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Using a Systems Thinking Approach and Health Risk Assessment to Analyze the Food-Energy-Water System Nexus of Seaweed Farming in Belize

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Using a Systems Thinking Approach and Health Risk Assessment to Analyze the Food-Energy-Water System Nexus of Seaweed Farming in Belize University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School July 2020 Using a Systems Thinking Approach and Health Risk Assessment to Analyze the Food-Energy-Water System Nexus of Seaweed Farming in Belize Estenia J. Ortiz Carabantes University of South Florida Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Environmental Engineering Commons Scholar Commons Citation Ortiz Carabantes, Estenia J., "Using a Systems Thinking Approach and Health Risk Assessment to Analyze the Food-Energy-Water System Nexus of Seaweed Farming in Belize" (2020). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/8475 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Using a Systems Thinking Approach and Health Risk Assessment to Analyze the Food-Energy- Water System Nexus of Seaweed Farming in Belize by Estenia J. Ortiz Carabantes A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering College of Engineering University of South Florida Major Professor: Maya Trotz, Ph.D. James Mihelcic, Ph.D. Rebecca Zarger, Ph.D. Date of Approval: July 16, 2020 Keywords: mariculture, sustainable livelihoods, eucheuma isiforme, Placencia, exposure dose Copyright © 2020, Estenia J. Ortiz Carabantes Dedication I dedicate this thesis to my parents who have taught me what it means to have determination, grit, and kindness. These are characteristics I rely upon as I navigate through my career and life. Acknowledgments I would like to thank my advisors Dr. Maya Trotz, Dr. Rebecca Zarger, and Dr. James Mihelcic for their invaluable guidance and wisdom throughout my graduate school journey. I am also very grateful to Dr. Christine Prouty for enthusiastically providing insights on systems thinking concepts and general knowledge on Belize. I would also like to sincerely thank the seaweed farming community in Belize, particularly Mr. Lowell Godfrey and Ms. Sarah Aly, for being very welcoming, participating in interviews, and providing information relevant to the completion of this thesis. I also would like to thank Dr. Atlas in the Geosciences Department for exploring new analyses with us, and the STRONG Coasts and Trotz research teams for being great support systems. This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. 1735320 and 1243510, Sloan Scholar, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Minority Ph.D. (MPHD) Program Grant No. G-2017-9717, and U.S. Department of Education Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agencies. Table of Contents List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. iii List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ iv Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research Goal, Research Questions and Tasks ............................................................ 4 1.3 Organizational Overview .............................................................................................. 4 Chapter 2: Background and Literature Review .............................................................................. 6 2.1 Mariculture .................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Seaweed Farming .......................................................................................................... 7 2.3 Seaweed Farming Technology ...................................................................................... 8 2.4 Seaweed Farming and Livelihoods ............................................................................. 10 2.5 Study Site: Placencia, Belize and Previous Research ................................................. 12 2.6 The Placencia Producers Cooperative Society Limited and Seaweed Farming in Placencia, Belize ......................................................................................................... 16 2.7 Eucheuma .................................................................................................................... 20 2.7.1 Taxonomy and Morphology ........................................................................ 20 2.7.2 Reproduction and Life Cycles ..................................................................... 21 2.7.3 Ecology ........................................................................................................ 22 2.7.4 Biological, Physical and Chemical Characteristics ..................................... 22 2.7.5 Applications: Water Treatment .................................................................... 25 2.7.6 Applications: Energy Generation ................................................................. 26 2.8 Heavy Metal Accumulation ........................................................................................ 27 2.9 Heavy Metal Health Risk Assessment ........................................................................ 32 2.10 Food-Energy-Water Systems-based Approach ......................................................... 36 Chapter 3: Materials and Methods ................................................................................................ 39 3.1 Research Question 1 (RQ1): Task 1a and 1b .............................................................. 39 3.1.1 Participant Observations .............................................................................. 39 3.1.2 Semi-Structured and Informal Interviews .................................................... 40 3.1.3 Data Analysis ............................................................................................... 41 3.1.4 Ethics............................................................................................................ 41 3.1.5 Systems Thinking Approach ........................................................................ 42 3.2 Research Question 2 (RQ2): Task 2a and 2b .............................................................. 43 3.2.1 Samples ........................................................................................................ 43 3.2.2 Analytical Procedure .................................................................................... 44 i 3.2.3 Health Risk Assessment ............................................................................... 45 Chapter 4: Results and Discussion ................................................................................................ 48 4.1 Research Question 1: Task 1a and 1b Results ............................................................ 48 4.1.1 Interviews and Participant Observation ....................................................... 48 4.1.1.1 Food, Energy, and Water .............................................................. 49 4.1.1.2 Production Infrastructure .............................................................. 54 4.1.1.3 Harvesting and Processing Times ................................................. 58 4.1.1.4 Livelihoods: Social, Economic and Ecological Relationships ..... 59 4.1.1.5 Environmental and Marketing Challenges.................................... 61 4.1.2 Systems Thinking Approach ........................................................................ 62 4.1.3 Intersections with Environmental Engineering ............................................ 66 4.2 Research Question 2: Task 2a and 2b Results ............................................................ 68 4.2.1 Heavy Metals Analysis ................................................................................ 68 4.2.2 Health Risk Assessment ............................................................................... 75 4.2.3 Intersections with Environmental Engineering ............................................ 81 Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................................... 82 5.1 Summary of Findings .................................................................................................. 82 5.2 Limitations .................................................................................................................. 84 5.3 Future Research .......................................................................................................... 84 References ..................................................................................................................................... 86 Appendix A: IRB Approval Letters for Study .............................................................................
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