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Mesa-Frias, M. "Modelling uncertainty in environmental health impact assessment." Thesis, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (University of London), 2015. http://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/2391599/.
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Quantifying uncertainty in environmental health impact assessment models is important, particularly if the models are to be used for decision support. This thesis develops a new non-probabilistic framework to quantify uncertainty in environmental health impact assessment models. The framework takes into account two different perspectives of uncertainty: conceptual and analytical in terms of where uncertainty occurs in the model. The first perspective is concerned with uncertainty in the framing assumptions of health impact assessment, whereas the second perspective is concerned with uncertainty in the parameters of a model. The construction of the framework was achieved by focusing on five specific objectives: (i) to describe the complexity of how uncertainty arises in environmental health impact assessment and classify the uncertainty to be amenable for quantitative modelling;(ii) to critically appraise the strengths and limitations of current methods used to handle the uncertainty in environmental health impact assessment; (iii) to develop a novel quantitative framework for quantifying uncertainty from the conceptual and analytical perspectives; (iv) to formulate two detailed case-study examples on health impact assessment of indoor housing interventions; (v) to apply the framework to the two case-studies. After critiquing the uncertainty quantification methods that are currently applied in environmental health impact assessment, the thesis develops the framework for quantifying uncertainty, starting with the conceptual uncertainty (uncertainty associated with the framing assumptions or formulation of the model), then quantifying the analytical uncertainty (uncertainty associated with the input parameters and outputs of the model). The first case-study was concerned with the health impact assessment of improving housing insulation. Using fuzzy cognitive maps, the thesis identifies key indoor factors and their pathways highly sensitive to the framing assumptions of the health impact assessment. The second case-study was concerned with estimating the uncertainty in the health burdens in England, associated with three ventilation exposure scenarios using fuzzy sets and interval analysis. The thesis presents a wider uncertainty framework as a first step forward in quantifying conceptual and analytical uncertainty in environmental health impact assessment when dealing with limited information.
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Frame, Laura N. "Georgia Environmental Advocacy Groups Health Education Needs Assessment." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2012. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/iph_theses/218.
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Georgia State University’s Institute of Public Health along with the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Chemical Hazards Program conducted a needs assessment survey to learn more about the concerns of environmental advocates and other community leaders in Georgia regarding exposure to toxic chemicals. The purpose of the Georgia Environmental Advocacy Groups Health Education Needs Assessment was to better understand community concerns, to identify hazardous waste sites that might warrant some degree of public health evaluation, to find community leaders and personnel interested in assisting the Chemical Hazards Program in implementing public health interventions, to inform the community about the services offered to the public by the Georgia Department of Public Health and to better understand the best methods for distributing health education material. This is the first time the Chemical Hazards Program has conducted an environmental advocacy group leader needs assessment. The results of this pilot study will help the development of future needs assessments conducted by the CHP.
Survey development began in August of 2011 and Georgia State University Institutional Review Board approval was granted January 2012. Participants were selected due to their current leadership role of a Georgia environmental advocacy group/organization. Contact information was found for 137 environmental group leaders. Depending on available contact information, potential participants either received the survey through the mail or electronically via email. Surveys were distributed on January 13, 2012 and had to be returned by February 20, 2012.
Twenty-one Georgia environmental advocacy group leaders participated in the survey. A majority of participants cited protect/restore natural habitats as the main purpose of their organization, but the survey did reveal 10 environmental groups that focused on protecting human health. Seven of participants that were dedicated to protecting human health expressed interest in working further with the GDPH to develop or implement public health interventions. The survey was also successful in informing participants about the Chemical Hazards Program. Prior to the needs assessment, more than 80% of participants were not aware of the program. Many pertinent suggestions were also made to aid in the development of the brochure aimed at educating community members about the services offered by the CHP.
Although a variety of environmental health concerns were cited by the participants, water quality was most often mentioned. More participants reported they were very concerned about drinking water than any other environment. Ninety percent also reported being either concerned or very concerned about contamination in oceans, lakes and streams. A section of the survey also addressed hazards found within the home, unclean drinking water was selected by far the most often as being of greatest concern compared to all other indoor hazards. Many participants listed specific waste or industrial sites that are of concern among members of their community as a source of contaminants. A few contaminated environments were also listed including specific rivers and lakes. Though many did not list specific sources, the majority of participants cited water contamination as being a chemical contamination issue that has the greatest impact on human health.
The survey helped reveal specific community concerns regarding potential chemical contaminants and sites that may lead to the CHP conducting public health assessments/consultations and exposure investigations. The survey also revealed the need for general environmental health education and intervention activities based on concerns of the participants as well as the lack of concern by many. The survey was also successful in identifying individuals that may help the CHP gain future partnerships and identifying creative methods for distributing health education material. The CHP plans to follow-up with many of the participants and the survey will be further developed and used to survey other leaders, community members, and public health workers etc. to further investigate the needs and concerns of communities across Georgia.
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Newbury, Brian. "Integrated health, safety and environmental management systems." Thesis, University of South Wales, 2000. https://pure.southwales.ac.uk/en/studentthesis/integrated-health-safety-and-environmental-management-systems(6a947bb5-bda0-4466-9cb6-f02ad514cb9a).html.
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The continued rise in accident and ill health statistics throughout the member states of the European Union indicate that the standards of occupational health, safety and environmental control require further improvement to minimise the current level of loss. Management systems are regarded as an effective means of reducing this loss by continuously improving standards. Whilst there is much discussion and debate about the possibilities of integrating management systems, at present, there are no national or international published integrated management standards, although some multi-national companies have introduced their own internal integrated standards. The research explored the development of an integrated health, safety and environmental (HSE) management system within a range of industrial organisations. This included the development of tools for successful implementation of integrated systems, specifically for significance review, risk assessment and auditing. Resources and accreditation constraints precluded exhaustive testing of all clauses within the proposed integrated management standard. However, analysis of key aspects of the standard revealed: 1. The introduction and use of separate health, safety and environmental (HSE) management systems improved the standards of risk control within organisations. 2. Organisations perceived that there were clear business advantages in some form of integration of existing standards. 3. The developed integrated HSE standard was technically possible in the area of policy development, process operations, working instructions and documentation. However, the integration of risk assessment and audit tools gave limited advantages compared to existing separate systems. 4. The proposed integrated HSE standard complied with both individual European member states national legislative requirements and European/World-wide management standard criteria. In summary this thesis represents an original contribution to the field of integrated management systems. The thesis also identifies areas of further work that will increase the knowledge base, scope of application of the work carried out.
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Albering, Harmina Jannette. "Environmental health risk assessment evaluation of some default assumptions /." [Maastricht : Maastricht : Universiteit Maastricht] ; University Library, Maastricht University [Host], 1998. http://arno.unimaas.nl/show.cgi?fid=8395.
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Culhane, Fiona E. "The use of benthic communities in environmental health assessment." Thesis, Edinburgh Napier University, 2012. http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/5687.
