Theses and Dissertations from UMD
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New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM
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Item EXPLORING ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE AND AIR POLLUTION-RELATED HEALTH EFFECTS IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MARYLAND(2024) Ravichandran, Vivek; Wilson, Sacoby M; Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Polluting facilities have been historically sited in disadvantaged communities of color, known as environmental justice (EJ) communities, due to limited perceived community resistance and mobilization. There is a plethora of air quality disparity research but a gap persists in ascertaining the health inequities associated with community exposure to air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM) and black carbon (BC), at the neighborhood resolution. To address this gap in EJ science, this dissertation has four specific aims: (1) Implement the community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework to expand and enhance the community-engaged infrastructure to ensure the success of Aims 2-4; (2) Identify spatiotemporal pollution patterns across the Route 50-Sheriff Road-Kenilworth Ave Quadrant; (3) Determine short-term health impacts associated with community exposure to PM and BC via a panel study involving pulse oximeters to correlate elevated PM and BC levels to blood oxygen saturation (SpO2 levels); and (4) Conduct semi-structured interviews and use NVivo to perform thematic analysis on barriers and motivating factors towards passing EJ legislation. My findings demonstrated that a more diverse and representative community advisory board (CAB) allowed us to successfully conduct research while maintaining trust within the community, and bringing in voices from various demographic groups, including different ethnicities, ages, income levels, and geographic locations. This led to a more comprehensive understanding of the community's concerns, priorities, and needs related to air quality. Additionally, my findings revealed that both PM and BC levels were elevated during morning rush periods. PM levels did not exceed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) annual standards, but did exceed the more protective World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Robert Gray Elementary School exhibited higher PM levels than the other Quadrant sites. Furthermore, BC levels at Fairmount Heights High School were above the threshold defined in the literature above which cognitive inhibition and poor respiratory outcomes have been observed, highlighting the effect of air pollution exposure on vulnerable life stages in the Quadrant. BC peaks were also observed 10-15x these unofficial health-based thresholds. Using a pulse oximetry panel study, we found previous and concurrent day lagged fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was weakly associated with reductions in SpO2. Using NVivo, we identified 18 parent codes and 27 subcategories from our semi-structured interviews with Maryland policymakers/agency staff. Key barriers were: (1) the lack of strategic EJ plans; (2) limited community engagement particularly from those living in communities impacted by environmental injustice; and (3) interagency and policymaker collaboration exacerbated by a clear partisan divide. These findings provide evidence of previous misclassified exposure assessments from sparse existing regulatory monitors, present strategies for overcoming EJ barriers in the state, and underscore the importance of collaboration, community engagement, and policy reform to address environmental disparities and promote environmental justice.Item MOSQUITOES AND VEGETATION ACROSS SOCIOECONOMIC GRADIENTS(2024) Rothman, Sarah; Leisnham, Paul T; Environmental Science and Technology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The biomass and composition of local vegetation is a key resource for juvenile mosquitoes, affecting a suite of life history traits including survival, development rate, and body size. In cities across the United States, both plant and mosquito communities vary with socioeconomics. Vegetation is typically more abundant and biodiverse in high-income neighborhoods, whereas mosquitoes are often more numerous and more likely to vector diseases in low-income neighborhoods. While prior work has examined the effects of plant resources on mosquitoes, my dissertation evaluates how these communities interact across a socioeconomically diverse urban landscape. Chapter 1 is a scoping review of current knowledge of the individual relationships between mosquitoes, plants, and socioeconomics in cities. In Chapter 2, I describe fine-scale vegetation surveys on socioeconomically diverse residential properties in Baltimore, MD and Washington, D.C. that revealed less canopy cover, more vines, and more non-native plant species on lower-income blocks. In Chapter 3, I used leaves from the most frequently observed canopy species on low- and high-income blocks, and species common to both, as detrital resource bases in competition trials between two dominant urban mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens. Population performance for both species was greater when reared with characteristically low-income than characteristically high-income detritus, suggesting that socioeconomically diverse plant communities are an important factor in shaping urban mosquito communities. Overall, population performances were greatest when mosquitoes were reared in the regionally representative detritus, and I used this detritus base in Chapter 4 to evaluate the effects of varying temperatures. Aedes albopictus population performance was optimized at higher mean temperatures characteristic of low-income blocks, while C. pipiens performance was best at lower mean temperatures characteristic of high-income blocks. Population performance was often lower, however, when temperatures fluctuated around a high or low mean than when the temperature was stable, suggesting that laboratory studies may need to mimic field conditions to obtain applicable results. My research provides a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind previously observed relationships, and may help guide management and policy strategies to address environmental injustices and public health threats.Item BREAKWATER – Breaking the Cycle(2024) Mora, Adrian Bernard Teneza; Gabrielli, Julie; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)How can ecological design