The research article I selected for research example number 6 is an article I found in the Armacost library database. The article is from the Journal of Environmental Health volume 76, number 4. The title of the article is “Investigation of Radon and Heavy Metals in Xuanwei and Fuyuan, High Lung Cancer Incidence Areas in China.” Two cities in China, Xuanwei and Fuyuan, are located in the Yunnan province in southwest China. Xuanwei has an unusually high female lung cancer rate, which is eight times the nations average. The lung cancer rate for men in Xuanwei is four times the national average. Xuanwei has a population of more than 1.4 million people. Fuyuan is located next to Xuanwei and also has a lung cancer rate that is among the highest in the world. Fuyuan has a population of more than 700,000 people. It is believed that the primary cause of lung cancer in these cities is from burning coal in the homes. The authors believe that there are other possible causes of high lung cancer rate which include heavy metals and radon found in the water and soil. The authors collected water and soil samples at twenty-five sites within the two cities. The sites were located in communities with high lung cancer rates. All of the water samples were collected from water wells and the soil samples were collected from different locations. Radon was monitored using a radon analyzer. The air was also tested for levels of mercury. The results of the analysis showed that the level of radon in the air did not exceed the World Health Organization standard and most the heavy metals were found at very low levels in the water and soil. The authors concluded that the exposure of radon and mercury in the air had no significant relationship to lung cancer. They also found that the heavy metals in the water and soil had little influence on the health of the population. Their study was the first one to determine the levels of the pollutants in that area. The authors believe that this study will be helpful to future studies on the causes of lung cancer in these cities.

Lv, J., Zhang, W., & Xu, R. (2013). Investigation of radon and heavy metals in Xuanwei and Fuyuan, high lung cancer incidence areas in china. Journal of Environmental Health, 76(4), 32-8. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.redlands.edu/docview/1449819742?accountid=14729

The research article I selected for research example number five is an article I found in the Armacost library database. The article from the Journal of Environmental Health volume 71, number 4. The title of the article is “Microbial Water Quality and Influences of Fecal Accumulation from a Dog Exercise Area.” Animal wastes such as contamination from animal agriculture have been known to cause outbreaks of waterborne diseases. Dogs and other animals are potential sources of waterborne diseases. Frequently used dogs parks with a lot of dog fecal matter could potentially contaminate surface waters. The authors examined the effects of areas with a large amount of fecal material in a popular dog exercise park. The dog exercise area is located in the Burke Creek recreational area in State Line Nevada adjacent to Lake Tahoe. The public drinking water supply is approximately 200 meters from the creek outlet. Over a period of fourteen months. The authors analyzed water samples from the creek for E. coli and collected feces from areas to estimate the amount of fecal accumulation. Over the fourteen-month period an estimated total of over 100 pounds of fecal material had accumulated in the area. The method of study consisted of mapping the area with constant collection of fecal material and water sampling. The goal of the study was to discover any trends in and to find any correlation between the amount of fecal material and E. coli in the surface waters.  The authors found that there was no correlation between the amount of fecal material accumulated and the amount of E. coli found in the water. It appeared that during a good portion of the year the E. coli bacteria did not survive long enough to enter the surface water. The authors also conclude that it would still be beneficial to educate dog owners and to encourage to pick up after their dogs. This would prevent increasing the potential risk of contaminating surface waters from fecal material.

Garfield, L., & Walker, M. (2008). “Microbial water quality and influences of fecal accumulation from a dog exercise area”. Journal of environmental health, 71(4), 24.

The research article I selected for research example #4 is an article I found in the current periodical section of the library. The article is from the Journal of Environmental Health volume 73, number 4, November 2010. The title of the article is “Nonhygienic Behavior, Knowledge and Attitudes Among Interactive Splash Park Visitors.” The authors of this article conducted a behavioral observation study at four Idaho splash parks to determine the effectiveness of signage and attendance and to establish baseline information on non-hygienic behavior, knowledge, and attitudes among the visitors. Splash parks are popular because they are usually free, easy to get to, and many times are located within municipal parks. These splash parks are water attractions spray or pour water on visitors and have been associated with outbreaks of illnesses. The proposed research method was reviewed by the Idaho department of health and welfare IRB and was granted an exempt status. The study had two main components: (1) observation of the behavior of children visiting the splash parks and (2) administering a questionnaire to the adult supervisors. There were 145 children observed who ranged in ages to less than one year to seventeen years. thirty -eight percent of the children wore either traditional disposable or swim diapers. Twenty – three percent of the children observed placed an open mouth to the splash park water and forty -six percent of the children were observed exposing their butts to splash park water. Of the 564 adults that were surveyed, fifty – seven percent told their children not to drink the splash park water, eighty percent of the adults watched their children’s hands with soap and water after leaving the park. Only twenty – five percent of the adults told the children not to sit on top of the fountains and only twenty – seven percent bathed the children before visiting the park. Seventy -five percent of the adults thought that splash parks were safer than swimming pools. The authors concluded that splash designers and public health officials should be mindful of the fact that children engage in non – hygienic behavior in spite of the presence educational signs and attendants. Splash parks should be designed to protect against transmission of chlorine resistant organisms be installing additional disinfection technologies.