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Quality classification of water bodies commonly hinges upon the results of biotic indices. Biotic indices should reliably detect environmental change caused by anthropogenic stress; distinguish between different levels of disturbance; and be applicable in different areas. This study assesses current methods used in the assessment of benthic ecosystem health in transitional and coastal waters. Specifically, this study considers the performance of macrozoobenthos based biotic and diversity indices. Data utilised in the assessment covered a range of sites and environmental gradients including long term monitoring sites in Scotland; sites impacted by fish farms, organic waste discharge, and chemical effluent; estuarine sites; and sites from Galway Bay, Ireland, one of which was impacted by river discharge. Currently used indices of environmental status are based mainly on structural ecosystem properties and may not encompass all aspects of ecosystem health, such as functioning. Structural and functional based assessment methods were evaluated by comparing the performance of a range of standard benthic abundance indices and approaches focussing on intrinsic biological characteristics. Indices did not perform consistently in response to different types of impact – organic, chemical and physical, indicating some indices are unsuitable for the detection of multiple stressors. Index quality classifications agreed best in the most impacted sites but performed unpredictably in moderate conditions. Variability of indices increased as disturbance increased, decreasing the statistical certainty and confidence in the index values. Structural indices were found to be more variable than functional indices but the sensitivity of functional indices to anthropogenic disturbance needs further testing to determine whether they are able to detect low level disturbance. Functional indices may not be advantageous in regular monitoring over traditional methods but may provide a more informative assessment of ecosystem health. Use of biological traits may also give an indication of the type or cause of disturbance. Classification of moderate-good conditions using benthic indices is particularly ambiguous and distinguishing natural from anthropogenic disturbance remains one of the biggest challenges. The results indicate that complementarity of approaches is important in the assessment of quality of coastal and transitional benthic aquatic systems.
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Fitzwater, Kendra K. "Assessment of environmental and public health hazards of electronic waste." Virtual Press, 2007. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1380100.
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Electronic waste or `e-waste' is a rapidly growing form of solid waste worldwide. The heavy metals present in various electronic components demand attention because such metals may leach and pose significant health and environmental hazards (U.S. EPA, 2007). Knowledge of the potential of heavy metal leaching from e-waste represents an important contribution for developing U.S. standards for classifying e-waste as hazardous waste. Hazardous elements which leach from a variety of electronics wastes were assessed in laboratory batch studies. Electronic components evaluated included PC cathode ray tubes, PC motherboards, PC mice, television remote controls, and cellular phones. Each component was disassembled and digested using the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), EPA Method 1312, Method EA NEN 7371 (Dutch Environmental Agency), and Method DEV-S4 (Germany). The extracts were analyzed for lead, cadmium, chromium, silver, and cobalt. The TCLP consistently leached the greatest amounts of all metals; TCLP-soluble lead was extracted well beyond federal limits for several electronic devices.Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management
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Ramirez-Andreotta, Monica, Julia Brody, Nathan Lothrop, Miranda Loh, Paloma Beamer, and Phil Brown. "Improving Environmental Health Literacy and Justice through Environmental Exposure Results Communication." MDPI AG, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/621420.
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Understanding the short-and long-term impacts of a biomonitoring and exposure project and reporting personal results back to study participants is critical for guiding future efforts, especially in the context of environmental justice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate learning outcomes from environmental communication efforts and whether environmental health literacy goals were met in an environmental justice community. We conducted 14 interviews with parents who had participated in the University of Arizona's Metals Exposure Study in Homes and analyzed their responses using NVivo, a qualitative data management and analysis program. Key findings were that participants used the data to cope with their challenging circumstances, the majority of participants described changing their families' household behaviors, and participants reported specific interventions to reduce family exposures. The strength of this study is that it provides insight into what people learn and gain from such results communication efforts, what participants want to know, and what type of additional information participants need to advance their environmental health literacy. This information can help improve future report back efforts and advance environmental health and justice.
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Pokhrel, Lok R., Brajesh Dubey, and Phillip R. Scheuerman. "Pharmaceuticals in the Aquatic Environment: A Critical Appraisal of Uncertainty and Knowledge Gaps in Human Health Risk Assessment." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2011. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2882.
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Tomlinson, Charlie John. "Incorporation of urban heat in risk assessment : a health perspective." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2013. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/3856/.
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This thesis analyses heat health risk spatially in Birmingham (UK) via a combination of remote sensing and GIS techniques, including urban influences which are not generally considered in heat risk assessments or climate change projections. The world’s urban population is growing rapidly, and the risk of extreme heat to human health has been highlighted by recent events such as the 2003 heatwave in Europe, where mortality rates significantly increased. This thesis presents a methodology using satellite data to quantify the surface urban heat island of Birmingham at 1 km resolution, with results showing extreme events are much warmer (\(\sim\)5°C) than average conditions (\(\sim\)2°C). This urban heat island data is combined with social data in a spatial risk assessment, illustrating that many vulnerable people live in areas of increased heat risk. A custom collection of ground based sensors is utilised to investigate the relationship between surface and air temperatures, finding air temperatures are warmer than LST measurements at night. Then UK Climate Projections 2009 are used to explore the influence of the urban heat island on climate projections in Birmingham, showing that changes could be large (90% increase in minimum temperature under 2080s extreme scenarios).
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Jones, Jennifer. "Stakeholder perceptions of the Wishbone Hill Health Impact Assessment." Thesis, University of Alaska Anchorage, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1543904.
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Stakeholder engagement in a health impact assessment (HIA) is a way to involve communities in the decision-making process of a proposed project or policy. Research conducted on the proposed Wishbone Hill Coal Mine (WHM) in Alaska sought to identify if participants felt the stakeholder engagement process used in a recent HIA was able to respond to cultural differences and inequitable distribution of health impacts. Using a qualitative methodology, 12 interviews were conducted with individuals who participated in the WHM HIA. Results indicate that existing issues of trust between the general public, Alaska Native peoples, and the government impact how the findings of an HIA are received by stakeholders. Recommendations were developed from the research findings and are intended to support continued public trust in the use of HIA in the State of Alaska. Recommendations include ensuring HIA practitioner competencies when working with communities, and implementing transparent stakeholder engagement processes.
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Okorie, Ikechukwu Alexander. "Determination of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and an assessment of environmental health risk from environmental matrices." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2010. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/1502/.
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A former industrial site now used for recreational activities was investigated for total PTE content, uptake of the PTEs by foraged fruits and mobility of the PTEs using single extraction such as HOAc and EDTA. In order to evaluate the health risks arising from ingestion of the PTE contaminated soil, the oral bioaccessibility using in vitro physiologically based extraction test (PBET) and tolerable daily intake (TDI) or mean daily intake (MDI) was used. The PBET simulates the transition of the PTE pollutants in the soil into human gastrointestinal system while the TDI or MDI is the mass of soil that a child would require to take without posing any health risk. In addition to the former industrial site, an investigation of the urban road dust from Newcastle city centre and its environs was undertaken with the view to looking into the PTE content, oral bioaccessibility and the platinum group elements (PGEs). Optimized microwave procedure was applied to 19 samples obtained from a former industrial site (St Anthony's lead works) in Newcastle upon Tyne. Of the range of PTEs potentially present at the site as a consequence of former industrial activity (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn), the majority of top soil samples indicated elevated concentrations of one or more of these PTEs. In particular, data obtained using either inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) or flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) indicates the high and wide concentration of Pb on the site (174 to 33,306 mg/kg). Comparing the resulting PTEs data with UK Soil Guidelines Values (SGVs) suggests at least parts of the site represent areas of potential human health risk. It was found that Pb soil values exceeded the SGV on 17 out of the 19 sampling sites; similarly for As 7 out of 19 sampling sites exceeded the SGV. While for Cd and Ni the soil levels were below the stated SGVs. Samples of foraged fruits collected from the same site were also analysed for the same PTEs. The foraged fruit was gathered over two seasons along with samples of soil from the same sampling areas, acid digested using a microwave oven, and then analysed by ICP-MS. The foraged fruits samples included blackberries, rosehips and sloes which were readily available on the site. The concentration levels of the selected elements in foraged samples varied between not detectable limits and 24.6 mg/kg (Zn). Finally, the soil-to plant transfer factor was assessed for the 7 elements. In all cases, the transfer values obtained were below 1.00,except Cd in 2007 which is 1.00, indicating that the majority of the PTE remains in the soil and that the uptake of PTE from soil to plant at this site is not significant. The determination of total or pseudo total PTE content of soil is often insufficient to assess the risk to humans. A range of extraction protocols were applied to the 19 samples urban topsoils, and report on the correlations between pseudo total PTE content and results obtained following a physiologically-based extraction procedure (oral bioaccessibility), EDTA and HOAc extraction protocols (reagent-specific available fraction), for a broad range of PTEs (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn). Results of the single-reagent extraction procedures did not, in general, provide a good indication of oral bioaccessibility but shows positive correlation with the pseudo total PTE content. The bioaccessibility data shows that considerable variation exists both spatially across the site, and between the different PTEs, but correlates well with the pseudo-total concentrations for all elements (r2 exceeding 0.8). One of the main objectives of this work is to show the role of bioaccessibility in generic risk assessment. Comparison of the pseudo-total PTE concentrations with SGV or generic assessment criteria (GAC) indicated that all of the PTEs investigated need further action, such as receptor exposure modelling.
