Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

Earth Stewardship And The Missio Dei: Participating In The Care And Redemption Of All God Has Made, David M. Carlson

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This explanatory sequential mixed methods research project surveyed leaders and conducted focus group interviews in an ELCA synod. It evaluated earthkeeping practices and perceptions using several lenses: sustainability, globalization, global civil society, nature as active subject, stewardship as participating in God’s mission, perichoresis as modeling reciprocal relationships with nature, eschatological themes of redemption and reformation, and sacramental imagination. Results revealed concern about environmental challenges, openness to earth stewardship, significant differences by political preference, and more pronounced personal than congregational practices. Congregations with creation care teams have promising capacity to exhibit earth stewardship’s missional character through personal, congregational, and community engagement.

A Compact To Revitalise Large-Scale Irrigation Systems Using A Leadership-Partnership-Ownership 'Theory Of Change', Bruce Lankford, Ian Makin, Nathanial Matthews, Peter G. Mccornick, Andrew Noble, Tushaar Shah

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

In countries with transitional economies such as those found in South Asia, large-scale irrigation systems (LSIS) with a history of public ownership account for about 115 million ha (Mha) or approximately 45% of their total area under irrigation. In terms of the global area of irrigation (320 Mha) for all countries, LSIS are estimated at 130 Mha or 40% of irrigated land. These systems can potentially deliver significant local, regional, and global benefits in terms of food, water and energy security, employment, economic growth, and ecosystem services. For example, primary crop production is conservatively valued at about US$355 billion. However, …

Controlling Groundwater Exploitation Through Economic Instruments: Current Practices, Challenges And Innovative Approaches, Marielle Montginoul, Jean-Daniel Rinaudo, N. Brozovic, G. Donoso

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Groundwater can be considered as a common-pool resource, is often overexploited and, as a result, there are growing management pressures. This chapter starts with a broad presentation of the range of economic instruments that can be used for groundwater management, considering current practices and innovative approaches inspired from the literature on Common Pool Resources management. It then goes on with a detailed presentation of groundwater allocation policies implemented in France, the High Plains aquifer in the USA, and Chile. The chapter concludes with a discussion of social and political difficulties associated with implementing economic instruments for groundwater management.

Hydrothermal Monitoring In Yellowstone National Park Using Airborne Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing, C. M. U. Neale, C. Jaworowski, H. Heasler, S. Sivarajan, A. Masih

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

This paper describes the image acquisition and processing methodology, including surface emissivity and atmospheric corrections, for generating surface temperatures of two active hydrothermal systems in Yellowstone National Park. Airborne thermal infrared (8–12 μm) images were obtained annually from 2007 to 2012 using a FLIR SC640 thermal infrared camera system. Thermal infrared image acquisitions occurred under clear-sky conditions after sunset to meet the objective of providing high-spatial resolution, georectified imagery for hydrothermal monitoring. Comparisons of corrected radiative temperature maps with measured ground and water kinetic temperatures at flight times provided an assessment of temperature accuracy. A repeatable, time-sequence of images for …

Demonstration And Evaluation Of Dual Purpose Chicken “Potchefstroom Koekoek” Packages At Areka Areas, Snnpr, Ethiopia, Aman Getiso, Melese Yilma, Mesfin Mekonnen, Addisu Jimma, Mebratu Asrat, Asrat Tera, Endrias Dako

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

The demonstration was conducted in Wolaita zone, Boloso Sore district at Areka and around Areka areas. Participants (farmers) were selected purposively on the basis of willingness to construct poultry house; to cover all the associated package costs and record the required was selected. Survival of chicks during the first 8 weeks of brooding using hay-box at the farmers management condition was 79.8% (359 were survived out 450). On average about 93.1% of the chicken were survived to the laying age while mortality reduced from 20.2% to 6.9%. The average age at first egg-laying recorded at each farmers was 142 days …

Anthropogenic Nitrogen And Phosphorus Emissions And Related Grey Water Footprints Caused By Eu-271s Crop Production And Consumption, Mesfin Mekonnen, Stephan Lutter, Aldo Martinez

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Water is a prerequisite for life on our planet. Due to climate change and pollution, water availability for agricultural production, industry and households is increasingly put at risk. With agriculture being the largest water user as well as polluter worldwide, we estimate anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus emissions to fresh water related to global crop production at a spatial resolution level of 5 by 5 arc min and calculate the grey water footprints (GWF) related to EU-271s crop production. A multiregional input-output model is used to trace the the GWF embodied in the final consumption of crop products by the EU-27. …

