Evaluating the impact of water reuse educational videos on water reuse perceptions using EEG/event related potential.

As climate change and population growth increasingly stress freshwater resources, government agencies and scientists have recognized the importance of water reuse (the beneficial use of reclaimed or recycled water). While end users (municipalities and farmers) are largely open to exploring water reuse, a barrier to using this water source is the public's negative perception, or the 'yuck factor'. Recognizing that water reuse is becoming a necessity, there is an urgent need to determine how to improve public acceptance of this water source.

Reducing Anxiety with Nature and Gardening (RANG): Evaluating the Impacts of Gardening and Outdoor Activities on Anxiety among U.S. Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted mental health. Growing research has identified the mental health benefits of nature contact, including gardening. We used a cross-sectional survey to investigate the association between gardening and other outdoor activities with anxiety among U.

Levels of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes in Alternative Irrigation Water Vary Based on Water Source on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Irrigation water sources have been shown to harbor foodborne pathogens and could contribute to the outbreak of foodborne illness related to consumption of contaminated produce. Determining the probability of and the degree to which these irrigation water sources contain these pathogens is paramount. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes in alternative irrigation water sources.

Traditional approaches for educating farmers about nontraditional water: Evaluating preferred outreach, education, and methods for alleviating concerns.

Due to increased variability in precipitation it is critical to identify alternative, nontraditional water sources for food production. Water reuse, the use of treated municipal wastewater, could be an alternative high-quality water source for agricultural systems. Tailoring education about water reuse to specific audiences is crucial for increasing public acceptance, especially for the farmers being asked to use this water source.

U.S. farmers' opinions on the use of nontraditional water sources for agricultural activities.

Water is a key resource for agricultural production in the United States. Due to projected changes in water availability across the country, long-term sustainability of agricultural production may rely on finding alternatives to traditional water sources. The aim of this study was to assess farmers' opinions on the use of nontraditional water sources (e.

Groundwater level changes with a focus on agricultural areas in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, 2002-2016.

Climate change impacts all water sources, including high quality groundwater that supplies agricultural irrigation in many regions of the United States. This study assessed groundwater level changes in the U.S.

Prevalence of Microbiological and Chemical Contaminants in Private Drinking Water Wells in Maryland, USA.

Although many U.S. homes rely on private wells, few studies have investigated the quality of these water sources.

Conventional wastewater treatment and reuse site practices modify bacterial community structure but do not eliminate some opportunistic pathogens in reclaimed water.

Water recycling continues to expand across the United States, from areas that have access to advanced, potable-level treated reclaimed water, to those having access only to reclaimed water treated at conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants. This expansion makes it important to further characterize the microbial quality of these conventionally-treated water sources. Therefore, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize total bacterial communities present in differentially-treated wastewater and reclaimed water (n = 67 samples) from four U.

Antibiotic Concentrations Decrease during Wastewater Treatment but Persist at Low Levels in Reclaimed Water.

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.

Association between community socioeconomic factors, animal feeding operations, and campylobacteriosis incidence rates: Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), 2004-2010.

Background: Campylobacter is a leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States. Campylobacter infections have been associated with individual risk factors, such as the consumption of poultry and raw milk. Recently, a Maryland-based study identified community socioeconomic and environmental factors that are also associated with campylobacteriosis rates.

Occurrence of vancomycin-resistant and -susceptible Enterococcus spp. in reclaimed water used for spray irrigation.

Reclaiming municipal wastewater for agricultural, environmental, and industrial purposes is increasing in the United States to combat dwindling freshwater supplies. However, there is a lack of data regarding the microbial quality of reclaimed water. In particular, no previous studies have evaluated the occurrence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in reclaimed water used at spray irrigation sites in the United States.

Occupational exposure to Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus spp. among spray irrigation workers using reclaimed water.

As reclaimed water use expands, it is important to evaluate potential occupational health risks from exposure to this alternative water source. We compared odds of colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and vancomycin-susceptible enterococci (VSE) between spray irrigation workers using reclaimed water and office worker controls.

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus recovered from recreational and commercial areas of Chesapeake Bay and Maryland Coastal Bays.

Vibrio vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus in the estuarine-marine environment are of human health significance and may be increasing in pathogenicity and abundance. Vibrio illness originating from dermal contact with Vibrio laden waters or through ingestion of seafood originating from such waters can cause deleterious health effects, particularly if the strains involved are resistant to clinically important antibiotics.

Impact of rurality, broiler operations, and community socioeconomic factors on the risk of campylobacteriosis in Maryland.

Objectives: We evaluated the combined impact of community-level environmental and socioeconomic factors on the risk of campylobacteriosis.

Methods: We obtained Campylobacter case data (2002-2010; n = 3694) from the Maryland Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network. We obtained community-level socioeconomic and environmental data from the 2000 US Census and the 2007 US Census of Agriculture.

Diversity, distribution and antibiotic resistance of Enterococcus spp. recovered from tomatoes, leaves, water and soil on U.S. Mid-Atlantic farms.

Antibiotic-resistant enterococci are important opportunistic pathogens and have been recovered from retail tomatoes. However, it is unclear where and how tomatoes are contaminated along the farm-to-fork continuum. Specifically, the degree of pre-harvest contamination with enterococci is unknown.

Detection of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) at four U.S. wastewater treatment plants that provide effluent for reuse.

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections, can occur in wastewater. However, to date, no previous studies have evaluated the occurrence of VRE at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that send their treated effluent to reuse sites. We evaluated the occurrence, concentration, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of VRE at U.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) detected at four U.S. wastewater treatment plants.

Background: The incidence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections is increasing in the United States, and it is possible that municipal wastewater could be a reservoir of this microorganism. To date, no U.S.

The evaluation of a PCR-based method for identification of Salmonella enterica serotypes from environmental samples and various food matrices.

The most commonly used method for serotyping Salmonella spp. is based on the Kaufmann-White scheme, and is composed of serological reactions using antibodies to LPS agglutinins. The multiplex PCR used in this investigation was established by Kim et al.

Occurrence and antibiotic resistance of multiple Salmonella serotypes recovered from water, sediment and soil on mid-Atlantic tomato farms.

Salmonella outbreaks associated with the consumption of raw tomatoes have been prevalent in recent years. However, sources of Salmonella contamination of tomatoes remain poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to identify ecological reservoirs of Salmonella on tomato farms, and to test antimicrobial susceptibilities of recovered Salmonella isolates.

Self-medication with antibiotics for the treatment of menstrual symptoms in Southwest Nigeria: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Self-medication with antibiotics is an important factor contributing to the development of bacterial antibiotic resistance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics for the treatment of menstrual symptoms among university women in Southwest Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to female undergraduate and graduate students (n = 706) at four universities in Southwest Nigeria in 2008.