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Elom, Nwabueze. "Human health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from environmental matrices." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2012. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/15594/.
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In assessing human health risk of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), it is not the concentration of PTEs in the environmental matrices that is of greatest concern but the fraction that is absorbed into the body via the exposure pathways. The determination of this fraction (i.e. the bioaccessible fraction) through the application of bioaccessibility protocols is the focus of this work. The study investigated human health risk of PTEs (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni and Zn) from oral ingestion of soil / dust, inhalation of urban street dust and air-borne dust (PM10). To assess health risk via oral ingestion of soil and dust, total PTEs were determined in twenty nine soil samples collected from children’s playing fields and ninety urban street dusts collected from six cities. Analysis of total PTE content in these samples via ICP-MS revealed high Pb concentrations (> 450 mg/kg) in 3 playground soils and 32 urban street dusts. Detailed quantitative risk assessment (DQRA) carried out in the playgrounds showed that no significant possibility of significant harm exist in the playgrounds. The concentration of Pb from a particular dust sample based on 50 mg/day ingestion rate that a child might possibly ingest to reach the estimated tolerable daily intake was calculated and it exceeded the tolerable daily intake for oral ingestion in 4 cities. The bioaccessible PTEs were determined both in the soil and dust samples using the Unified BARGE method and the result showed that in all the samples, the PTEs solubilised more in the gastric phase than in the intestinal phase. A new method has been developed; simulated epithelial lung fluid (SELF) and was used to assess the respiratory bioaccessibility of Pb from inhalable urban dust (<10 µm). Low bioaccessibility (<10 %) was recorded in all the samples analysed.
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Ocheng, Caroline Adongo. "Assessment of environmental health benefits of improved wood stoves in rural Kenya." Thesis, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (University of London), 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.590504.
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Hanna, Elizabeth Gayle. "Environmental health and primary health care : towards a new workforce model /." Access full text, 2005. http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/thesis/public/adt-LTU20061110.152550/index.html.
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Thesis (Ph.D.) -- La Trobe University, 2005.Research. "A Thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy [to the] School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria". Includes bibliographical references (leaves 255-293). Also available via the World Wide Web.
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Chow, Jimmy T. "Environmental assessment for bisphenol-a and polycarbonate." Manhattan, Kan. : Kansas State University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/368.
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Kar, Sudip. "Environmental and health risk assessment of trihalomethanes in drinking water : a case study /." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape4/PQDD_0018/MQ54926.pdf.
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Grellier, James. "Environmental health impact assessment of exposure to disinfection by-products in drinking water." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.542936.
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Gubari, Najla. "Exposure Assessment of Mercury in Fish from Kentucky Surface Waters." TopSCHOLAR®, 2005. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/498.
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Consumption of fish contaminated with mercury is the primary exposure pathway by which humans are exposed to mercury. Mercury is known to be a neurological toxin that can cause attention and language deficits, impaired memory, and impaired visual and motor function, especially in children under the age of six. In addition, mercury exposure can lead to other health problems in adults, such as damage to the kidney and increased risk of coronary heart disease. This study assesses the exposure to mercury through consumption of fish from Kentucky surface waters. The exposure assessment is based on data collected by the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection (KDEP), Division of Water, from different streams and lakes in Kentucky and average consumption rates defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The design of this study is established to determine if people in Kentucky are at risk of mercury contamination and whether the Kentucky fish advisory protects the population from this threat. The exposure analysis presented examines mercury in different fish species from different streams and lakes in Kentucky. Fillet samples of fish were examined by KDEP and the quantity of methylmercury was determined in micrograms per kilogram (ppm). These data were used to estimate the exposure under various scenarios for methylmercury. Exposure assessment is a major component of the risk assessment process and is used here to assess the magnitude of methylmercury contamination for people in Kentucky that consume fish. EPA has been determined the maximum contaminant level of mercury in fish to be 1 ppm, and stated that the general consumer should be advised to eat no more than 1 meal/week of noncommercial fish in the U.S. at this level. Also, they determined the reference dose of methylmercury to be 0.1 (J.g/kg of body weight/day. The result of categorizing Kentucky fishes according to EPA monthly risk-based fish consumption limits indicated that 22.8% of the fishes caught from lakes and 31.44% of the fishes from streams had a greater risk than the current Kentucky advisory would indicate. The calculated daily intakes of methylmercury have shown that the consumption of certain types of fish from lakes and streams will lead to ingestion of methylmercury that exceeds the acceptable level as determined by EPA.
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Roth, Nicholas Daniel. "Energy Assessment at a Health Care Facility." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1288836702.
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Deihl, Susan Margaret. "The use of risk assessment in US environmental protection agency regional operations." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/29841.
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Ali, Mohammad Wijayanuddin bin. "Development of risk assessment framework for major accident hazards to the environment." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.267203.
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Trojanowski, Edward. "A risk analysis of Giardia and Cryptosporidium and the environmental implications /." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 1998. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envt845.pdf.
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Pokhrel, Lok R., and Phillip R. Scheuerman. "Ecological Risk Assessment of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2012. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2962.
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Pokhrel, Lok R., Brajesh Dubey, and Phillip R. Scheuerman. "Ecological Risk Assessment of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2012. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2951.
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Flora, Jason. "Water Quality Assessment in Cypress Creek Nature Preserve." TopSCHOLAR®, 2003. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/591.
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Swamps are unique ecological communities that provide many valuable ecosystem services. In Kentucky, however, many swamps were altered by cypress removal and land development in their watersheds. Cypress Creek Swamp, which lies near Paducah in western Kentucky, is a good example of a swamp whose ecological integrity may be threatened by past and current nearby land use practices. This study was conducted to assess the water quality and macro- and microinvertebrate communities in the swamp. Three sites were monitored for temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductivity, depth, phosphorus measured as orthophosphate, nitrite (NO2") and nitrate (NO3", NOx collectively), and ammonia nitrogen (NH3). The temperature, dissolved oxygen, NH3 and NOx concentrations changed with the growing season, but pH demonstrated little variability among the sites. The specific conductivity and phosphorus levels were highly variable. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated no significant difference in microinvertebrate taxa identified among locations or through time. A oneway analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant difference in macroinvertebrate population total densities between locations (P = 0.847), and a oneway analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no significant difference in microinvertebrate population total densities among locations (P = 0.153) or through time (P = 0.294). As development continues in the watershed, this work provides an important baseline for future water quality monitoring in the preserve.
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Detlefsen, William Robert. "Development and implementation of a coral health assessment tool for St. John, USVI." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/38938.
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Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-109).