Randall J. Nett, Robin Toblin, Annora Sheehan, Wan-Ting Huang, Andrew Baughman, Kris Carter. 2010 “Nonhygienic Behavior, Knowledge and Attitudes Among Interactive Splash Park Visitors.” Journal of Environmental Health. Vol 73 (4): 8-14

The research article I selected for research example #3 is an article I found in the current periodical section of the library. The article is from the Journal of Environmental Health volume 74, number 4, November 2011. The title of the article is “New Questions and Insights Into Nitrate/Nitrite and Human Health Effects: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Private Well Users’ Immunological and Wellness Status.” The authors of this study examined 150 private wells users’ drinking water in the state of Iowa. The drinking water contained nitrate/nitrogen in an amount below the ten parts per million maximum contaminate level. The authors then analyzed the health history data and blood samples including hemoglobin fractions and immunological parameters of the users. The authors found that there was a positive relationship between higher nitrate exposure and body mass index lower recreational activity perceived poorer health and perceptions of susceptibility to illness. These conclusions appear to be consistent with the well documented health effects of nitrate/nitrite ingestion. When nitrate or nitrite is used as a preservative in food, nitrosamines are formed are linked to certain variety of cancers. As a result, environmental and public health agencies around the world encouraged to the removal of nitrate/nitrite salts from food and have set limits on the amount of nitrate/nitrite levels found in drinking water. The authors designed a study to test the health effects of well water nitrate exposure on a population of 150 participants between the ages of one and sixty. The authors found that the participants reported being less healthy, less active, and more susceptible to illness in those participants who drank higher nitrate levels. The authors recommend that further research is needed in a larger population group to study the effects of nitrates and other water contaminants including metals and pesticides.

Catherine Zeman, Lisa Beltz, Mark Linda, Jean Maddux, Diane Depken, Jeff Orr, Patricia Theran. 2011 “New Questions and Insights Into Nitrate/Nitrite and Human Health Effects: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Private Well Users’ Immunological and Wellness Status.” Journal of Environmental Health. Vol 74(6):8-16

The research article I selected for research example #2 is an E-Journal Article from the Journal of Environmental Health volume 80, number 6, January/February 2018. The title of the article is “Evaluation and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in the Groundwater Resources of Saqqez, Iran.” The authors of this study measured nine heavy metals (arsenic, chromium, cobalt, iron, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, and zinc) in rural areas of Saqqez, Iran. Saqqez is one of the main towns in Kurdistan, Iran. Saqqez includes more than 206 villages that is served by various springs and wells. This is important because groundwater is the main source of water in rural areas in Iran. Water samples were collected from 150 sources such as wells, springs, and tanks. These samples were collected in two phases; one in the rainy season and one in the dry season. Each sample was filtered as soon as it arrived at the laboratory. The researchers found that the heavy metal concentration was the highest for iron followed by zinc, chromium, molybdenum, nickel, cobalt, arsenic, mercury, and manganese. Although the mean concentrations of the heavy metals in most samples were within the limits set by the World Health Organization and U.S Environmental Protection Agency, the mean concentrations for iron, arsenic, and molybdenum were higher than the national and international standards. It was determined that the higher concentrations of iron and arsenic might cause potential health risks to the local people. The authors strongly recommended that the water from the contaminated sites should not be used for drinking purposes unless properly treated. The authors also recommended that the Iranian government should provide drinking water alternatives to minimize the potential health risks associated with high concentrations of heavy metals.

Shadi Kohzadi, Behzad Shahmoradi, Daem Raushani, Asad Nouri. 2018 “Evaluation and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in the Groundwater Resources of Saqqez, Iran.” Journal of Environmental Health. Vol 80(6): 1-8

http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.redlands.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=f61d6ae1-04ab-4268-9164-0dcfafdcebed%40sessionmgr4007

