Environmental Health Commons^™

Spatial Analysis Of Socioeconomic Factors At Found Locations Of Orphaned Mammals In Champaign County, Illinois, Usa, Colleen Elzinga, Stephanie Heniff, William Sander, William Marshall Brown, Csaba Varga, Samantha Sander

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Young mammals make up a significant portion of animals brought into wildlife rehabilitation centers. Unfortunately, some of these presumed orphaned individuals are inappropriately removed from their native habitat. As such, there is a need for educational community outreach centered on the proper identification of orphaned wildlife that benefit from human intervention, while maximizing limited resources of rehabilitation facilities. This study evaluated found locations of common mammalian orphans presenting from Champaign County to the University of Illinois Wildlife Medical Clinic, Illinois, USA, between 2015 and 2020. The found locations of the orphans (99 Virginia opossums [Didelphis virginiana], 80 common …

Molecular Investigation Of Tick-Borne Pathogens In Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) From Seven Us States, Sofiane Aiche

Masters Theses

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) have been proposed as part of the lifecycles of multiple tickborne pathogens (TBP). This is a result of the increase in feral swine populations and increased tick populations and geographic ranges. Few surveys exist on the TBP relevant to human and wildlife of feral swine in the US. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of 10 TBP: Anaplasma spp., Borrelia spp., Cytauxzoon felis, Hepatozoon spp., Babesia spp., Mycoplasma spp., Trypanosoma cruzi, Toxoplasma gondii, Yersinia pestis, and Rickettsia spp. A total of 87 feral swine blood samples …

Field And Laboratory Evaluation Of The Interactions Between Pesticides And The Gut Microbiome In Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera), Macee R. Mitchell

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) are important pollinators yet are threatened by a combination of factors such as poor nutrition, pathogens, parasites, and pesticide use. Bees encounter numerous pesticides while foraging (e.g. imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide) or in the hive colony (e.g. Tau-fluvalinate, a miticide commonly used to treat Varroa mite parasites). Similar to most organisms, the gut microbiome is important for bee health, metabolism, and behavior, however it is not well known how environmental factors like pesticides impact their gut bacterial symbionts. I hypothesized that 1) pesticide concentrations in bees are correlated with gut bacterial community structure, and 2) …

Role Of Urban Parks In Carbon Sequestration– A Case Study Of Safari Park, Karachi, Pakistan, Amna Bano, Minzah Shehzad, Hasnain Kazmi, Jamshaid Iqbal

Journal of Bioresource Management

Urban parks besides their recreational use can be the potential source of climate mitigation through carbon sequestration. Present study aims to identify the carbon sequestration potential of Safari Park which is by far the largest public park of Karachi established in 1970 covering an area of 0.72 km². A total of 153 individual trees belonging to 25 species and 14 families were included in the study. Five dominant species with highest Important Value Index (IVI) were Cocos nucifera (14.62 %), Azadirachta indica (14.21 %), Guaiacum officinale (9.93 %), Washington robusta (9.31 %) and Delonix regia (7.11 %). The …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Occurrence Of Emerging Contaminants In Greater Houston Watersheds, Risk Assessment, And Toxicological Effects, Sekinat Oluwakemi Atobiloye

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Rapid industrialization and urbanization within the Greater Houston area have driven a surge in anthropogenic activities that affects the burgeoning population. This region stands as one of the most densely inhabited metropolises in the United States, experiencing a substantial population growth of 9.8% from 2010 to 2020, with the population expanding from 5.92 million to 7.14 million. This population boom has been accompanied by an increased reliance on modern conveniences, leading to escalated production and utilization of chemicals such as personal care products, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and heavy metals, all of which pose potential threats to the environment. Although these products …

Socioeconomic Geographies And Municipal Decision Making Of New York's Climate Smart Communities Program, Stephen Corbisiero

Digital and Data Studies Student Scholarship

Nearly all of New York’s residents live in a municipality designated as a Climate Smart Community, but few are familiar with one of the state’s major legislative accomplishments. The initiative allows municipalities to earn points toward a climate smart certification by implementing sustainable technologies in their communities, which in turn makes them eligible for increased grant funding from New York State. As climate change begins to have a greater impact on human and natural life, investing in green infrastructure has never been more important. New York’s Climate Smart Communities program is widespread, but adoption rates vary greatly throughout the state …