Coral health in St. John, US Virgin Islands, has shown tremendous declines in recent years, with more than 50% declines in live coral cover. As one component of a group project to assess the possible impacts of anthropogenic development on coral health, a Coral Health Assessment Tool (CHAT) was developed using Microsoft Access ® and used to assess coral health in four bays in St. John. The tool builds on data management techniques that are currently employed by the National Park Service in St. John. The CHAT includes an Access form-based user interface that allows for random image selection and iterative analysis of still images that have been extracted from video of coral conditions. The database is dynamically linked to Microsoft Excel ® Pivot Table outputs that provide users with extensive data manipulation and exploration capabilities. The CHAT is constructed to allow extensibility and customization by developers and users. While this implementation of CHAT was specific to St. John, the tool's structure lends itself to further development and implementation in coral reef assessment programs worldwide. The health assessment employed a multi-parameter index, allowing bays to be ranked by relative coral health.
(cont.) This index combined multiple coral health factors, including percent cover, percent healthy, and others to create a single numerical score for each bay. Combined with the conclusions of other group members, results of the health assessment generally indicate that coral health is adversely affected by development.
by William Robert Detlefsen.
M.Eng.
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Loo, Clement K. "Ecosystem Health Reconsidered." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1311605312.
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Kinghorn-Taenzer, April Laura. "Mercury and selenium in Beluga teeth: tools for biomonitoring and dietary exposure assessment." Thesis, McGill University, 2007. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=18438.
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Beluga teeth are evaluated as biomonitors of heavy metal accumulation in beluga soft tissues and contaminant exposure in people who consume beluga as part of a traditional diet. Selenium, which protects marine mammals from the toxic effects of mercury, was measured in beluga teeth for the first time using hydride-generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Tooth selenium concentrations are shown to be moderately strong predictors of liver and muscle selenium, validating the use of teeth as a selenium biomonitor. Dietary exposure to mercury from the consumption of beluga was compared between historic and modern Mackenzie Delta Inuit populations, based on measured mercury concentrations in archeological beluga teeth and modern beluga tissues. Despite higher mercury levels in modern beluga, estimated average mercury exposure from the consumption of beluga is higher for pre-industrial Inuit populations than for modern Inuit populations, due to the significantly decreased average consumption of beluga among the modern population.Des dents de beluga sont évaluées pour prévoir l'accumulation des métaux lourds dans les tissus mous, et l'évaluation d'exposition diététique pour les personnes qui consomment le beluga en tant qu'élément d'un régime traditionnel. Le sélénium, qui protège les mammifères marins contre les effets toxiques du mercure, a été mesuré dans des dents de beluga pour la première fois. C'était trouvé que le sélénium dans les dents est un facteur prédictif modérément efficace de sélénium dans le foie et les muscles, validant l'utilisation des dents comme biomoniteurs de sélénium. L'exposition diététique au mercure venant de la consommation du beluga a été comparée entre les populations d'Inuit historiques et modernes, à l'aide des dents de beluga archéologiquement préservées et des tissus de beluga modernes. Malgré le plus haut nivelle de mercure dans les baleines modernes, l'évaluation de l'ingestion diététique du mercure venant de la consommation de baleine de beluga ont été plus hauts pour les populations historiques que pour les populations modernes, à cause d'une diminution de la consommation moyenne de beluga parmi la population moderne.
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Wong, Wang. "Risk assessment of exposure to lead : comparison between Shanghai, China and Birmingham, UK." Thesis, Imperial College London, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/7604.
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Palm, Peter. "Efficient methods for assessment of physical load at work." Licentiate thesis, Uppsala universitet, Arbets- och miljömedicin, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-278965.
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Subida, Ronald Dollete. "Environmental health risk assessment of particulate air pollution and mortality in metropolitan Manila, Philippines." Thesis, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (University of London), 2004. http://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/682322/.
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Key Words: Metropolitan Manila, Environmental Health Risk Assessment, Life Expectancy, Age, Educational Level, Particulate Air Pollution, PM10 Background and Objectives: Metropolitan Manila is considered a Mega-City with approximately 10 million people as of 1995. Due to rapid industrialization and urbanization, environmental health problems including air pollution have become very prominent. In this study, the potential magnitude of environmental health inequalities with particular reference to particulate air pollution in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines has been assessed in terms of mortality by adapting the risk assessment method. Utilizing various indicators of mortality such as life expectancy and years of life lost, modification of the chronic health impact by markers of population heterogeneity particularly age and educational attainment has been explored In addition, the impact of various pollution reduction scenarios were evaluated. Methodology: Published Environmental Health Risk Assessment methods were adapted and applied for estimating chronic mortality effects of PM10 pollution in the city of Metropolitan Manila. Pooled estimates derived from the exposure-response coefficients of the two US longitudinal epidemiological studies on PM10 and chronic mortality were used primarily. These pooled estimates which signify increases in mortality with incremental increase in PM10 were applied to the indicators of mortality. Hence, the methodology involved a life table approach using age-specific mortality rates from Metropolitan Manila in 1995. Annual averages of PM10 for the whole of Metropolitan Manila and for the cities within were also used. Life expectancies using two pollution reduction scenarios were compared with the 1995 life table to determine pollution reduction benefits. All causes and cardio-respiratory causes of deaths were evaluated. Apart from gains in life expectancy, other effect measures such as years of life loss and number of deaths were also assessed. Findings: Health impact as a result of particulate pollution reduction by 10 μg/m3 resulted in gains in life expectancies of approximately five months for both males and females. Inclusion of effects on the elderly in the model did not make much of a difference in terms of life expectancy gains. However, with the addition of the effects on infants in the model and retaining the effects on adults and the elderly, life expectancy gains, years of life lost and attributable deaths increased. Life expectancy gains were also estimated to be more for the low education level as compared to the middle and high education levels. The overall life expectancy gains for a reduction to the international annual guideline of 50 μg/m3 PM10 scenario were 2.22 years for males and 1.88 years for females. By educational level, the life expectancy gains at age 25 years old in the same pollution reduction scenario, range from 0.74 years for males and 0.59 years for females in the high educational level to more than four years for males and more than three and half years for females in the low educational level. Improvements in the cardio-respiratory causes of death alone contributed most to the life expectancy gains. The estimates that resulted from this assessment were found to be sensitive to the exposure-response coefficients used, the exposure reduction scenarios, the measures of heterogeneity (particularly age and educational level), baseline rates and the time period of effect. In addition, geographic differences in gains in life expectancy within Metropolitan Manila were like wise assessed. Higher gains in life expectancy were seen in the cities in the north where pollution levels are also greater than in the cities in the south. Implication: The air pollution studies have found relatively small exposure response coefficients. However, the impact on public health is quite substantial and relevant to prioritising intervention to control air pollution. The results in this study could be used in several aspects of public policy as discussed in the thesis. These results were presented to decision-makers in the government and the responses summarised.
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Uzun, Murat. "Learning Structures : fusing deconvolution-based seismic interferometry with Bayesian inference for structural health assessment." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/115801.
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Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2018.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 129-135).
