Environmental Health Commons^™

Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products In Pacific Northwest Coastal Ecosystems: Spatial Variation, Organism Effects, And Consumer Perspectives, Amy Lynne Ehrhart

Dissertations and Theses

Anthropogenic pollution poses a threat to marine organisms and ecosystems worldwide. Common chemical pollutants that enter the marine environment include legacy contaminants, which are well known and heavily regulated or banned pollutants, and emerging contaminants, which are more recently recognized as pollutants and often lack regulatory limits for their use and discharge. Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent is a major source of various contaminants of concern, particularly pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) that are not fully removed during treatment. PPCPs exist at low concentrations in the environment and may have unknown and subtle effects on marine life. Data gaps …

The Clean Air Act: How It Can Be Localized To Promote Both Environmental And Social Justice, Tate Kirk

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

Legislators attempt to achieve intended goals by enacting laws that provide for regulatory enforcement. However, many times laws are unable to achieve their stated goals and in some ways may create new or exacerbate existing issues. Luckily, upon review, many of these issues can be fixed with quick modifications to either their implementation or enforcement mechanisms. In its current form, the Clean Air Act does not effectively account for differences in regional climate patterns, and, moreover, it perpetuates environmental injustice. If local governments were given more autonomy to enforce the Clean Air Act, they could shape its enforcement to more …

Understanding Of Aerosol Transmission Of Covid 19 In Indoor Environments, Adama Barro, Cathal O'Toole, Jacob S. Lopez, Matthew Quinones, Sherene Moore

Publications and Research

Our reason for discussing severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or 2019 novel corona virus (Covid-19), is to understand its aerosol transmission characteristics in indoor spaces and to mitigate further spread of this disease by designing a new HVAC system. The problem that we are tackling is the spread of covid-19 droplets through aerosol transmission by looking at potential engineering solutions to the existing HVAC systems. The purpose is to eradicate the spread of the COVID-19 by testing indoor spaces in an effort to understand the effectiveness of ventilation controls. We believe that scientists and engineers have not …

Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Population Decline In Morro Bay, Ca: A Meta-Analysis Of Herbicide Application In San Luis Obispo County And Morro Bay Watershed, Tyler King Sinnott

Master's Theses

The endemic eelgrass (Zostera marina) community of Morro Bay Estuary, located on the central coast of California, has experienced an estimated decline of 95% in occupied area (reduction of 344 acres to 20 acres) from 2008 to 2017 for reasons that are not yet definitively clear. One possible driver of degradation that has yet to be investigated is the role of herbicides from agricultural fields in the watershed that feeds into the estuary. Thus, the primary research goal of this project was to better understand temporal and spatial trends of herbicide use within the context of San Luis …

Running And Physical Activity In An Air-Polluted Environment: The Biomechanical And Musculoskeletal Protocol For A Prospective Cohort Study 4haie (Healthy Aging In Industrial Environment—Program 4), Daniel Jandacka, Jaroslav Uchytil, David Zahradnik, Roman Farana, Dominik Vilimek, Jiri Skypala, Jan Urbaczka, Jan Plesek, Adam Motyka, Denisa Blaschova, Gabriela Beinhauerova, Marketa Rygelova, Pavel Brtva, Klara Balazova, Veronika Horka, Jan Malus, Julia Freedman Silvernail, Gareth Irwin, Miika T. Nieminen, Victor Casula, Vladimir Juras, Milos Golian, Steriani Elavsky, Lenka Knapova, Radim Sram, Joseph Hamill

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Research

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Far too little attention has been paid to health effects of air pollution and physical (in)activity on musculoskeletal health. The purpose of the Healthy aging in industrial environment study (4HAIE) is to investigate the potential impact of physical activity in highly polluted air on musculoskeletal health. A total of 1500 active runners and inactive controls aged 18–65 will be recruited. The sample will be recruited using quota sampling based on location (the most air-polluted region in EU and a control region), age, sex, and activity status. Participants will complete online questionnaires …

Transport Of N-Cd And Pre-Sorbed Pb In Saturated Porous Media, Salahaddin Kamrani, Vahab Amiri, Mosleh Kamrani, Mohammed Baalousha

Faculty Publications

Carbon dots (CDs) are a new type of nanomaterials of the carbon family with unique characteristics, such as their small size (e.g., <10 nm), high water solubility, low toxicity, and high metal affinity. Modification of CDs by Nitrogen functional groups (N-CDs) enhances their metal adsorption capacity. This study investigated the influences of pH (4, 6, and 9), ionic strength (1, 50, and 100 mM), and cation valency (Na⁺ and Ca²⁺) on the competitive adsorption of Pb to quartz and N-CD surfaces, the transport and retention of N-CDs in saturated porous media, and the capacity of N-CDs to mobilize pre-adsorbed Pb in quartz columns. Pb adsorption was higher on N-CDs than on quartz surfaces and decreased with increases in ionic strength (IS) and divalent cations (Ca²⁺) concentration. N-CD mobility in quartz columns was highest at pH of 9- and 1-mM monovalent cations …