Analyzing Trends In Ground-Level Ozone, Keily Hart

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

In the last few decades, concerns regarding air pollution have led to many new laws and regulations being put into place to mitigate the e↵ects of pollution on the environment and humanity as a whole. This paper analyzes several decades’ worth of ground-level ozone readings in six of the largest metropolitan areas in Texas, using data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These regions include the Austin-Round Rock area, Corpus Christi, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area, El Paso, the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land area, and the San Antonio-New Braunfels area. We identify trends in these readings using the Jonckheere-Terpstra test. …

Using A Toxic Aging Coin To Assess Hexavalent Chromium-Induced Neurotoxicity., Samuel Thomas Vielee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We are facing an aging crisis, with 20% of the U.S. population projected to be geriatric (65+) by 2030 and live another 40+ years. Age-related diseases accompany a growing geriatric population, emphasizing the need to understand their etiology. Environmental pollutants compound this crisis by: 1) geriatrics are more susceptible, exacerbating age-related diseases and comorbidities, and 2) they accelerate biological aging, inducing age-related diseases at younger ages. We address this crisis using a ‘toxic aging coin’ approach; heads examines how age impacts toxicity, tails examines how chemicals accelerate aging. This thesis applies the heads side for Cr(VI)-induced neurotoxicity across ages. We …

Analysis Of Triton Cg 110 Foaming Characteristics For Use As A Potential Fire Suppressant, Addison Cobb, Jeremy Cho

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Background: Per-FluoroAlkyls (PFAs) are incredibly stable molecules which do not biodegrade. These chemicals have been linked with a series of health issues and environmental problems.

Problem: PFAs have been identified in most drinking water supplies in the United States. Large Amounts of this is due to Aqueous Fire-Fighting Foams (AFFF’s), which contain PFAs, seeping into the groundwater supply.

Solution: While little can be done about PFAs currently in groundwater supplies, replacing PFA-based AFFFs with newer Eco-AFFFs can halt AFFF contamination, and maintain firefighting suppression.

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Response On Food Safety Violations Observed In Southern Nevada Food Establishments, Samantha Morales

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Food poisoning is a common term used to describe what is actually foodborne illness. Despite the fact these illnesses can become deadly, foodborne illnesses are endemic and common in the United States. Nonetheless, they are completely preventable simply by following proper food safety procedures. The Food and Drug Administration identified the most common foodborne pathogens responsible for most foodborne infections, as well as the five risk factor categories to target in order to decrease the risk of cases and outbreaks.

To ensure foodborne outbreaks and cases are prevented, health authorities are tasked with conducting routine inspections on permitted food establishments. …

An Evaluation Of Lead Concentration In Commercially Available Tiles, Daidre N. Gamboa

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Workers in the manufacturing and construction industries are at risk of lead exposure in projects that involve removal or installation of tiles, and other individuals exposed to lead, including children may also be at risk. The concern with lead in tiles is thought to be related to the glazing process or the country where the tile was produced. Multiple regulations are in place in the U.S. to protect people from lead exposure, including through surface coatings or painted surfaces. But these regulations do not cover glazed tiles. This study examined whether there are differences in lead concentration in (1) tiles …

Chemical Composition, Mineral Profile, Anti-Bacterial, And Wound Healing Properties Of Snail Slime Of Helix Aspersa Müller, Marouane Aouji, Amine Rkhaila, Bouchra Bouhaddioui, Malak Zirari, Hala Harifi, Youness Taboz, Lalla Aicha Lrhorfi, Rachid Bengueddour

BioMedicine

Mucus is a substance made by snails that serves a variety of purposes and is increasingly employed in the medical and cosmetic industries. It includes bioactive compounds with a range of biological characteristics that could be useful in the treatment of particular issues. This study assessed the wound-healing efficiency, antibacterial activity, chemical and mineral composition of Helix aspersa Müller slime. Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used for mineral analysis, while Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was used for chemical characterization. The findings showed that the H. aspersa Müller slime had inhibitory activity on …

Antidiabetic Potential Of Vitex Mombassae Fruits Extract In Streptozotocin-Nicotinamide Induced Diabetic Wistar Rat Model, Mussa B. Mbegeze, Joan J.E. Munissi, Flora Stephano, Ramadhani S.O. Nondo, Stephen S. Nyandoro

Tanzania Journal of Science

Besides changes in life styles and improper dietary patterns, the rapidly increasing burden of diabetes mellitus type 2 is correlated with antidiabetic agents currently in clinical use, which are costly, less effective, and present undesirable side effects. Natural products from plants are promising alternative sources for developing more effective and cost friendly antidiabetic agents. This study therefore investigated the antidiabetic potential of Vitex mombassae fruits extract (VMFE) in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced diabetic Wistar rat model. Oral acute toxicity test was conducted in male Wistar rat using up and down method by following OECD Guideline 423 (2002). No clinical signs of toxicity …