Ex-Situ Conservation Programs: Worthwhile?, Nicolette Sliwa, Aaron Sieve

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The effectiveness of conservation programs was researched, specifically within zoos, and their attempts to repopulate areas with captive-born individuals of endangered species. There are major biological and economic concerns with these programs focused on, including potential genetic adaptation to captivity, effects of inbreeding, and if this is a truly worthwhile use of funds to restore a species. Looking at the black-footed ferret, the whooping crane, and other supposed successful captive-breeding programs, it is explored whether reintroduced individuals thrive in their new habitats sufficiently enough to contribute to the restoration of the species, and more broadly, their ecosystems.

2016 Nebraska Water Monitoring Programs Report, Marty Link, Ryan Chapman

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: Reports

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) is charged with monitoring, assessing, and to the extent possible, managing the state’s water resources. The purpose of this work is to protect and maintain high quality water and encourage or execute activities to improve poor water quality. Monitoring is done on nearly 17,000 miles of flowing rivers and streams, more than 134,000 acres of surface water in lakes and reservoirs, as well as the vast storage of groundwater in Nebraska’s aquifers.

Nebraska Water Center Annual Report 2016, Nebraska Water Center

Nebraska Water Center: Administrative Materials

Contents

Foreword

Director’s Letter

Since 1964: The Nebraska Water Center

Building the future

Nebraska’s Top 10 water challenges

Nebraska Water Center advisory board

Water Resources Advisory Panel: A key to success

Nebraska Water Sciences Laboratory

USGS 104b projects for 2016

Ogallala Aquifer focus of USDA research grant

Graduate research on amphetamines draws attention

NIC hosts water symposium and law conference

Water seminar lectures key on “Water and health”

Four picked for IRES program in Czech Republic

WARI program begins

2016 tour to Colorado’s South Platte basin

45th annual tour visits Platte River basin in Colorado

McCornick new Water for Food …

Nebraska Water Center (Brochure ), Nebraska Water Center

Nebraska Water Center: Administrative Materials

The Nebraska Water Center was established in 1964 as one of 54 Water Resources Research Institutes nationwide with passage of the first Clean Water Act. It facilitates the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s land grant missions in research, extension and teaching in water science, law and policy to address water quantity and quality issues of priority to Nebraska. NWC helps water researchers by awarding small grants, conducting water-related education and outreach activities for stakeholders, and disseminating research results through media, colloquia, conferences, lectures, and tours. NWC provides state-of-the-art analytical technology to conduct water research and education to scientists and engineers, helping them …

Working Trees Info: How Can Agroforestry Help Pollinators?

Working Trees (USDA-NAC)

Over one hundred crop species in North America require a visit from an insect pollinator to be most productive. In the past, native bees, feral honey bees, and other pollinators could meet the needs of these diverse crops because farms were typically interspred with pollinator habitat. Today, farms in the United States are larger and have less nearby habitat to support pollinators.

Private landowners can do a lot to support these critical pollinators by providing habitat and food sources for honey bees, native bees, butterflies, and others. Pollinator habitat and floral diversity on the farm also benefit producers of insect …

Alpha-Lipoic Acid Supplementation Protects Enzymes From Damage By Nitrosative And Oxidative Stress, Sylvia Hiller, Robert Dekroon, Eric D. Hamlett, Longquan Xu, Cristina Osorio, Jennifer Robinette, Witold Winnik, Stephen Simington, Nobuyo Maeda, Oscar Alzate, Xianwen Yi

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Background: S-nitrosylation of mitochondrial enzymes involved in energy transfer under nitrosative stress may result in ATP deficiency. We investigated whether α-lipoic acid, a powerful antioxidant, could alleviate nitrosative stress by regulating S-nitrosylation,which could result in retaining themitochondrial enzyme activity.

Methods: In this study, we have identified the S-nitrosylated forms of subunit 1 of dihydrolipoyllysine succinyltransferase (complex III), and subunit 2 of the α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex by implementing a fluorescence-based differential quantitative proteomics method.