principles prevent the erosion of the physical and social framework of low-income coastal communities? A significant portion of the world’s population is concentrated along coastlines. Direct access to the water provides access to a longstanding source of economic prosperity and a psychological connection to natural environments. However, human-influenced climate change has produced hazardous environmental conditions that threaten coastal populations, including many poor, vulnerable communities. Disparities in investment for public services, maintenance, and upkeep increases the vulnerability of these disenfranchised groups that cannot protect themselves. The built and natural environment within this diverse boundary zone between the land and sea must be redeveloped as a self-resilient ecosystem that can protect its inhabitants from climate-induced hazards. This renewal will require holistic approaches that can mitigate contemporary impacts to protect current populations at risk and adapt the built environment to better respond in the future.Item The Role of Urban Agriculture in Baltimore Food Systems(2024) Mathews, Meghna Anjali; Zhang, Xin; Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The United States is one of the most agriculturally productive countries; and yet, food insecurityremains a significant issue. Urban agriculture in Baltimore, Maryland should be studied further because of its potential to address food insecurity while overcoming systemic barriers created and embedded within food systems. While numerous previous studies have explored food insecurity, knowledge gaps still exist regarding how urban agriculture has influenced food accessibility, and how availability, cultural values of foods, etc. can be improved through increased production and distribution practices of fresher fruits and vegetables in Healthy Food Priority Areas. To address these knowledge gaps, we queried food insecure community members and urban farmers in Baltimore, Maryland to better understand the underlying factors that influence low fruit and vegetable consumption and how they can be mitigated through the establishment of urban agriculture. Urban farmers were interviewed in detail about their production and distribution patterns, and factors influencing the low consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by community members in Baltimore. Food insecure individuals were asked about their food consumption habits and the accessibility of fruit and vegetables, their food purchasing behavior and related challenges, and community needs. Results indicate that while accessibility and availability are two main factors in fresh produce consumption, there are other important factors that might have received limited attention in existing literature. Our interviews revealed that income, cultural value, and a lack of knowledge in food preparation are key factors in low consumption and purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables. To address the underlying factors and improve the accessibility and availability of fresh produce to low-income communities, it is important to assess community needs and provide policy recommendations that can potentially enhance their nutrition. Ensuring access to individuals with limited resources is a critical component of advancing social justice.Item Energy equity & justice implications of climate change mitigation pathways(2023) Vallimyalil, Mel George A; Patwardhan, Anand; Hultman, Nathan E; Public Policy; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Analyzing distributional effects on vulnerable sections is important for enhancing climate mitigation ambition by supporting social objectives. Discounting the impacts on the most vulnerable, prior research underestimates the skew in investments required to meet sustainable development goals. Its focus on representative households and cost optimal mitigation pathway archetypes also amplifies false narratives around societal and developmental tradeoffs of mitigation policies. This study demonstrates that bespoke pathway design can support simultaneous attainment of multiple national energy priorities. Using a consistent framework and accounting for interactions between different sectors, it evaluates a set of diverse mitigation pathways to similar climate outcomes. It examines short & long-term distributional impacts on national energy goals to identify pathways which offer synergies across multiple objectives and regions.Next, the impacts are downscaled to the household income deciles in India & the US using household survey data & future income distribution projections, to scrutinize the residential energy burden changes under different mitigation policies. The results show regressive impacts on access and affordability for most mitigation pathways, except those propelled by demand side mitigation strategies and non-CO2 emission reductions. Thereafter, it expands the conceptualization of energy poverty beyond unitary dimensions, binary classifications and income relationships. Applying an alternative framework to identify vulnerable households experiencing energy poverty in India, this study showcases the disparities across dimensions. It then envisions an intersectionality context and proffers empirical evidence of the increased likelihood of households at the overlap of multiple deprivations being entrapped in more severe forms of energy poverty and the concomitant effects on gender inequity. A key finding of this study is that mitigation pathway choice and design matters for just energy transition goals and tailored pathways addressing underlying local and global inequities provide latitude for synergies and progressive impacts. It also establishes that technology solutions alone are unable to redress pre-existing inequities and should be complemented with other support policies for the vulnerable. This study contributes to the scholarship on the need for improved representation of heterogeneity in energy-climate models and offers policy relevance – showing the importance of underlying systemic changes to achieve social & climate goals together.Item UNDERSTANDING MANAGED RETREAT THROUGH A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER LENS: A CASE STUDY ON THE LOWER EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND(2021) Miralles, Andrea Maria; Paolisso, Michael J.; Alcañiz, Isabella; Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Due to concerns about increasing sea levels and climate displacement, there has been a growing interest in the adaptation option of managed retreat. In