Anticancer Potential Of The Leaf Extracts From The Selected Croton Species, Peter V. Fayyu, Joan J.E. Munissi, Stephen S. Nyandoro, Flora Stephano

Tanzania Journal of Science

The reported investigations were aimed at establishing anticancer potential of the leaf extracts from Croton dictyophlebodes (CDE), C. kilwae (CKE) and C. longipedicellatus ssp austrotanzanicus (CLE). In vitro cytotoxicity assays of the extracts were performed against human laryngeal cancer cell line (HEp-2) and human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), while in vivo toxicological studies were done using Swiss albino mice (Mus musculus) following the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development guideline number 423 of 2001. Results for in vitro assays revealed that CDE and CLE induced cytotoxicity to MCF-7 and HEp-2 cell lines at EC50 values of 86 and 63 …

Analyzing The Ramifications Of Climate Change On Mental Health, Salvatore A. Medori

Student Publications

When thinking about the vast array of impacts that the climate crisis has on humanity, there are many things that come to mind, but mental health impacts are likely not one of them. Even though research demonstrates that mental effects from any form of disaster far exceed the physical health implications mental health impacts of the largest disaster facing humanity since the Second World War are rarely considered at all, let alone when solutions are being created. This has led to a hidden crisis emerging underneath an even larger crisis, with serious consequences for most individuals across the globe. The …

Inequality Of Air Quality?: A Study Of Air Quality Within Housing Price Brackets In Gettysburg, Pa, Jess G. Schaefer, Alexis J. Jones, Arden H. Dowd

Student Publications

With the rise of cars and other motorized vehicles has come the rise of air pollution, which tends to have disproportionate environmental and health impacts on low-income and communities of color. This study analyzes car presence and air quality on a transect within Gettysburg, PA to determine if there is a relationship between air pollution and vehicle presence, and if there is a difference in air quality between higher price bracket housing compared to campus, commercial, and lower price bracket housing. To test our research questions, we identified nine sampling locations along a transect where we measured air pollutants, including …

Clean Water Saves Lives: Improving Clean Water Access In Yeakpee Town, Liberia, Mishael F. Ohanwadi

Student Publications

Civil unrest in Liberia, a West Coast African nation, has caused the destruction of essential infrastructure, particularly water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems. As a result, there is a high reliance on unsafe water sources and prevalence of waterborne diseases and health issues, particularly in the Yeakpee Town Community. Inadequate funding has hindered progress, and there are connections between gender inequalities and limited access to clean water. The Clean Water Save Lives project, launched in 2020, aimed to provide sustainable access to clean water in Yeakpee Town community by constructing a water pump with a filtration system. The project aimed …

Replenishment Of Essential Natural Resources: An Assessment Of The Ability Of Freshwater Algae To Enhance Crop Quality And Soil Health, Lala Christina Ek

Theses and Dissertations

Disregard for soil, an essential natural resource, hinders global food production. Food insecurity is a major concern for both public health officials and environmental scientists due to soil quality decline, pollution, and climate change. Alternatives or targeted additions to chemical fertilizers can bolster soil quality, improve crop yields, lengthen crop shelf life, and mitigate environmental pollution. One potential alternative to chemical fertilizers is replacement of them with biological soil amendments, including algae, to enhance crop growth and improve soil health. Research was conducted at the University of South Carolina-Columbia campus garden to determine impacts of non-toxic freshwater algae on crop …

Quantification Of The Internalization Of A Commercially Available Silver Nanoparticle To The Bacterium Escherichia Coli, Samantha Mcneal Case

Theses and Dissertations

Nanoparticles (NPs), materials with dimensions ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers, are widely used in various consumer products, with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) being the most prominent. Exposure to AgNPs occurs through multiple sources, including food packaging, supplements, and disinfectants, owing to their antimicrobial properties. Prior research has identified adverse health effects, such as cytotoxicity, toxicity, and Ag bioaccumulation resulting from AgNP exposure to bacteria in biological systems and the environment. However, most studies employ pristine, highly concentrated NPs, which may not accurately represent realistic exposure scenarios at environmentally relevant concentrations. This project investigates the fate and internalization of AgNPs, found …