Nutrient Concentration For Cyanotoxins At Turnbull (Proposal), Mori Williams

2020 McNair Scholar Collection

The purpose of this study is to analyze the concentration of microcystins from cyanobacteria along with factors that increase the likelihood of microcystins found in water systems at the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR) near Cheney, Washington. Cyanobacteria are oxygen-producing bacteria that use sunlight as an energy source to convert CO2 into biomass. This bacterium has been around for around 3 billion years. However, in recent years, cyanobacteria have been a major issue in drinking water and aquatic ecosystems due to eutrophication, rising CO2 levels, and global warming (Huisman et al). Due to anthropogenic sources such as agricultural run-off and …

Effect Of Meteorological Elements On The Dynamics Of Bacillary And Amoebic Dysentery Disease: A Mathematical Approach, Furaha M. Chuma, Rigobert C. Ngeleja, Triphonia Ngailo

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Bacillary dysentery, commonly known as shigellosis, is a potentially perilous and extremely contagious bacterial infection of the colon caused by—but not limited to—bacteria shigella, bacillus, E. coli, Yersinia, and the parasite amoeba. This paper formulates and analyses a mathematical model for the transmission dynamics of dysentery epidemic that incorporate the effects of weather variations. It examines the stability of equilibria and compute the basic reproduction number that is coupled with the time-periodic model, and establishes results on the threshold dynamics. In the non-autonomous case, it investigates the disease extinction and uniform persistence. Results suggest that the dynamics of bacillary dysentery …

Chemically Induced Phytoextraction Of Lead (Pb) Contaminated Soil By Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum L.), Austin Gilly

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Soils contaminated with lead (Pb) from human activities including industrial byproducts create an environmental and human health risk. Phytoextraction through chemical acquisition of Pb in soils offer a potentially cost effective and ecologically driven approach to remediation. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is known to have a tolerance for a wide range of heavy metals including Pb. Switchgrass is also able to grow in a wide range of climates. Soil chemistry manipulation, using chelates and plant growth promoters could provide an effective field method for phytoremediation using switchgrass. In this study chemically enhanced phytoextraction using the soil-fungicide Infuse (active ingredient …

The Nature Of Genes Expressed Differently After Environmental Drug Exposure, Nicci Siffel

Scholars Week

The Nature of Genes Expressed Differently after Environmental Drug Exposure

N. Siffel, S. Anderson, B. Subedi, D.R. Hammond-Weinberger

Drug use, of prescription or illicit varieties, alter bodily functions in different ways, especially in the nervous system. These drugs are found in sources of drinking water because they are not removed by wastewater treatment facilities. To investigate the effects of these drugs as they appear in mixtures, we exposed groups of zebrafish embryos to cocktails of drugs and screened for genes that were differentially expressed between the experimental and control groups and could thus give more insight into their biological functions. …

A National Approach To Address The Impact Of Land-Based Pollution On Marine Environment In Liberia, Kansualism Berk Kansuah

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Centrifugation And Solid Phase Extraction (Spe) Methods Of Sample Preparations In Determination Of Residues Of Drugs Of Abuse In Urine, John Mahugija, Anastazia Wandwi, Kessy Kilulya

Tanzania Journal of Science

Detection of drugs of abuse in urine samples depends on their composition, absorption, distribution, physical and chemical properties, concentrations, elimination properties, and the techniques employed. This study compared the performance of centrifugation and solid phase extraction (SPE) methods in the determination of levels of drugs of abuse and their metabolites in urine samples collected from drug abusers. Analysis was performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). Calibration was done using both internal and external standards. The recovery values were generally greater in centrifugation method than in SPE method, but the recoveries in both methods were within an acceptable range. Linearity …

Développement D’Une Procédure D’Évaluation De La Performance De Filtres De Ventilation Pour Des Particules De Taille Inférieure À 300 Nm, Incluant Les Nanoparticules, Clothilde Brochot, Pooya Abdolghader, Fariborz Haghighat, Ali Bahloul

Rapports de recherche scientifique

La filtration est un moyen simple et efficace pour capter des particules de différentes tailles. C’est un des outils utilisés dans le domaine de la santé et la sécurité au travail pour maîtriser l’exposition aux particules ultrafines et aux nanoparticules, tant dans des zones de travail restreintes ou ponctuelles, que dans les systèmes de ventilation générale ou spécifique. La norme actuelle, dans le cas de la ventilation générale, limite l’évaluation de l’efficacité de filtration à des particules dont la taille est comprise entre 0,3 et 10,0 µm. Même si la taille des particules les plus pénétrantes dans le cas de …

Évaluation De L'Exposition Des Thanatopracteurs Aux Bioaérosols Et Appréciation Du Risque Sur Leur Santé, Geneviève Marchand, Loïc Wingert, Stéphane Hallé, Maximilien Debia