Results: We found that the activities of these two mitochondrial enzymes were partially but reversibly inhibited by S-nitrosylation in cultured endothelial cells, and that their activities …

Estimating Ozone And Secondary Pm2.5 Impacts From Hypothetical Single Source Emissions In The Central And Eastern United States, Kirk R. Baker, Robert A. Kotchenruther, Rynda C. Hudman

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Secondary pollutant impacts from emissions of single sources may need to be assessed to satisfy a variety of regulatory requirements including the Clean Air Act New Source Review and Prevention of Significant Deterioration programs and the National Environmental Policy Act. In this work, single source impacts on O₃ and secondary PM_2.5 are estimated with annual 2011 photochemical grid model simulations where new hypothetical sources are added to the central and eastern United States with varying precursor emission rates and emission release heights. Impacts from these hypothetical sources are tracked with photochemical grid model source apportionment. Single source impacts …

Seasonality Of Coliform Bacteria Detection Rates In New Jersey Domestic Wells, Thomas B. Atherholt, Nicholas A. Procopio, Sandra M. Goodrow

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

It is important that indicators of fecal pollution are reliable. Coliform bacteria are a commonly used indicator of fecal pollution. As other investigators have reported elsewhere, we observed a seasonal pattern of coliform bacteria detections in domestic wells in New Jersey. Examination of a statewide database of 10 years of water quality data from 93,447 samples, from 78,207 wells, generated during real estate transactions, revealed that coliform bacteria were detected in a higher proportion of wells during warm weather months. Further examination of the seasonal pattern of other data, including well water pH, precipitation, ground and surface water temperatures, surface …

Temporal Trends In The Spatial Distribution Of Impervious Cover Relative To Stream Location, J. Wickham, A. Neale, M. Mehaffey, T. Jarnagin, D. Norton

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Use of impervious cover is transitioning from an indicator of surface water condition to one that also guides and informs watershed planning and management, including Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §1251 et seq.) reporting. Whether it is for understanding surface water condition or planning and management, impervious cover is most commonly expressed as summary measurement (e.g., percentage watershed in impervious cover). We use the National Land Cover Database to estimate impervious cover in the vicinity of surface waters for three time periods (2001, 2006, 2011). We also compare impervious cover in the vicinity of surface waters to watershed summary estimates …

Cyanotoxins In Inland Lakes Of The United States: Occurrence And Potential Recreational Health Risks In The Epa National Lakes Assessment 2007, Keith A. Loftin, Jennifer L. Graham, Elizabeth D. Hillborn, Sarah C. Lehmann, Michael T. Meyer, Julie E. Dietze, Christopher B. Griffith

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

A large nation-wide survey of cyanotoxins (1161 lakes) in the United States (U.S.) was conducted during the EPA National Lakes Assessment 2007. Cyanotoxin data were compared with cyanobacteria abundance- and chlorophyll-based World Health Organization (WHO) thresholds and mouse toxicity data to evaluate potential recreational risks. Cylindrospermopsins, microcystins, and saxitoxins were detected (ELISA) in 4.0, 32, and 7.7% of samples with mean concentrations of 0.56, 3.0, and 0.061 mg/L, respectively (detections only). Co-occurrence of the three cyanotoxin classes was rare (0.32%) when at least one toxin was detected. Cyanobacteria were present and dominant in 98 and 76% of samples, respectively. Potential …

Carbon Storage In Us Wetlands, A. M. Nahlik, M. S. Fennessy

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Wetland soils contain some of the highest stores of soil carbon in the biosphere. However, there is little understanding of the quantity and distribution of carbon stored in our remaining wetlands or of the potential effects of human disturbance on these stocks. Here we use field data from the 2011 National Wetland Condition Assessment to provide unbiased estimates of soil carbon stocks for wetlands at regional and national scales. We find that wetlands in the conterminous United States store a total of 11.52 PgC, much of which is within soils deeper than 30 cm. Freshwater inland wetlands, in part due …

Identification Of Lead-Sensitive Expression And Splicing Quantitative Trait Loci In Drosophila Melanogaster By Analysis Of Rna-Seq Data, Wen Qu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Lead exposure has long been one of the most important topics in global public health since it is a potent developmental neurotoxin. Here, we conducted an expression QTL (eQTLs) analysis, which is genome-wide association analysis of genetic variants with differential gene expression, in the male heads of 79 Drosophila melanogaster recombinant inbred lines originally from eight parental strains in the presence or absence of developmental exposure to 250 µM lead acetate. The aim was to study the effects of lead exposure on gene expression and identify the lead-responsive genes. After detecting 1,536 cis-eQTLs and 952 trans-eQTLs (1000 permutation threshold at …

Current Status And Conservation Of Mountain Ungulates In Mongolia, Badamjav Lkhagvasuren, Yansanjav Adiya, Garam Tsogtjargal, Garam Amgalanbaatar, Rich Harris

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In November 2009, we conducted a countrywide survey for wild sheep or argali and Siberian ibex. Field survey teams sampled in total 134 argali distribution units within Mongolia, which are estimated to occupy approximately 46,603 km² of the whole area of 60,237 km² that been previously mapped as populated by argali. They observed 385 groups of argali, totaling 3.373 individuals. Our point estimate of argali is 18,140 with a lower 95% confidence limit of 9,193 and an upper 95% confidence limit of 43,135.

