Environmental Health Commons^™

Watered Down: The Challenges Of Managing Water Resources In Montana, Beau E. Baker

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Like much of the American West, Montana sits in the cross hairs of climate change. State drought resiliency projects and cooperative watershed management are on the rise in the face of decreased snowpack, early runoff, precipitation variability and lower seasonal stream flows. Population growth, land use practices, recreation and tourism all contribute to pressures on state water supplies.

Montana is faced with the arrival of invasive species that threaten the ecological health of its lakes, rivers and streams. State budget constraints and depressed agency capacity are hurting our ability to fend off these threats. There’s a lack of public education …

Fate Of Methoprene In Temperate Salt Marsh Ditches Following Aerial Applications, David J. Tonjes, Anne E. Mcelroy, Robin K. Barnes, Dominick V. Ninivaggi, Walter Dawydiak, Gregory T. Greene, Bruce J. Brownawell

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Aerial applications of liquid methoprene are used in salt marshes to control mosquitoes by preventing adult emergence. Despite concern about toxicity to non-target organisms, little is known about environmental concentrations after applications, nor methoprene's persistence in salt marsh environments. Aqueous and sediment samples were collected from two marshes receiving weekly applications. Aqueous samples were collected as early as 30 minutes after applications and as long as nine days afterwards; sediment samples were taken within hours of application and as long as 19 days post-application. Use of time-of-flight liquid chromatography – mass spectral analysis allowed for ultra low detection limits (0.5 …

Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Thyroid Hormones, And Neuropsychological Function Among Older Adults From Upstate New York, Eva M. Tanner

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of persistent organic pollutants linked to changes in cognitive function and thyroid hormone (TH) levels. However, most studies of PCBs and cognitive function were conducted among children. No studies among older adults have prospectively collected PCB and cognitive performance measurements to evaluate the association over time, and no longitudinal studies have evaluated the association between PCBs and THs over time among a non-occupationally exposed population. Further, the biological mechanism by which PCBs impact cognitive function is unknown, but may be mediated by THs. In addition, reliable self-reported survey data is necessary to obtain precise …

Applying New Methodologies In Assessing Impact Of School Environment On Children's Health And Performance, Yi Lu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

School-age children spend substantial time at school, a setting that is more vulnerable to environmental problems. School environmental factors, such as indoor air quality (IAQ), has been shown to have a significant impact on students’ health and academic performance. However, several research gaps remain regarding school environmental research. Few studies have assessed both indoor and outdoor school environmental factors and their impact on student’s respiratory health on a large scale. This is partially due to the lack of application of methods able to handle highly correlated variables. Little is known about the potential mediators on the path between the school …

Nutrition Transition, Trace Elements In Nails, And Blood Pressure Along The Interoceanic Highway, Madre De Dios, Peru, Stacy M. Pettigrew

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The paving of the Interoceanic Highway (IOH) brought rapid development to the Madre de Dios (MDD) region in the Peruvian Amazon. Development brings concerns of toxic trace element exposures, and road development has been a major driver of the transition from traditional to calorie-dense processed ‘Western’ diets in lower and middle-income countries. Investigacion de Migracion, Ambiente, y Salud (IMAS) (Investigation of Migration, the Environment, and Health) is the first analysis of health, diet, and integrated toxic trace elements in nails in the region. In 2014 we collected household surveys from 310 households in 46 communities along the IOH and nails …

Pressure-Driven Stabilization Of Capacitive Deionization, Landon S. Caudill

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The effects of system pressure on the performance stability of flow-through capacitive deionization (CDI) cells was investigated. Initial data showed that the highly porous carbon electrodes possessed air/oxygen in the micropores, and the increased system pressure boosts the gases solubility in saline solution and carries them out of the cell in the effluent. Upon applying a potential difference to the electrodes, capacitive-based ion adsorption occurs in competition with faradaic reactions that consume oxygen. Through the addition of backpressure, the rate of degradation decreases, allowing the cell to maintain its salt adsorption capacity (SAC) longer. The removal of oxygen from the …

Pcb Disruption Of Gut And Host Health: Implications Of Prebiotic Nutritional Intervention, Jessie Baldwin Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Exposure to environmental pollutants poses numerous risk factors for human health, including increasing incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been strongly linked to the development of these chronic inflammatory diseases and the primary route of exposure is through consumption of contaminated food products. Thus, the gastrointestinal tract is susceptible to the greatest levels of these pollutants and is an important facet to study.

