Environmental Public Health Commons^™

A Fork In The Road: Uncovering The Impact Of Industrial Animal Agriculture On The Physical Health Of Communities Of Color, Mariana Zepeda

Population Health Research Brief Series

Nearly all (99%) farmed animals in the U.S. come from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). CAFOs are industrial agriculture facilities defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as operations where animals are raised in confinement and meet animal size and waste material thresholds. Communities located near CAFOs, which tend to have high shares of low-income and racial/ethnic minority residents, are at risk of exposure to CAFO-related air and water pollutants. This brief summarizes the health risks for communities located near CAFOs. Additionally, it calls for government regulations that improve transparency, management, and consumer empowerment.

Natural Spaces, A Social Determinant Of Health, And Self-Rated Health Among Medical Students, Josiah P. Stryd, Anil N. F. Aranha

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background and Purpose: Natural spaces are areas which have a majority of natural ground cover such as vegetation or water. These spaces have positive effects on both physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether medical students who have greater accessibility and use of natural spaces have better self-rated health.

Methods: M2-M4 students from Wayne State University School of Medicine received an email link to the Qualtrics-based study. Variables evaluated included: sociodemographics, residence zip code, natural spaces access frequency, distance, and transportation method. Self-rated physical and mental health was measured using the Healthy Days measure …

The Effects Of Environmental Noise On Annoyance, Stress, And Urine Cortisol Levels Among Residents Living Near Industrial Sites In Bangkok, Thailand, Nutthajit Onmek, Narisa Kengtrong Bordeerat, Supat Wangwongwatana

Kesmas

People are exposed to environmental noise each day. It may be annoying, cause stress, induce hormonal changes, and negatively affect long-term health. This study aimed to determine the effects of environmental noise on annoyance, perceived stress, stress symptoms, and urine cortisol in people living in a selected area. This cross-sectional study was conducted from April to October 2022 on 142 participants. Urine samples were collected to determine cortisol levels, and perceived stress, stress symptoms, and environmental noise annoyance were evaluated using questionnaires. Stress symptoms correlated with traffic, industrial, and community noise, but not aircraft noise. Community noise correlated most strongly …

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

CAFE Symposium 2024

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 …

Active Herbicide Ingredients In Roundup Ready Xtend Products, Glyphosate And Dicamba, Results In Hypoactivity In Zebrafish Larvae When Exposed During Development, Ryker Bond

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Is Northwest Indiana Prepared To Be A “Climate Haven”?, Luke Carl Jorgensen

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Demon Mineral, Brady Desanti

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Demon Mineral (2024), directed by Hadley Austin.

Predictive Power Of Wastewater For Nowcasting Infectious Disease Transmission: A Retrospective Case Study Of Five Sewershed Areas In Louisville, Kentucky, Fayette Klaassen, Rochelle H. Holm, Ted Smith, Ted Cohen, Aruni Bhatnagar, Nicolas A. Menzies

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Epidemiological nowcasting traditionally relies on count surveillance data. The availability and quality of such count data may vary over time, limiting representation of true infections. Wastewater data correlates with traditional surveillance data and may provide additional value for nowcasting disease trends. Methods: We obtained SARS-CoV-2 case, death, wastewater, and serosurvey data for Jefferson County, Kentucky (USA), between August 2020 and March 2021, and parameterized an existing nowcasting model using combinations of these data. We assessed the predictive performance and variability at the sewershed level and compared the effects of adding or replacing wastewater data to case and death reports. …

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 …

Toxic Fashion: Evaluation Of Chemicals In Clothing And Recommendations For The Amended Tsca, Gregory Zajac

Master's Projects and Capstones

The fashion industry is one of the largest polluting industries in the world and its rising environmental impact is partly due to the dominance of fast fashion business models. Recently researchers and advocates have found that large amounts of chemicals are used by textile manufacturers to produce clothing, some proven to be toxic in other applications. The risk of exposure to these classes of chemicals is a growing concern. With the risk management model, a qualitative examination was conducted on existing policies in the United States that regulate chemicals used by the industry. Despite some policy changes regarding chemical exposure …

Understanding Occupational Injury And Substance Use Issues Among Workers In The Shellfish And Lobster Industries, Tora Johnson, Katherine Weatherford Darling, Debra Kantor, Joseph Spiller, Oliver G. Jones, Lois-Ann Kuntz, Tara Casimir, Amy Dowley, Greyson Kurtz, Lauren Sachs, Linda Silka, Bridie Mcgreavy

Maine Policy Review

In 2022, American lobster (Homarus americanus) and softshell clam (Mya arenaria) harvests contributed $283 million to Downeast Maine’s economy, employing thousands of harvesters. Harvesting is grueling work. Pain from work-related injuries precedes most opioid deaths, and workers in fisheries are disproportionately at risk. Harvesters are typically self-employed and often uninsured or underinsured, complicating access to care. Prior studies have focused on injury risk or drug use among harvesters without revealing how injury, pain and substance use intertwine with cultural, social and regulatory factors. This study examined the socio-ecologically embedded injury/ pain/ substance use process with surveys of harvesters (n=106) and …

Environmental Exposures And Aging., Daniel Chris Gomes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, research into air pollution has shown that exposure to certain components in air pollution, primarily PM2.5 can accelerate biological aging and thereby lead to increased susceptibility to multiple diseases. We hypothesize that prolonged exposure to air pollutants can result in premature aging leading to extensive tissue dysfunction and susceptibility to diseases. To examine this, we exposed mice to PM2.5 for 9, 15, and 21 days, then measured the telomere lengths, cellular senescence, and histone methylation patterns of multiple cell types. We found consistently increased telomere attrition, cellular senescence and advanced age-consistent histone methylation patterns in groups exposed …