At the same time the authors observed 162 groups of ibex, totaling 2,541 individuals and our point …

Non-Point Sources And Point Sources For Nutrient And Fecal Microbe Contamination In A Typical Upland Stream: Tates Creek, Madison County, Kentucky, Walter S. Borowski, Malcolm P. Frisbie

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Tates Creek (Madison County, Kentucky) is characterized by an oversupply of nutrients and fecal microbe contamination. Its watershed is dominated by pastureland and immature woodlands with scattered settlements served by septic systems, whereas, 5% of the watershed drains urban areas of Richmond, Kentucky. Creek waters are eutrophic and commonly display levels of Escherichia coli deemed unfit for human contact by United States Environmental Protection Agency standards. Both point and non-point sources existed for stream contaminants. A secondary sewage treatment plant (STP) discharged effluent into the creek until mid-2011 and was a point source for nitrate and phosphate. Pastureland likely contributes …

Influential Factors In Encouraging Or Dissuading Orlando Businesses To Seek Leed Certification, Katrina M. Zdanowicz

Honors Program Theses

Orlando, Florida, is home to 85 building projects that have received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and 74 projects that are in the process of seeking certification. Over 90 percent of these 159 buildings have been or are being rated by LEED commercial standards. This paper argues that while LEED has played a valuable role in encouraging environmentally sustainable design in the Orlando commercial sector and will continue to be a significant presence in sustainability discussions, local government legislation can assist the end-goals of LEED by promoting more localized initiatives. The benefits of LEED certification include …

The Impact Of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals On Wildlife Conservation, Eda Reed

Honors Theses

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as those from plastics and pesticides, have been hypothesized to affect wildlife populations. According to the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, EDCs ‘are chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife.’ A growing number of studies suggest wildlife are being exposed to EDCs, but how EDCs affect wildlife health and wildlife conservation is less well-understood. Through scientific literature analysis and a survey of wildlife conservationists and practitioners, this study aims to determine the current state of knowledge and data …

2016 Nebraska Groundwater Quality Monitoring Report

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: Reports

The 2001 Nebraska Legislature passed LB329 (Neb. Rev. Stat. §46-1304) which, in part, directed the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) to report on groundwater quality monitoring in Nebraska. Reports have been issued annually since December 2001. The text of the statute applicable to this report follows: “The Department of Environmental Quality shall prepare a report outlining the extent of ground water quality monitoring conducted by natural resources districts during the preceding calendar year. The department shall analyze the data collected for the purpose of determining whether or not ground water quality is degrading or improving and shall present the …

A Comparison Between 2010 And 2006 Air Quality And Meteorological Conditions, And Emissions And Boundary Conditions Used In Simulations Of The Aqmeii-2 North American Domain, Till E. Stoeckenius, Christian Hogrefe, Justin Zagunis, Timonthy M. Sturtz, Benjamin Wells, Tanarit Sakulyanontvittaya

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Several participants in Phase 2 of the Air Quality Model Evaluation International Initiative (AQMEII-2) who are applying coupled models to the North American domain are comparing model results for two years, 2006 and 2010, with the goal of performing dynamic model evaluation. From a modeling perspective, the differences of interest are the large reductions in domain total emissions of NO_x (21%) and SO₂ (37%) from 2006 to 2010 and significant differences in meteorological conditions between these two years. The emission reductions occurred mostly in the eastern U.S, with some reduction in emissions from western wildfires in 2010. Differences …

Potential Aquifer Vulnerability In Regions Down-Gradient From Uranium In Situ Recovery (Isr) Sites, James A. Saunders, Bruce E. Pivetz, Nathan Voorhies, Richard T. Wilkin