Monitoring vibration responses of civil structures is crucial to the assessment of their health status and reliability against natural hazards. In this study, we present a two-step computational methodology for structural identification and damage detection via fusing the concepts of seismic interferometry and Bayesian inference. Firstly, a deconvolution-based seismic interferometry approach is employed to obtain the wave-forms that represent the impulse response functions (IRFs) with respect to a reference excitation source. Using the deconvolved waveforms, key structural characteristics that correspond to the current state of the structure (e.g., shear wave velocity) can be extracted. Changes in these features can be used as a qualitative damage metric (e.g., to determine if the structure is damaged). We study the following two different damage detection methods that utilize shear wave velocity variations: (1) the arrival picking method (APM) and (2) the stretching method (SM). Secondly, a hierarchical Bayesian inference framework is employed to update a finite element model minimizing the gap between the predicted and the measured time histories of the IRFs. We employ a sequential Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling to obtain a baseline structural model. Through the comparison of the model parameter distributions with the baseline information, we show that the damage localization and quantification is possible. We initially test our procedure utilizing the synthetic records of a 10-story shear type building. Despite high noise contamination, identification results realized through our approach for both stiffness and damping parameters show good correlation with their true values. For further deployment, we analyze the shake-table experiment dataset that contains various damage scenarios. We show that the variations in the shear wave velocity can be used for qualitative/quick damage detection, and that the velocity reduction is more evident for the more severely damaged states. We then update our FEM by the presented Bayesian learning framework by utilizing the extracted IRFs of the experimental structure. Induced damage, i.e. bolt-loosening on the first floor, affects the posterior distributions quite noticeably. Finally, the structural damage detection problem is addressed by studying an experimental data set of full-scale seven story building slice, that was progressively damaged via previously recorded historical earthquake records utilizing the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulations (NEES) shake-table. Our results indicate that the developed framework is promising for monitoring structural systems. It allows for non-invasive determination of structural parameters.
by Murat Uzun.
S.M.
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Ahmad, Mumtaz. "ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION OF WATER RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IMPACTS IN THE BAGRAMI DISTRICT OF KABUL PROVINCE." The University of Montana, 2008. http://etd.lib.umt.edu/theses/available/etd-09222008-022006/.
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My paper includes: (1) an analysis of cases of waterborne diseases in Bagrami District from 2003-2007; (2) a review and assessment of the effectiveness of three recent water supply and sanitation projects carried out by aid organizations; (3) a description of a Bagrami water sanitation project that I helped manage in 17 villages in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in spring 2008; and (4) my recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of water supply and sanitation projects in Bagrami and other areas of Afghanistan based on insights gained from this study.
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Vanlian, Marie. "Assessment of anti-androgenic potential of candidate "green" dibenzoate plasticizers in mammalian MA-10 cells." Thesis, McGill University, 2013. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=117024.
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Plasticizers are additives to plastics that impart flexibility and the ability to process polymers. Unfortunately, due to their leaching potential and widespread use, they have become ubiquitous contaminants in the environment. Studies have correlated the rise of many health issues to the chronic exposure to these compounds and have suggested them as potential carcinogens and endocrine-disruptors. In particular, available evidence indicates that they disturb steroid production such as testosterone production and therefore, behave as anti-androgens. The seriousness of this issue has prompted researchers to develop "green" plasticizers to avoid adverse effects. In this thesis, a series of potential alternative plasticizers were screened for their anti-androgenic potential in vitro using a mouse Leydig tumor cell line, the MA-10 cells. Optimal solvent and plasticizer concentrations and time frame conditions were determined to ensure viability of the cells for the duration of the experiments. Using these optimized testing conditions, potential green plasticizers, including the 1,3-propanediol (C3), 1,4-butanediol (C4), 1,5-pentanediol (C5) and 1,6-hexanediol (C6) dibenzoates, were studied by monitoring their effects on progesterone synthesis. Based on these results and those of others from our group, the candidature of C4 is supported as a potential green plasticizer.Les plastifiants sont des adjuvants ajoutés aux formulations de plastiques pour les rendre plus flexibles et plus faciles à manipuler. Malheureusement, étant donné leur tendance à migrer de la matrice polymère et leur utilisation répandue, ils sont devenus des contaminants environnementaux omniprésents. Des études ont corrélé la hausse de certaines maladies à l'exposition chronique à ces composés et évoquent leurs risques en tant que potentiels carcinogènes et perturbateurs endocriniens. Notamment, il y a évidence qu'ils perturbent la formation de certains stéroïdes dont la testostérone et ainsi, agissent comme des anti-androgènes. L'importance de ce sujet a incité les chercheurs à développer des plastifiants ‘verts' pour éviter les effets négatifs associés à ces composés. Dans cette thèse, des composés alternatifs ont été testés pour leur effet anti-androgène in vitro avec la lignée cellulaire tumorale interstitielle du testicule de souris, les cellules MA-10. Des concentrations optimales de solvant et plastifiants ainsi qu'une durée optimale d'exposition ont été déterminées afin d'assurer la viabilité des cellules au cours des expériences. En employant les conditions optimales établies, des composés sélectionnés en tant que potentiels plastifiants verts, incluant les dibenzoates de 1,3-propanediol (C3), de 1,4-butanediol (C4), de 1,5-pentanediol (C5) et de 1,6-hexanediol (C6), ont été étudiés en mesurant l'impact sur la synthèse de progestérone. Les résultats de cette étude, appuyés par d'autres résultats de notre groupe, démontrent le potentiel du C4 en tant que potentiel plastifiant vert.
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LeCoultre, T. D., and Phillip R. Scheuerman. "A Metal-Analysis and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Uptake in Common Garden Vegetables." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2001. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2927.
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Reeves, Jennifer E. "An Assessment of Soil Health and Productivity in Urban Gardens." The Ohio State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1354207218.
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Poon, David. "Re-conceptualizing the soil and water assessment tool to better predict subsurface water flow through macroporous soils." Thesis, McGill University, 2013. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=119707.
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Efforts to manage eutrophication of surface waters should recognize that macropore flow transports significantly more phosphorus (P) to surface waters via tile drains than water that percolates through the soil matrix. For the watershed-scale SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model to describe phosphorus transport through tile drains, SWAT needs to partition percolation into macropore flow and matrix flow. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a new macropore flow algorithm on the partitioning of hydrological flows, using input data that are readily available, consistent with the current approach to SWAT modeling. The algorithm was evaluated in a proof of concept outside of SWAT and within a re-conceptualized version, SWAT-QC2. The proof of concept reproduced episodic macropore flows, which increased with greater daily rainfall if infiltration exceeded a threshold that was lower for finer-textured soils. Although the algorithm did not improve predictions of streamflow of an agricultural subwatershed in southern Quebec (30 km2), the algorithm improved SWAT's partitioning between surface runoff and subsurface flow. SWAT-QC2 also predicted reasonably the separation between macropore and matrix components of subsurface flow, upon comparison with results from a chemical-based hydrograph separation of the subwatershed's streamflow. As in the proof of concept, the predicted amount of macropore flow into tile drains was greater under finer-textured soils than coarser-textured soils. By describing the portion of percolation that flows through macropores and potentially controls subsurface P transport, the macropore flow algorithm provides a framework for future developments of SWAT that describe macropore transport of P to tile drains. To improve the partitioning between macropore and matrix flows, future developments of SWAT-QC2 should account for dynamic macropore connectivity and the effects of soil moisture on macropore flow, but more research is needed to determine experimentally the spatiotemporal variation of macropore flow in agricultural soils.Les stratégies d'intervention ciblées sur la prévention de l'eutrophisation des eaux de surface en milieu agricole devraient prendre en compte que relativement plus de phosphore chemine vers les drains souterrains par les macropores du sol qu'en cheminement matriciel. Afin de décrire les phénomènes de transport de phosphore aux drains, le modèle hydrologique SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) doit être en mesure de distinguer ces processus de transfert. La présente étude avait pour objectif d'évaluer la performance d'un nouvel algorithme séparant les écoulements matriciels et préférentiels, en mettant à profit des jeux de données existantes et suivant une démarche compatible avec l'approche de modélisation inhérente à SWAT. L'algorithme a d'abord profité d'une validation conceptuelle, hors du modèle SWAT, puis d'une évaluation suivant son intégration à une nouvelle version du modèle hydrologique, SWAT-QC2. La validation conceptuelle de l'algorithme a démontré que les flux matriciels épisodiques prédits augmentent avec les précipitations journalières, à la condition que le taux d'infiltration ait atteint un seuil limite, relativement moins élevé en sol argileux. Bien que l'algorithme n'ait pas amélioré la prédiction du débit total d'un petit bassin versant du Sud du Québec (30 km2), il a néanmoins amélioré la performance du modèle SWAT à répartir les écoulements de surface et souterrains. La comparaison des prédictions du modèle hydrologique avec les résultats de séparation des hydrogrammes à l'exutoire du même bassin versant suivant une méthode chimique témoigne d'une performance réaliste de SWAT-QC2 à prédire la répartition des flux souterrains préférentiels et matriciels. A l'instar de la validation conceptuelle de l'algorithme, les flux préférentiels prédits sont relativement plus importants en sol argileux qu'en texture plus grossière. En décrivant la proportion des écoulements souterrains qui emprunte la voie préférentielle, et qui contrôle potentiellement les transferts souterrains de P, l'algorithme d'écoulement en macropores constitue une assise pour le développement ultérieur de SWAT intégrant une description des transferts souterrains de phosphore vers les drains souterrains. Afin d'améliorer la performance de SWAT-QC2 à séparer les flux préférentiels et matriciels, les développements futurs du modèle hydrologique devraient prendre en compte la nature dynamique de la connectivité des macropores, de même que les effets de l'humidité du sol sur l'écoulement préférentiel. Cette démarche appelle cependant à une meilleure caractérisation expérimentale de la variabilité spatio-temporelle des flux préférentiels en sols agricoles.