Editorial: The Public Health Scholars As The Health Leaders, Al Asyary, Meita Veruswati, Putri Bungsu Machmud, Indri Hapsari Susilowati

Kesmas

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Solid Medical Waste Management In Bogor Regional Public Hospitals, Silvia Khansa, Agustin Kusumayati, Dewi Susanna, Uli Tiarma Sinaga

Kesmas

Healthcare facilities generate medical waste. If not properly managed, medical waste may damage the environment and spread diseases. Many hospitals in Indonesia do not adhere to medical waste management regulations. This study aimed to evaluate the management of solid medical waste at four public hospitals in Bogor District, Indonesia. A case study design was used to obtain a comprehensive description of the solid medical waste management activities inthe hospitals. Data were collected through direct observations, interviews, and document reviews. This study revealed that the medical waste generated in allhospitals was infectious, pathological, pharmaceutical, chemical, and cytotoxic, totaling approximately 4,000-12,000 kg. …

Spatial Associations Of Liver Disease Rates With Socioeconomic And Health Risk Factors In Georgia, Nguyet Le

Symposium of Student Scholars

According to the CDC Cancer Statistics Report in 2020, Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct is the 6th leading cancer in both USA and the State of Georgia ranked by Rates of Cancer Death. Aflatoxin-containing foods, alcohol consumption, smoking, overeating, and other risky behaviors are among the factors linked to liver diseases. They have also been related to the socioeconomic status (SES) of individuals. The behaviors and SES of individuals are affected by the socioeconomic characteristics of the communities where they live. However, the relationships between the rates of liver diseases and community-level socioeconomic factors are not well studied. The objective …

Chronic Disease And The Inflammatory Body Burden: Social And Environmental Factors And Implications For Longevity, Catherine L. Zeman, Junu Shrestha, Raihan Khan, Ashley N. Oginz Wilson, Lisa A. Beltz

Department of Health Sciences - Faculty Scholarship

Everyday our body’s immune and detoxification systems are working to protect us from pathogens, cancerous cells, foreign substances, and chemical exposures. Declining trends in per capita longevity in the US suggest that these systems are being stressed beyond their natural resiliency. Several of these trends are discussed in light of funding for preventive vs. illness care. The authors then use a systems and interdisciplinary approach to introduce the immunobiological and biotransformation systems, and the concept of the exposome for those unfamiliar. The science of the immune and detoxification systems is explored considering the idea of chronic low-level inflammation. Additionally, new …

Roadway Characteristics And Car Accident Trends In Gettysburg, Pa, Max Smith, Jake H. Kennell, Russell H. Canova

Student Publications

This study addresses the rising motor vehicle accident and fatality rates in the United States (Moore, 2023). Focusing on the conditions in the Gettysburg Borough in an attempt to answer the following research questions: Are age of driver, weather conditions of car accidents, and traffic volume contributing to accidents in the Gettysburg Borough? What are the roadway characteristics of accident hot spot areas within the Gettysburg Borough? Utilizing Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) crash data from 2018 to 2022 and PennDot Average Annual Daily Traffic data, this study employs a comprehensive approach. Combining GIS analysis and statistical analysis to determine …

Navigating Car Attitudes: An Analysis Of Transportation Habits, Environmental Views, And Demographics, Caroline J. Jordan, Sydney E. Lucero, Anna L. Imrie

Student Publications

Transportation plays a crucial part in the daily lives of people and society worldwide. Our study examined the transportation habits and environmental attitudes of both Gettysburg College students and individuals across the United States. We conducted a comparative analysis using a sample from students on campus and a national sample collected from the crowdsourcing platform, Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Additionally, we compared our findings with two similar studies completed by an Environmental Studies capstone nine years ago. We calculated each respondent's environmental score to gauge environmental attitudes, derived explicitly from their answers to five of the 24 survey questions. Next, we …

Progress Reimagined: A Generation Z Perspective On Belfast In Relation To The Unsdgs., Lucy Love Haman, Rebecca F. Macleod, Emilee E. Ernster, Camryn Moore, Erin Miller, Daron Baltazar, Ricardo Jackson

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

This research explores a contemporary outsider view of Belfast, through the eyes of Generation Z visiting college students, in relation to how three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are carried out (Good Health and Well-Being, Climate Action, and Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). To learn through firsthand accounts, the researchers utilized ethnographic and phenomenological methods, as interacting with locals to gather community inputs, surveying different groups in the city, Abstract: recording quotes said by citizens and displayed at billboards, and For Peer Review applying personal sensory experiences. It was found that a political deadlock plays a major role in the …

Tobacco, Alcohol And Diet As Mortality Risk Factors: The Secondary Analysis Of The 25-Year Cohort Study, Alina Egorova, Bulat Idrisov, Romany Redman, Stanislav Otstavnov, Sergey Soshnikov

Journal of Health Research

Background: Individual lifestyle risk factors have been linked to increased mortality globally; however, there is limited data on these associations in Russia. A secondary analysis of the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS) data was conducted to close this gap.

Methods: The secondary data have been obtained from a nationally-representative annual cohort survey conducted by the Higher School of Economics (HSE). In this original study, for the first time in Russia, we extracted RRs for researched risk factors. Of additional original value, we made a prospective-retrospective cohort based on a representative longitudinal survey and provided the deaths as outcomes for survival …