managed retreat, shorelines move inland acting as a natural buffer to coastal climate impacts, while coastal communities move to higher ground through voluntary home buyouts. Managed retreat is also highly controversial, as it is poorly understood and presents significant challenges to equity. In order to address these issues, this thesis research provides a multi-stakeholder analysis on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland focused on understandings and trust in managed retreat processes. Key findings from this research are that communities, government and non-governmental organizations have different understandings of managed retreat, that retreat discussions need to occur at official levels now, that equity must be a central component of planning, that trust is necessary for successful retreat and that any future retreat must emphasize community agency and collaboration.Item Using an Inductive Grounded Theory Approach to Understand How Screening Tools and Case Studies Assess Environmental Injustices in Communities in the United States(2021) Taylor, Faith Corryn; Paolisso, Michael J; Alcañiz, Isabella; Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Communities of color and low-income communities in the United States are disproportionately overburdened with environmental burdens while having reduced access to environmental amenities and other environmental services. The collective term for this experience is environmental injustice. Case studies and screening tools are two common methods of assessing environmental injustices at the community level. There have been comprehensive analyses of both screening tools and case studies, but there has been little comparative work on how screens and case studies capture environmental injustices. Through the use of an inductive grounded theory approach, 24 case studies and eight screens were reviewed and coded using MAXQDA to identify a total of 38 themes. Additionally, eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with a variety of stakeholder groups to identify additional themes that may not have been present in either screens or case studies. Race, socioeconomic status, environmental impacts and degradation, land use-physical hazards and reduced health outcomes were the most commonly identified themes in both screens and case studies. Case studies addressed a larger proportion of the identified themes, but these themes were unevenly distributed. By completing a comparative analysis of how environmental injustices are captured by case studies and screening tools, this thesis seeks to highlight potential weaknesses that limit the capability of these methods to effectively assess and reflect the environmental justice concerns held by community members.Item DECENT, SAFE, AND SANITARY? PUBLIC HOUSING AND THE ENVIRONMENT OF EASTERN WASHINGTON, D.C., 1940-1965(2020) Shapiro, Justin; Zeller, Thomas; History; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This dissertation examines the relationships between the physical environment and the history of public housing in Washington, D.C. from the 1940s to the 1960s. The environmental features of public housing complexes, as well as those of the landscape around them, significantly shaped the outcomes of the National Capital Housing Authority’s (NCHA) projects. The scale of public housing construction during that period entailed sweeping and dramatic transformations in the landscape. At the same time, the NCHA found itself constrained by material and financial pressures coming from a variety of bureaucratic and institutional sources. Those pressures limited the NCHA’s ability to respond to environmental stresses at various public housing sites. In the absence of adequate responses from the NCHA, the environment played a significant role in determining the outcomes of the District of Columbia’s public housing program. The physical nature of the NCHA’s choice of sites, as well as the materials that it used, turned public housing complexes into sites of environmental injustice rather than the decent, safe, and sanitary housing that the Authority envisioned.Item THE ECONOMIC EFFECT OF COMMUNITY MANAGED OPEN SPACES ON RESIDENTIAL HOUSE SALE PRICES IN THE CITY OF BALTIMORE, MD(2020) Russell, Sherry Lynn; Kweon, Byoung-Suk; Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA); Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The value of open space is a fundamental issue in landscape architecture. In post-industrial cities, population decline and low land demand have led to a large amount of vacant land. A small percentage of this land is being transformed by community groups into Community Managed Open Spaces (CMOSs). This research paper investigated the effect of parks and CMOSs on residential house sale prices in Baltimore, MD using a hierarchical regression analysis after controlling for property features and neighborhood social, economic and crime information. This study found CMOSs had a positive economic effect on house sale prices, adding 2.7% to properties sold within a quarter mile. These results provide evidence to support CMOSs as an alternative path for communities and planners to manage vacant urban land and the importance of public investment in these types of spaces.Item Using the Index of Concentration at the Extremes to Examine the Impact of Air Pollution Exposure on Infant Mortality in the United States(2019) Ammons, Samantha; Nguyen, Quynh; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Background: The concentration of privilege in a geographic area can determine how vital resources are distributed among certain groups in that area, thus influencing a community’s health. High air pollutant exposure is often concentrated in deprived neighborhoods with lack of vital resources. Objective: Determine whether states with a high concentration of air pollution exposure have higher infant mortality rates (IMR) than states with lower concentrations of air pollution exposure. Methods: The Index of Concentration of the Extreme was utilized to measure the concentration of air pollution exposure for each state. Incidence Rate Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals for state infant mortality rate were computed using Poisson regression in Statistical Analysis Software. Results: States with high concentrations of air pollution exposure had 19% lower IMR than states with low air pollution exposure (95%CI:0.70 – 0.94). Conclusions: These findings can enable researchers to conduct census-tract research on adverse health outcomes and societal distributions.