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Li, Ying, Daven Henze, Darby Jack, and Patrick L. Kinney. "The Influence of Air Quality Model Resolution on Health Impact Assessment for Fine Particulate Matter and Its Components." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2016. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/10.
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Health impact assessments for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) often rely on simulated concentrations generated from air quality models. However, at the global level, these models often run at coarse resolutions, resulting in underestimates of peak concentrations in populated areas. This study aims to quantitatively examine the influence of model resolution on the estimates of mortality attributable to PM2.5 and its species in the USA. We use GEOS-Chem, a global 3-D model of atmospheric composition, to simulate the 2008 annual average concentrations of PM2.5 and its six species over North America. The model was run at a fine resolution of 0.5 × 0.66° and a coarse resolution of 2 × 2.5°, and mortality was calculated using output at the two resolutions. Using the fine-modeled concentrations, we estimate that 142,000 PM2.5-related deaths occurred in the USA in 2008, and the coarse resolution produces a national mortality estimate that is 8 % lower than the fine-model estimate. Our spatial analysis of mortality shows that coarse resolutions tend to substantially underestimate mortality in large urban centers. We also re-grid the fine-modeled concentrations to several coarser resolutions and repeat mortality calculation at these resolutions. We found that model resolution tends to have the greatest influence on mortality estimates associated with primary species and the least impact on dust-related mortality. Our findings provide evidence of possible biases in quantitative PM2.5 health impact assessments in applications of global atmospheric models at coarse spatial resolutions.
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Cruz, Miguel A. "A State and Territorial Survey Regarding Utilization of Environmental Health Shelter Assessments during Disasters, and a Secondary Analysis of Available Shelter Assessment Data." FIU Digital Commons, 2014. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1738.
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Disasters are complex events characterized by damage to key infrastructure and population displacements into disaster shelters. Assessing the living environment in shelters during disasters is a crucial health security concern. Until now, jurisdictional knowledge and preparedness on those assessment methods, or deficiencies found in shelters is limited. A cross-sectional survey (STUSA survey) ascertained knowledge and preparedness for those assessments in all 50 states, DC, and 5 US territories. Descriptive analysis of overall knowledge and preparedness was performed. Fisher’s exact statistics analyzed differences between two groups: jurisdiction type and population size. Two logistic regression models analyzed earthquakes and hurricane risks as predictors of knowledge and preparedness. A convenience sample of state shelter assessments records (n=116) was analyzed to describe environmental health deficiencies found during selected events.
Overall, 55 (98%) of jurisdictions responded (states and territories) and appeared to be knowledgeable of these assessments (states 92%, territories 100%, p = 1.000), and engaged in disaster planning with shelter partners (states 96%, territories 83%, p = 0.564). Few had shelter assessment procedures (states 53%, territories 50%, p = 1.000); or training in disaster shelter assessments (states 41%, 60% territories, p = 0.638). Knowledge or preparedness was not predicted by disaster risks, population size, and jurisdiction type in neither model. Knowledge: hurricane (Adjusted OR 0.69, 95% C.I. 0.06-7.88); earthquake (OR 0.82, 95% C.I. 0.17-4.06); and both risks (OR 1.44, 95% C.I. 0.24-8.63); preparedness model: hurricane (OR 1.91, 95% C.I. 0.06-20.69); earthquake (OR 0.47, 95% C.I. 0.7-3.17); and both risks (OR 0.50, 95% C.I. 0.06-3.94). Environmental health deficiencies documented in shelter assessments occurred mostly in: sanitation (30%); facility (17%); food (15%); and sleeping areas (12%); and during ice storms and tornadoes.
More research is needed in the area of environmental health assessments of disaster shelters, particularly, in those areas that may provide better insight into the living environment of all shelter occupants and potential effects in disaster morbidity and mortality. Also, to evaluate the effectiveness and usefulness of these assessments methods and the data available on environmental health deficiencies in risk management to protect those at greater risk in shelter facilities during disasters.
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Varghese, Arun 1972. "Point-of-use water treatment systems in rural Haiti : human health and water quality impact assessment." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/84828.
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Holloman, Erica Lynnette. "A Community-Based Participatory Assessment of Fish Consumption and Dietary Mercury Exposure along the Lower James River, Virginia USA." W&M ScholarWorks, 2012. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539616698.
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The use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods to conduct environmental exposure assessments provides valuable insight about disparities in fish consumption and contaminant exposure. Ninety-five community-specific fish consumption surveys were administered to low-income African American women (ages 16--49) residing in the Southeast community of Newport News, Virginia, USA, in 2008. The mean fish consumption rate for the women surveyed was 147.8 g/day (95% CI: 117.6-185.8), a rate substantially higher than the mean fish consumption rate reported for U.S. women (1.8 g/day 95% CI: 1.51-2.04). Through collaborative partnerships established between current researchers and The Moton Community House (a local community center), African American women (ages 16--49 yrs) from the same community were surveyed in 2010 to assess the reproducibility and consistency of fish consumption patterns (ingestion rates, exposure frequencies, weight, and fish consumption rates), and the reliability of the survey responses. Fish consumption patterns were reproducible and the survey responses were reliable. Comparison between years revealed that fish consumption patterns remained consistent over time. In addition, the high fish consumption rate estimated in 2008 was reaffirmed in 2010 with a rate (134.9 g/day; 95% CI: 88--207 g/day) not materially different and still considerably higher than mean fish consumption rates reported for U.S. women. Daily mercury intake rates were estimated using consumption data from 2008 and three consumption scenarios (canned white, canned light, and no tuna) due to confirmed differences in mercury concentration between canned white and light tuna. Arithmetic mean daily mercury intake rates were 0.284 ug/kg-bw/day (95% CI: 0.229 - 0.340 ug/kg-bw/day) using canned white tuna, 0.212 ug/kg-bw/day (95% CI: 0.165 - 0.259 ug/kg-bw/day) using light tuna, and 0.197 ug/kg-bw/day (95% CI: 0.151 - 0.243 ug/kg-bw/day) using no tuna. Probabilistic estimations of dietary mercury exposure for African American women (ages 16--49) from the Southeast Community were generated and compared to point estimates. Four different consumption scenarios were assumed, representing 1) no, 2) light, 3) both light and white, and 4) white tuna consumption. The probabilistic models generated lower dietary mercury intake rates than the point estimations, under these consumption scenarios. Arithmetic mean daily mercury intake rates (95% Cl) for the probabilistic models were 0.149 (+/-0.003), 0.148 (+/-0.003), 0.172 (+/-0.004), and 0.202 (+/-0.004) ug/kg-bw/day, respectively for no, light, both, and white tuna consumption. Reducing the amount of fish consumed in probabilistic models resulted in lower dietary mercury exposures for each consumption scenario. at a rate that was a quarter of what was normally consumed, the percentages of exposures that exceeded the US EPA's oral RfD for mercury were 14%, 13%, 18%, and 25% respectively for no, light, both, and white tuna consumption. In this community we learned that even though African American women in Southeast Newport News, Virginia are not subsistence fishers, they consume seafood at a subsistence fisher rate. In addition, estimates of dietary mercury exposure were high enough to warrant concern.