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Sandstone-hosted roll-front uranium ore deposits originate when U(VI) dissolved in groundwater is reduced and precipitated as insoluble U(IV) minerals. Groundwater redox geochemistry, aqueous complexation, and solute migration are important in leaching uranium from source rocks and transporting it in low concentrations to a chemical redox interface where it is deposited in an ore zone typically containing the uranium minerals uraninite, pitchblende, and/or coffinite; various iron sulfides; native selenium; clays; and calcite. In situ recovery (ISR) of uranium ores is a process of contacting the uranium mineral deposit with leaching and oxidizing (lixiviant) fluids via injection of the lixiviant into wells …

Identification Of Putative Geographically Isolated Wetlands Of The Conterminous United States, Charles R. Lane, Ellen D'Amico

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Geographically isolated wetlands (GIWs) are wetlands completely surrounded by uplands. While common throughout the United States (U.S.), there have heretofore been no nationally available, spatially explicit estimates of GIW extent, complicating efforts to understand the myriad biogeochemical, hydrological, and habitat functions of GIWs and hampering conservation and management efforts at local, state, and national scales. We used a 10-m geospatial buffer as a proxy for hydrological or ecological connectivity of National Wetlands Inventory palustrine and lacustrine wetland systems to nationally mapped and available stream, river, and lake data. We identified over 8.3 million putative GIWs across the conterminous U.S., encompassing …

Water Consumption Estimates Of The Biodiesel Process In The Us, Qingshi Tu, Mingming Lu, Y. Jeffrey Yang, Don Scott

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

As a renewable alternative to petroleum diesel, biodiesel has been widely used in the US and the world. However, its potential impact on water resources has not been much evaluated. This study investigates water consumption from the biodiesel process, which includes three stages: soybean irrigation, soybean-to-soybean oil processing, and biodiesel manufacturing, at both national and state levels. Mass-based allocation is performed and water consumption at the three stages is obtained on the basis of million gallons per year and gallon water per gallon biodiesel (gal/gal). The normalized water consumption (water intensity) of the irrigation, oil processing, and biodiesel production stages …

Quantitative Structure–Mesothelioma Potency Model Optimization For Complex Mixtures Of Elongated Particles In Rat Pleura: A Retrospective Study, Philip M. Cook, Joseph Swintek, Timothy D. Dawson, David Chapman, Mathew A. Etterson, Dale Hoff

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Cancer potencies of mineral and synthetic elongated particle mixtures, including asbestos fibers, are influenced by changes in fiber dose composition, bioavailability, and biodurability in combination with relevant cytotoxic dose-response relationships. An extensive rat intrapleural dose characterization data set with a wide variety of elongated particles physicochemical properties facilitated statistical analyses of pleural mesothelioma response data combined from several studies for evaluation of alternative dose-response models. Utilizing logistic regression of individual elongated particle dimensional variations within each test sample, four major findings emerged: (1) Mild acid leaching provides superior prediction of tumor incidence compared to samples that were not leached; (2) …

Quantitative Structure–Mesothelioma Potency Model Optimization For Complex Mixtures Of Elongated Particles In Rat Pleura: A Retrospective Study, Philip M. Cook, Joseph Swintek, Timothy D. Dawson, David Chapman, Mathew A. Etterson, Dale Hoff

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Cancer potencies of mineral and synthetic elongated particle mixtures, including asbestos fibers, are influenced by changes in fiber dose composition, bioavailability, and biodurability in combination with relevant cytotoxic dose-response relationships. An extensive rat intrapleural dose characterization data set with a wide variety of elongated particles physicochemical properties facilitated statistical analyses of pleural mesothelioma response data combined from several studies for evaluation of alternative dose-response models. Utilizing logistic regression of individual elongated particle dimensional variations within each test sample, four major findings emerged: (1) Mild acid leaching provides superior prediction of tumor incidence compared to samples that were not leached; (2) …

Corporate Social Responsibility/Sustainability Reporting Among The Fortune Global 250: Greenwashing Or Green Supply Chain?, John K. Lewis

Faculty and Staff - Articles & Papers

The sustainability reporting efforts of MNCs who are members of the Fortune Global 250 (FG250) was investigated. The focus was on sustainability reporting by MNCs of supply chain impacts. The reporting of FG250 MNCs was examined to determine if greenwashing was occurring or whether MNCs had committed to operating a green supply chain. A mixed methodology was used consisting of quantitative analysis of twenty-five MNC CSR/sustainability reports which were randomly selected from the FG250 listing. Qualitative analysis using content analysis was also conducted on the reports. Both methodologies concentrated on the sustainability reporting of the selected MNCs in regard to …