The first two hypotheses of this dissertation tested that exposure to PCBs disrupts gut microbiota directly (in vitro) and within a whole body system. PCB exposure …

Combating Staphylococcus Aureus And Its Methicillin Resistance Gene (Meca) With Cold Plasma, Xinyu Liao, Patrick J. Cullen, Donghong Liu, Aliyu Idris Muhammad, Shiguo Chen, Xingqian Ye, Jun Wang, Tian Ding

Articles

The increase in antibiotic resistance has become a global challenge to public health. In this study, an atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) system was applied for combating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and its methicillin resistance gene (mecA) during food wastewater treatment. The plate count and flow cytometry methods were employed to estimate the damage in MRSA induced by plasma treatment. A quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) method was used to assess the plasma-induced degradation of the mecA genes. The inactivation of MRSA and degradation of extracellular (e-) and intracellular (i-)mecA genes were investigated in phosphate buffered solution as a function of plasma …

Formulation And In Vitro Characterisation Of Fungal Chitosan Nanoparticles Coated With Zein For Improved Oral Delivery Of Selenoamino Acids, Giuliana Vozza

Doctoral

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient in both human and animal nutrition that exists in a wide array of different forms, both organic and inorganic. Selenoamino acids (SeAAs), such as selenocystine (SeCys2), selenomethionine (SeMet), and methylselenocysteine (MSC) are organic species with reported health benefits of cancer prevention, increased fertility and improved immunological status. However, supplementation of SeAAs can be challenging, due to their reported narrow therapeutic range of indices, low bioavailability and increased susceptibility to oxidation. To address this, SeAAs were encapsulated into nanoparticles (NPs) to lower their toxicity profiles in comparison to their native form, in addition to offering …

Application Of Polymer-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles For Oil Separation, Seyyedali Mirshahghassemi

Theses and Dissertations

Oil spills and storm water runoffs can have serious impact on the environment with potentially major economic impacts. Given the limitation of current oil clean-up technique, the application of nanotechnology for oil remediation has been widely studied showing a promising avenue of research. This dissertation reports a cheap, facile and cost-effective nanotechnology-based oil clean-up technique that has been optimized for effectiveness and feasibility and reduced adverse environmental impacts. The synthesized polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) have been characterized using different techniques and the oil removal efficiency investigated under a wide range of environmentally relevant conditions. Based on the characterization data, …

Investigating The Ecology Of A Rare Species On St. John, Usvi: Reintroducing Solanum Conocarpum In Light Of Climate Change, Cecilia Rogers

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Approximately two thirds of St. John is National Park territory. However, the land has been threatened with tourism and development, greatly impacting island biodiversity. One species that may become extinct due to this degradation is Solanum conocarpum. S. conocarpum is a rare shrub, endemic to the dry tropical forests of St. John, USVI. This plant is a species of conservation concern and is one of very few native and endemic plants on this island. Very little is known about the ecology and reproduction of S. conocarpum. Most plants are found on the southern half of the island. Recent observations …

Exposure To Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (Pbdes) In American And Canadian Workers: Biomonitoring Data From Two National Surveys, Sabrina Gravel, Jérôme Lavoué, France Labrèche

Études primaires

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame retardants commonly found in many household and industrial products. They can be detected in the serum of the general population, and in even higher concentrations in workers of certain industries, due to an additional occupational exposure. The purpose of this analysis is to determine background exposure levels of PBDEs in the general working population, using national surveys where working status was self-reported. Participants aged 20–65 were selected from the 2003–2004 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 1141) and the 2007–2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey (n = 1337). Only four congeners were …

Environmental Impacts On Enterococcus In Shem Creek, South Carolina, And Characterization Of Changing Land Use, Maria Elizabeth Zubizarreta

Theses and Dissertations

Zoning and land-use practices have a direct influence on hydrologic systems and can impact water resources. Linkages between change in land uses and degradation of water quality in stream and watershed environments have been well established. Shem Creek, located in Mount Pleasant, SC, has a history of fecal indicator bacteria levels that exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s recreational water quality standards. With recent coastal population and development trends, proper management and the sustainability of beach and estuary environments are a rising public health concern. The objective of this study is to determine what climatic and water quality parameters are associated …

Linking Microbial Phylogenetic And Functional Gene Diversity To Microbial Mat Ecosystem Function Following Environmental Disturbance, Eva Christine Preisner