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Zhang, Wei, Xue Zhang, Yuling Tian, Yan Zhu, Yindong Tong, Ying Li, and Xuejun Wang. "Risk Assessment of Total Mercury and Methylmercury in Aquatic Products from Offshore Farms in China." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2018. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2624.
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Contamination of methylmercury (MeHg) in aquatic products has been a wide spread health concern. The objective of this study is to determine total mercury (THg) and MeHg concentrations in different species of aquatic products from major offshore farms in China, and to assess health impacts from consumption. Results showed that the concentrations of THg and MeHg ranged 5.6–328.4 ng/g (wet weight) and 4.3–303.6 ng/g (wet weight) in aquatic products, respectively, and were very variable among species and origin sources. Target hazard quotient (THQ) suggested that MeHg exposure via consumption posed high health risks to children aged 2–7 and higher income families. Residents above the age of 13 and with low income have relatively lower health risk of MeHg exposure. Health impacts on heart attacks and newborns’ IQ from MeHg exposure were evaluated using dose-response relationships. Results showed that mother’s consumption of aquatic products (at 6 ounce per day) may cause a loss of 0.38 IQ points for newborns. For non-pregnant, consumption of aquatic products may cause an increase rate of mortality and morbidity of heart attacks at 10.59 and 78.45 per 100,000 persons, respectively. The negative health impact of consuming seawater fish was higher than freshwater fish.
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Ngan, Wai-tak Eden, and 顔偉得. "Health risk assessment of toxic air pollutants in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1997. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31253854.
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Wong, Yat-hang Felix, and 黃逸恒. "Sustainable construction and health: developing a quantitative assessment tool." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2009. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B43085271.
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Ferguson, Glenn M. "Characterization of environmental health risk assessment models based on the releases from a PCB incineration facility." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2001. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp05/NQ65237.pdf.
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Lee, Robert F. "Human health and coastal ecosystem risk assessment of the Massachusetts Military Reservation main base landfill groundwater plume." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/41358.
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Kendir, Ece. "Health Risk Assessment For The Land Application Of Biosolids In Ankara, Turkey." Master's thesis, METU, 2013. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12615529/index.pdf.
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Biosolids are valuable products which can be beneficially used in land application. However, the possibility of serious health effects on humans due to several pollutants in biosolids creates a big concern. To address this issue, risk-based methodologies are commonly used to evaluate health effects associated with the land application of biosolids. This study aims to investigate the health risks associated with ingestion of biosolids or soil mixed with biosolids by a child. This study is the first health risk assessment study in Turkey for land application of biosolids. Monthly sludge samples taken from Ankara Central Wastewater Treatment Plant (ACWWTP) in 2012 were analyzed for seven heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn), and two organic contaminants (PCB and NPE) concentrations. To calculate health risks, methodologies developed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks (INERIS) were used. With both methods, cancer and non-cancer risks for the ingestion by a child pathway were determined and found to be below the acceptable cancer and non-cancer risk levels suggested by U.S. EPA and INERIS. Additionally, same health risk calculations were conducted for sludge and soil limit values provided in Turkish Regulation for the Use of Sewage Sludge in Agriculture (2010) to determine what the maximum health risk would be for the worst case scenario in Turkey. According to the results, even if the concentrations are at the maximum possible regulatory levels, the health risks are still low.
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Comte, Irina. "Landscape-scale assessment of soil properties, water quality and related nutrient fluxes under oil palm cultivation: a case study in Sumatra, Indonesia." Thesis, McGill University, 2013. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=117091.
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The rapid expansion of oil palm cultivation in Southeast Asia raises environmental concerns. Oil palm growers in Indonesia are faced with the challenge of sustaining high yields to keep pace with the growing global demand for oil and fats, while reducing the environmental impacts of oil palm cultivation. Environmental impacts associated with the deforestation at the initial phase of an oil palm plantation establishment are well documented, however the impacts of mature oil palm plantation on water quality remain poorly investigated. Oil palm is a perennial crop cultivated predominantly on weathered tropical soils, so high fertilizer input is necessary to sustain high yields, which is expected to endanger neighboring aquatic ecosystems. In Indonesia, 39 % of oil palm planted area is owned by smallholder farmers, who rely on mineral fertilizers to support oil palm production, and 52 % are large private plantations operated by private industries. In addition to mineral fertilizers, industrial plantations also apply mill byproducts as organic fertilizers. Soil characteristics and fertilizer management in oil palm plantations were expected to alter the soil fertility status and nutrient loads to waterways. Oil palm plantations generally extend over thousands of contiguous hectares, so the effect of fertilizer management on the soil response and nutrient loads to waterways requires landscape-scale studies accounting for soil variability and long-term fertilization sequences across the plantation. The first objective of the thesis was to (i) perform a literature review that provides an overview of the agricultural practices in oil palm plantations as well as hydrological processes involved in the nutrient transfers to waterways. Then I aimed to (ii) assess the effect of long term mineral and organic fertilizer sequences on the soil response, considering different soil types, (iii) characterize the dominant hydrological processes involved in the nutrient fluxes to waterways, and (iv) assess the effect of fertilizer management and soil characteristics on groundwater quality and nutrient fluxes to streams. The study area was located in Central Sumatra, Indonesia, which has a tropical humid climate and weathered soils (Ferralsols). The study area was a landscape including a 4000 ha industrial plantation and a 1500 ha smallholder plantation using rational fertilizer programs. Low-fertility Ferralsols responded significantly to continuous applications of organic fertilizers, with greater improvement on coarser-textured soils, compared to repeated applications of mineral fertilizers. I proposed that spatial fertilizer management at the landscape-scale should complement the current plot-scale fertilizer management to get higher nutrient use efficiency and improve soil fertility in an oil palm plantation. One year multi-site monitoring of stream water quality showed nutrient concentrations below Indonesian standards for water quality. In this case study, mature oil palm cultivation did not contribute to the eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems. This was ascribed to nutrient dilution in streams from the high rainfall as well as high nutrient demand by oil palm that was met with a rational fertilizer program. Assessment of nutrient fluxes from baseflow showed that loamy-sand uplands were more sensitive to nutrient losses than loamy lowlands, and organic fertilization helped to reduce nutrient losses to streams. The study also showed high dissolved organic matter content in streams, likely from natural sources. Oil palm agroecosystems in the study area are characterized by fast groundwater renewal indicating the potential for inputs to be quickly transported from soils to the streams. This may be of concern when unbalanced fertilizer management leads to over-application of nutrients or persistent agrochemicals like pesticides bind to dissolved organic matter, since they will be susceptible to contribute to nonpoint source pollution in streams.La rapide expansion de la culture du palmier à huile en Asie