper takes on the mixtape as a pedagogical method for approaching urgent and critical topics within the undergraduate online classroom. Drawing on two case studies from different sections of an introductory course on environmental and social justice taught in an American studies department, we demonstrate how mixtape-inspired assignments offer a method for theorizing and enacting the connections between popular culture and critical scholarship around injustice in the humanities and social sciences while also altering the space of the classroom to promote deeper student engagement, comprehension, and reflection. We argue that introducing popular culture as both content and method within …