School of Public Health
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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations.
Note: Prior to July 1, 2007, the School of Public Health was named the College of Health & Human Performance.
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Item Antibiotic Concentrations Decrease during Wastewater Treatment but Persist at Low Levels in Reclaimed Water(MDPI, 2017-06-21) Kulkarni, Prachi; Olson, Nathan D.; Raspanti, Greg A.; Rosenberg Goldstein, Rachel E.; Gibbs, Shawn G.; Sapkota, Amir; Sapkota, Amy R.Reclaimed water has emerged as a potential irrigation solution to freshwater shortages. However, limited data exist on the persistence of antibiotics in reclaimed water used for irrigation. Therefore, we examined the fate of nine commonly-used antibiotics (ampicillin, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, linezolid, oxacillin, oxolinic acid, penicillin G, pipemidic acid, and tetracycline) in differentially treated wastewater and reclaimed water from two U.S. regions. We collected 72 samples from two Mid-Atlantic and two Midwest treatment plants, as well as one Mid-Atlantic spray irrigation site. Antibiotic concentrations were measured using liquid-chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon tests and Kruskal Wallis tests. Overall, antibiotic concentrations in effluent samples were lower than that of influent samples. Mid-Atlantic plants had similar influent but lower effluent antibiotic concentrations compared to Midwest plants. Azithromycin was detected at the highest concentrations (of all antibiotics) in influent and effluent samples from both regions. For most antibiotics, transport from the treatment plant to the irrigation site resulted in no changes in antibiotic concentrations, and UV treatment at the irrigation site had no effect on antibiotic concentrations in reclaimed water. Our findings show that low-level antibiotic concentrations persist in reclaimed water used for irrigation; however, the public health implications are unclear at this time.Item Environmental Impacts on Fecal Indicator Bacteria in 5 National Park Recreational Water Areas(2012) Raspanti, Greg A.; Sapkota, Amir; Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The National Park Service oversees 397 park units throughout the 50 states and US territories. Due to the high visitation, protecting the health of visitors is a top priority. Fecal contamination in recreational water can occur as a result of land use practices and weather related factors. The aim of this study is to investigate weather related factors and land use factors that contribute to fecal contamination in five National Park units. Overall, rainfall proved to be highly predictive of subsequent elevations in fecal bacteria. Specifically, same day rainfall and day prior to the sampling day rainfall showed the strongest association with elevated fecal bacteria levels. Seasonal variation of fecal bacteria was generally higher in the summer months. The land use variables were not highly predictive of fecal bacteria levels. The results of this study can be used by park managers to better predict variations in fecal contamination.