du Sud-Est soulève maintes interrogations sur ses impacts environnementaux. Les planteurs doivent désormais assurer de hauts rendements tout en minimisant leurs impacts. Les impacts environnementaux associés à la déforestation lors de la phase initiale d'établissement d'une plantation sont déjà bien documentés. En revanche, les impacts d'une plantation mature sur la qualité de l'eau a été très peu étudiée. Le palmier à huile est généralement cultivée sur des sols tropicaux peu fertiles d'où la nécessité de forts apports de fertilisants, apports susceptibles de menacer les écosystèmes aquatiques. En Indonésie, les petits planteurs n'utilisent que des fertilisants minéraux tandis que les industriels appliquent, en plus des fertilisants minéraux, des fertilisants organiques issus de leurs usines. Les caractéristiques du sol et la gestion de la fertilisation des palmeraies sont susceptibles d'influer sur la fertilité du sol et sur les transferts de nutriments vers les rivières. Etant donné que les plantations s'étendent généralement sur plusieurs milliers d'hectares, l'effet de la gestion de la fertilisation sur la réponse du sol et les transferts de nutriments vers les rivières nécessite des études à l'échelle du paysage. Celles-ci doivent tenir compte tant de la variabilité du sol au sein de la plantation que de la variabilité des séquences de fertilisation pluriannuelles. Le premier objectif de cette étude est (i) de réaliser une revue de littérature sur les pratiques agricoles utilisées dans les palmeraies ainsi que sur les processus hydrologiques impliqués dans les transferts de nutriments vers les rivières, (ii) d'évaluer l'effet de séquences pluriannuelles de fertilisation minérale et organique sur la réponse du sol, tenant compte de la variabilité des sols, (iii) de caractériser et quantifier les processus hydrologiques dominants impliqués dans le transfert de nutriments, (iv) et enfin d'évaluer l'effet de la gestion de la fertilisation et des caractéristiques du sol sur la qualité des eaux souterraines et sur les flux de nutriments vers les rivières. La zone d'étude est située dans le centre de Sumatra, en Indonésie. Le climat y est tropical humide et les sols peu fertiles (Ferralsols). Il s'agit d'un paysage de 100 km² incluant une plantation villageoise de 1500 ha et une plantation industrielle de 4 000 ha, pratiquant une gestion raisonnée de la fertilisation. Cette étude a montré une amélioration significative des propriétés chimiques des sols suite à des applications continues de fertilisants organiques, avec une amélioration encore plus sensible sur les sols sablo-limoneux que sur les sols limoneux. Une gestion spatiale de la fertilisation à l'échelle de la plantation devrait compléter la gestion à la parcelle pour une meilleure stratégie d'application des fertilisants adaptée à la variabilité des sols au sein de la plantation. Le suivi multi-site sur un an de la qualité des eaux de surface dans le paysage a montré des niveaux de concentrations de nutriments en deçà des limites maximales recommandées par les standards indonésiens. Dans cette étude de cas, la culture d'une palmeraie mature ne semble pas avoir contribué à l'eutrophisation des cours d'eaux. Les raisons en seraient la dilution du système par la forte pluviosité locale, et la pratique d'une fertilisation raisonnée. L'évaluation des flux de nutriments a montré que les sols sablo-limoneux étaient plus sensibles que les sols limoneux aux pertes de nutriments et que la fertilisation organique pouvait réduire significativement ces pertes. Le renouvellement rapide des eaux souterraines induit une grande réactivité du système aux intrants qui peuvent être rapidement drainés vers les cours d'eau. Des apports massifs de nutriments (fertilisation non raisonnée) ou des pesticides liés à la matière organique dissoute pourraient donc entraîner un risque de pollution en aval de l'agrosystème.
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Brijbag, Brian S. "Southern Chivalry: Perception of Health & Environmental Justice in a Small Southern Neighborhood." Scholar Commons, 2015. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5821.
Full textAbstract:
This paper analyzes heath risk and how it is communicated to, and understood within, a predominantly African American neighborhood in central Florida. Residents accuse the county department of public works of purposeful contamination and discrimination over a period of 30 years. I raise the questions of how risk is perceived and what roles race or class may play. I also developed a model for risk communication that includes all stakeholders. Finally, I expand the conversation of health disparities to include issues of widening gaps in perceptions of health.
This was examined by looking at the following:
1. The lack of documentation into the subjectivity of the health risk assessment process - i.e. the critique of science
2. The differing modes for creating, communicating, and receiving risk in which the resident's perspective is not valued - i.e. the critique of power
3. The impact of race and class on furthering inequities and disparities in the environmental health risks message - i.e. the critique of policy.
Underlining Key Factors:
1. The residents of Mitchell Heights (emic) perceive the contamination at the former Hernando County Department of Public Works site differently than the experts/officials (etic).
2. Race and class are factors in both the perception of risk and the communication of risk for the residents and the experts.
3. Policy concerning the determination and subsequent communication of risk is primarily concerning with the perspective of scientific data.
Recommendations:
1. As it relates to assessing environmental risks, there needs to be a development of a more holistic set of methodologies that incorporate diverse perspectives in a bi-directional knowledge exchange. This should allow for acceptable risk to be understood as co-created through negotiation and compromise between the measured and lived experiences. Ethnographic methods should partner with epidemiology and environmental sciences.
2. Once these mixed-method, holistic methodologies are field-tested, they need to be adopted as formal procedure by agencies responsible for the analysis and communication of risks. Risk should include the technical and the relational.
3. Policymakers must widen their understanding of what constitutes "policy relevant knowledge." In addition, policies targeted at eliminating health disparities and inequalities need to value the broad differences the often exist in perceiving "health."
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Cuyno, Leah Marquez. "An Economic Evaluation of the Health and Environmental Benefits of the Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM CRSP) in the Philippines." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27941.
Full textAbstract:
Concern about externalities associated with pesticide use in developing countries has motivated the development of integrated pest management (IPM) programs in these areas. In the Philippines, the IPM Collaborative Research Support Program (IPM CRSP) was established to specifically address the widespread misuse of pesticides in the rice-vegetable systems of Nueva Ecija, one of the major rice and onion producing regions in the country. IPM CRSP initiatives include research on the optimal use of pesticides, complementary weed control strategies, and alternative cultural and biological controls. If successful, the program should generate benefits that can be measured in economic terms. These benefits include improvements in water quality, food safety, pesticide applicator safety, and long run sustainability of pest management systems.
This study was designed to measure the health and environmental benefits of the IPM CRSP in the Philippines. A survey questionnaire was administered to 176 onion farmers in five villages in Nueva Ecija to identify farm and farmer characteristics, pesticide usage, pest management practices, perceptions about pesticide hazards, awareness of IPM strategies, and willingness to adopt specific technologies being developed under the IPM CRSP. In addition, a contingent valuation survey was used to elicit farmers' willingness-to-pay to avoid risks posed by pesticides to different environmental categories.
A comprehensive economic measure of the benefits of IPM CRSP was derived by 1) assessing the hazards associated with pesticide usage, 2) providing an ex ante measure of program impacts on pesticide usage, 3) predicting IPM adoption rates, and 4) estimating society's willingness-to-pay to avoid the health and environmental risks from pesticides under Philippine conditions. A measure of the amount of risks avoided as a result of IPM CRSP adoption was combined with farmers' willingness to pay bids for risk avoidance to derive a monetary value of the program benefits. The estimated economic benefits of the IPM CRSP to farmer residents in 5 villages in Nueva Ecija amount to 230,912.00 pesos for one onion season.Ph. D.