The article I selected for this research example is “Consuming Untreated Water in Four Southwestern Alaska Native Communities: Reasons Revealed and Recommendations for Change.” The article is in the Journal of Environmental Health Volume 77, Number 5, December 2014. The authors of this article discuss why some Alaska native people drink untreated water when untreated water is available. The qualitative research was conducted in four Alaska native villages that have treated water available. Eighty-two percent of the people responded to the survey reported that some of their drinking water came from an untreated source such as river and rain water. The authors found that the reasons people drank untreated water could be captured in six categories: chemicals, taste, health, access, tradition, and cost. Many respondents who did not like drinking treated water expressed concerns about the chemicals used in the water treatment process, and they did not like the taste and smell of the treated water. Many of the respondents associated treated water with health problems such as stomachaches, diarrhea, headaches, allergic reactions, dry skin, and even death. The authors believe that understanding why Alaskan native people continue to drink to untreated water when treated water is available is important to design strategies to change behavior towards drinking treated water. They believe that education about the benefits of untreated water and the risks involved with drinking untreated water is critical. It is common knowledge that drinking untreated water exposes a person to a high risk for diseases; however, the Alaska Natives had a completely different view of untreated water. The authors recommend that designing interventions that address the six categories for not drinking treated water will help to change behavior. They also believe that this kind of strategy can be applied to a range of topics in environmental health such as promoting seat belt usage among drivers, encouraging food service workers to wash their hands, and increasing compliance with environmental regulations.

Troy L. Ritter, Ellen D. S. Lopez, Rachel Goldberger, Jennifer Dobson, Korie Hickel, Rhonda M. Johnson, Andrea Bersamin. 2014 “Consuming Untreated Water in Four Southwestern Alaska Native Communities: Reasons Revealed and Recommendations for Change.” Journal of Environmental Health. Vol 77(5): 8-13.

A second article I found related to groundwater quality was printed in the March 2013 Journal of Environmental Health, Volume 75, Number 7. The article, titled “Private Drinking Water Quality in Rural Wisconsin,” discusses a water quality study conducted of approximately 4,000 privately owned wells. Between July 1^st, 2007 and December 31, 2010, Wisconsin health department officials tested these wells for coliform bacteria, nitrate, fluoride, and 13 metals. This study was performed as part of a program that provides assistance to low income families. It is estimated that 940,000 Wisconsin homes obtain their drinking water from privately owned wells. These wells are not regulated under the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act and most of these wells have never been tested for bacteria and other toxic metals. Some homeowners are unaware of the need to conduct these tests; as a result, nearly one million families are at risk of acute and chronic illnesses that can be cause by toxic chemicals and bacteria in the water. The study found the following: (1) 21 percent of the wells had iron that exceeded safe limits; (2) 18 percent of the wells had the coliform bacteria that exceeded safe limits; (3) 10 percent of the water samples from the wells were high in nitrate; and (4) 11 percent of the wells had elevated results for aluminum, arsenic, lead, manganese, or strontium. The authors concluded that because groundwater is vulnerable to a wide variety of contaminants due to human activities such as large-scale groundwater withdrawals, mining activities, industrial pollution, chemical fertilizers, and weed killers, it is critical that private drinking water wells should be monitored regularly. They further state that local water quality specialists and public health experts need to work together to provide guidance to private well owners regarding regular testing. The goal is to protect the health of these families that are at risk due to polluted groundwater wells.

Christenson, Megan, and Gorski, Patrick, and Knobeloch, Lynda. 2013 “Private Drinking Water Quality in Rural Wisconsin.” Journal of Environmental Health Volume 75(7): 16-19.

I am very interested in water quality and water pollution because water is essential to every living organism. We have a responsibility to ensure that our drinking water is safe. I found an article in the June 2011, Volume 73, Number 10 issue of the Journal of Environmental Health that speaks to the water quality of bottled natural spring water. Michael J. Sullivan, PhD, CIH, REA and Shannon Leavey write the feature article titled “Heavy Metals in Bottled Natural Spring Water.” This article describes a study conducted using a random sample of six sources of water to test for the presence of seventeen heavy metals. The heavy metals included in the study are silver, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, lead, antimony, selenium, thallium, vanadium, and zinc. The authors bought six natural spring bottled water brands from a local grocery store. The brands include Ethos, Icelandic Glacial, Fiji, Evian, Arrowhead, and Crystal Geyser. A total of three samples of each of the six brands was given a random number and sent to a lab for testing of the seventeen heavy metals. All of these metals except beryllium, mercury, and thallium were found in at least one of the bottled natural spring water sources. Arsenic was the only metal whose concentration was found to exceed the maximum contaminate levels established by the state of California. Based on the results, the authors recommended that changes be made to the way bottled water is regulated and stated that bottled water should have the same criteria for water quality as tap water. They also recommended that a process be developed to allow consumers access to testing results for bottled water. The authors suggested that the results could be posted on company websites or on water packaging. This will allow people to make an informed decision when choosing which brand to buy. I was surprised by the results of the study and I will be more careful about which brand of bottled water I drink from now on.

Sullivan, Michael J, and Leavey, Shannon. 2011 “Heavy Metals in Bottled Natural Spring Water.” Journal of Environmental Health Volume 73(10): 8-14.