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Plusieurs manipulations réalisées sur les corps des défunts par les thanatopracteurs produisent des bioaérosols qui peuvent contenir des agents pathogènes infectieux. La ventilation générale est souvent le seul moyen utilisé dans les laboratoires de thanatopraxie pour maîtriser les bioaérosols. Toutefois, il n’y a pas de recommandations précises pour sa mise en application. De plus, peu d'études abordent les expositions professionnelles aux bioaérosols dans le domaine de la thanatopraxie tant quantitativement (niveau d’exposition) que qualitativement (identification et classification selon les groupes de risque). L’objectif de cette étude était d’évaluer l’exposition des thanatopracteurs aux bioaérosols afin d’apprécier les risques potentiels sur leur …

A Review Of The Financial Value Of Faecal Sludge Reuse In Low-Income Countries., Adrian Mallory, Rochelle Holm, Alison Parker

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Faecal sludge reuse could promote responsible waste management and alleviate resource shortages. However, for this reuse to be carried out at scale, it needs to be financially viable. This paper reviews the financial values of resource recovery from 112 data points from 43 publications from academic and grey literature. The results found 65% of the existing literature is projected rather than being based on observed data from products in practice, with limited studies providing actual experiences of revenue in practice. Some of the estimates of the potential value were ten times those observed in data from operating businesses. Reasons for …

Can Viruses Cause Lupus?, Stephen I. Reeder

Selected Honors Theses

Like so many autoimmune diseases, the exact cause of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains unknown. Evidence points to both genetics and environment playing roles in the onset of the disease, but neither acts independent of the other. Genetics are the easier of the two to study with recent advances in the field making it easier to isolate genes shared by individuals with the disease. However, genetic studies reveal that there is almost certainly an environmental component to the development of SLE. The underlying pathology and existing research on environmental contributors to the development of SLE suggest that viruses could potentially …

Re-Evaluating The Strength Of Pit-Latrine Faecal Sludge From Dynamic Cone Penetrometer Test Data., Yasmine Shafiq, Stuart Haigh, Rochelle Holm, Alison Parker

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

In 2017, 55% of the global population were without safely managed sanitation services. On-site sanitation solutions, such as pit latrines, provide the majority of sanitation coverage across developing countries. Appropriate technologies are required in order to safely empty these latrines without damage to people or the environment. The design of appropriate emptying technologies can be hampered by a lack of knowledge of the mechanical properties of the waste, such as its strength. This paper will develop a calibration for a dynamic cone penetrometer to give accurate measurements of faecal sludge strength against a standard scale, rendering existing data comparable. It …

Identifying Seasonal And Daily Variations In Arg-Containing Bioaerosols Generated During The Wastewater Treatment Process, Mirza Isanovic

Theses and Dissertations

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem with the current global death count topping 700,000. In the United States alone there are 2.8 million antibiotic resistant bacterial (ARB) infections each year and approximately 35,000 deaths. If current trends continue the global ARB death count will reach 10 million surpassing current chronic disease deaths. Wastewater treatment plants play a vital role in protecting both the environment as well as local communities. The WWTP process allows for the removal of chemicals and contaminants from water that eventually makes its way back into the environment as well as into drinking water plants. Despite the …

David S. Miller: Scientist, Mentor, Friend--A Tribute And Thank You, Björn Bauer, J. Larry Renfro, Karl J. Karnaky, Rosalinde Masereeuw, Gert Fricker, Ron E. Cannon, Anika M. S. Hartz

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

David S. Miller was Acting Scientific Director of the Division of Intramural Research at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, and Head of the Intracellular Regulation Group in the Laboratory of Toxicology and Pharmacology before he retired in 2016. David received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Maine in 1973. David was a Group Leader at the Michigan Cancer Foundation before joining the NIEHS in 1985. His research covered a wide range from renal excretory transport mechanisms to regulation of transporters at the blood-CSF and blood-brain barriers, from fish, amphibians and birds to …

Obesity Worsens Gulf War Illness Symptom Persistence Pathology By Linking Altered Gut Microbiome Species To Long-Term Gastrointestinal, Hepatic, And Neuronal Inflammation In A Mouse Model, Dipro Bose, Punnag Saha, Ayan Mondal, Brian Fanelli, Ratanesh K. Seth, Patricia Janulewicz, Kimberly Sullivan, Stephen Lasley, Ronnie Horner, Rita R. Colwell, Ashok K. Shetty, Nancy Klimas, Saurabh Chatterjee

Faculty Publications

Persistence of Gulf War illness (GWI) pathology among deployed veterans is a clinical challenge even after almost three decades. Recent studies show a higher prevalence of obesity and metabolic disturbances among Gulf War veterans primarily due to the existence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic fatigue, sedentary lifestyle, and consumption of a high-carbohydrate/high-fat diet. We test the hypothesis that obesity from a Western-style diet alters host gut microbial species and worsens gastrointestinal and neuroinflammatory symptom persistence. We used a 5 month Western diet feeding in mice that received prior Gulf War (GW) chemical exposure to mimic the home phase obese …