Theses and Dissertations

The ability of ecosystems to adapt to environmental perturbations depends on the duration and intensity of change and the overall biological diversity of the system. In this study, a microbial mat ecosystem located on San Salvador Island, the Bahamas was used as a model to examine how environmental disturbance affects microbial community resistance, their protein synthesis potential (PSP), ecosystem function as measured by biogeochemical cycling, community stability, and resilience. This ecosystem experienced a large shift in salinity (230 to 65 g kg-1) during 2011–2012 following the landfall of Hurricane Irene on San Salvador Island. High throughput sequencing and analysis of …

Effect Of Environmental Factors On The Aggregation Behavior Of Silver Nanoparticles In The Aquatic Environment, Kamelia Afshinnia

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the environmental factors that affect the fate and effects of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in the environment is crucial for NP risk assessment. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) readily transform in the environment, which alters their properties and subsequently their transport, fate, and toxicity. The overall aim of this dissertation was to evaluate the effects of Ag NPs physicochemical properties (e.g., size, surface charge, surface coating) and water chemistry (e.g., buffer concentration, organic ligands, natural organic matter) in controlling Ag NPs colloidal stability. This aim was achieved by systematically 1) review and rationalize many studies that investigated the aggregation kinetics of …

Inhibition Of Aflatoxin Biosynthesis With Vibrio Gazogenes, Phani Madhuri Gummadidala

Theses and Dissertations

Aflatoxin, a mycotoxin, is one of the world’s most potent carcinogen. It contaminates major food products such as milk, grains, nuts, corn, etc., leading to greater than $ 1 billion in economic losses and when ingested causes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is the primary risk factor for 75% HCC cases in the developing world and 3% HCC cases in developed world. Most common methods used in agriculture to reduce aflatoxin contamination are expensive, time consuming and have low efficiency with limited success rates where as biological controls were proven to be most effective in inhibiting aflatoxins and aflatoxin producing fungi. …

Understanding The Impact Of Land Use On Microbial Water Quality To Support Decisions For A Future Land Use Plan, Mohammed Tawfiq Aljassim

Theses and Dissertations

May River meandering through the Town of Bluffton, South Carolina has been known for its high level of water quality. The May River is one of the major sources of shellfish harvesting in South Carolina. Due to the non-point source pollution of fecal coliform, the water quality of the May River became degraded. As a result, shellfish harvesting classification in the May River was downgraded for the first time in its history. The rapid growth of the Town has led to a change in land use, which might be related to the increased levels of fecal coliform in the stream …

A Cluster-Randomized Trial To Evaluate The Impact Of An Inclusive, Community-Led Total Sanitation Intervention On Sanitation Access For People With Disabilities In Malawi., Adam Biran, Lisa Danquah, Joseph Chunga, Wolf Peter Schmidt, Rochelle Holm, Ambumulire Itimu-Phiri, Wales Singini, Hazel Jones, Hannah Kuper, Sian White

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) is a common method for promoting sanitation in low-income settings. This cluster-randomized trial evaluated an intervention to improve inclusion of people with disability in CLTS through training facilitators. A qualitative study examined intervention acceptability. The trial included 171 people with disabilities (78 control and 93 intervention) living in 15 intervention and 15 control communities. In the intervention arm, respondents were more likely to participate in a community meeting about sanitation (+18.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.2, 34.2) and to have been visited to discuss sanitation (+19.7, 95% CI: 0.6, 37.8). More intervention households improved latrine access …

Impacts Of Trace Metal Pollution, Urbanization And Aquifer Recharge On Spokane River Macroinvertebrates, Carolyn K. Connelly

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

This study analyzed macroinvertebrate communities of the Spokane River to determine: 1) accumulation of toxic trace metals in macroinvertebrate tissue, 2) effects of aquifer recharge, and 3) impact of urbanization. I predicted that aquifer inflows of cold, clean water would mitigate effects of pollution, and that reaches above the City of Spokane would be less negatively affected by urbanization; both were unsupported. I also predicted that effects of toxic trace metals would decrease within distance downstream; this prediction was supported. I sampled 12 riffles of the Spokane River between the Washington/Idaho border and Riverside State Park in late summer 2010. …

Exploring Science Identity: The Lived Experiences Of Underserved Students In A University Supplemental Science Program, Lynette D. Perrault

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Underserved students attending under-resourced schools experience limited opportunities to engage in advanced science. An exploration into the influence a supplemental science program has on underserved students’ acquisition of science knowledge and skills to increase their pursuit of science was conducted to help explain science identity formation in students. The proliferation of supplemental science programs have emerged as a result of limited exposure and resources in science for underserved students, thus prompting further investigation into the influence supplemental science programs have on underserved students interest and motivation in science, attainment of science knowledge and skills, and confidence in science to promote …