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Publications

These publications are written or co-authored by Central Midwest Water Science Center personnel in conjuction with their work at the USGS and other government agencies.  They include USGS reports, journal articles, conference proceedings, and published abstracts that  are available in the USGS Publications  Warehouse.

Filter Total Items: 945

Pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants within a leachate plume downgradient of a municipal landfill

Ground water samples collected from the Norman Landfill research site in central Oklahoma were analyzed as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Toxic Substances Hydrology Program's national reconnaissance of pharmaceuticals and other organic waste water contaminants (OWCs) in ground water. Five sites, four of which are located downgradient of the landfill, were sampled in 2000 and analyzed fo
Authors
Kimberlee K. Barnes, Scott C. Christenson, Dana W. Kolpin, Michael J. Focazio, Edward T. Furlong, Steven D. Zaugg, Michael T. Meyer, Larry B. Barber

Occurrence of human pharmaceuticals in water resources of the United States: A review

The widespread environmental presence of some pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater compounds has been documented globally (e.g. Buser et al. 1998; Ternes 1998; Stumpf et al.1999; Heberer et al. 2001; Kümmerer 2001; Ternes et al. 2001; Scheytt et al. 2001; Golet et al. 2002; Kolpin et al. 2002; Boyd et al. 2003; Metcalf et al. 2003). Recently, there have been several literature reviews and
Authors
M. J. Focazio, D.W. Kolpin, E. T. Furlong

Urban contribution of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants to streams during differing flow conditions

During 2001, 76 water samples were collected upstream and downstream of select towns and cities in Iowa during high-, normal- and low-flow conditions to determine the contribution of urban centers to concentrations of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants (OWCs) in streams under varying flow conditions. The towns ranged in population from approximately 2000 to 200 000. Overall,
Authors
D.W. Kolpin, M. Skopec, M. T. Meyer, E. T. Furlong, S.D. Zaugg

Nitrate concentrations in Illinois rivers 1967 to 1974: Comparison among reporting agencies

Long term data on surface water quality can sometimes be assembled by combining data collected by different agencies at different times and assuming that between agency differences in data quality are insignificant. The objective of this paper was to assess the quality of riverine nitrate (NO3) concentrations in Illinois measured and reported by four agencies from 1967 to 1974 by comparing median
Authors
G.F. McIsaac, M.B. Short, G. Groschen, P. Terrio

Determination of pharmaceutical compounds in surface- and ground-water samples by solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Commonly used prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals are possibly present in surface- and ground-water samples at ambient concentrations less than 1 μg/L. In this report, the performance characteristics of a combined solid-phase extraction isolation and high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC–ESI-MS) analytical procedure for routine determi
Authors
J.D. Cahill, E. T. Furlong, M.R. Burkhardt, D. Kolpin, L.G. Anderson

Degradates provide insight to spatial and temporal trends of herbicides in ground water

Since 1995, a network of municipal wells in Iowa, representing all major aquifer types (alluvial, bedrock/karst region, glacial drift, bedrock/nonkarst region), has been repeatedly sampled for a broad suite of herbicide compounds yielding one of the most comprehensive statewide databases of such compounds currently available in the United States. This dataset is ideal for documenting the insight t
Authors
D.W. Kolpin, D.J. Schnoebelen, E. M. Thurman

Aquifer vulnerability to pesticide pollution: Combining soil, land-use and aquifer properties with molecular descriptors

This study uses an extensive survey of herbicides in groundwater across the midwest United States to predict occurrences of a range of compounds across the region from a combination of their molecular properties and the properties of the catchment of a borehole. The study covers 100 boreholes and eight pesticides. For each of the boreholes its catchment the soil, land-use and aquifer properties we
Authors
F. Worrall, D.W. Kolpin

Use of qualitative and quantitative information in neural networks for assessing agricultural chemical contamination of domestic wells

A neural network analysis of agrichemical occurrence in groundwater was conducted using data from a pilot study of 192 small-diameter drilled and driven wells and 115 dug and bored wells in Illinois, a regional reconnaissance network of 303 wells across 12 Midwestern states, and a study of 687 domestic wells across Iowa. Potential factors contributing to well contamination (e.g., depth to aquifer
Authors
A. Mishra, C. Ray, D.W. Kolpin

St. Louis Metro East region sediment and geomorphic study

Judy's Branch, a small basin (8.64 mi2) near Glen Carbon, Illinois, is selected as a pilot site to determine sediment yield and channel erosion of streams draining the bluffs of the American Bottoms in the Metro East area of Illinois. This paper presents results of an on-going sediment and geomorphic study in Judy's Branch. The average suspended-sediment yield from two upland sub-basins (drainage
Authors
T. D. Straub

Flood of June 4, 2002, in the Indian Creek Basin, Linn County, Iowa

Severe flooding occurred on June 4, 2002, in the Indian Creek Basin in Linn County, Iowa, following thunderstorm activity over east-central Iowa. The rain gage at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, recorded a 24-hour rainfall of 4.76 inches at 6:00 p.m. on June 4th. Radar indications estimated as much as 6 inches of rain fell in the headwaters of the Indian Creek Basin. Peak discharges on Indian Creek of 12,500
Authors
David A. Eash

Water resources data, Iowa, water year 2003--Volume 2. Ground water and quality of precipitation

Water resources data for Iowa for the 2003 water year consists of records of ground water levels and water quality of ground-water wells. This report volume contains water-level records for 166 ground-water observation wells; water-quality data for 150 municipal wells; and precipitation-quality data for 2 precipitation sites.
Authors
G.M. Nalley, S. Michael Linhart, G. R. Littin, V.E. Miller

Water resources data, Iowa, water year 2003--Volume 1. Surface water and precipitation

Water resources data for Iowa for the 2003 water year consists of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, and/or contents of lakes and reservoirs; ground-water levels and water quality of ground-water wells. This report volume contains discharge records for 134 gaging stations; stage or contents for 9 lakes and reservoirs and 3 streams; water quality for 4 stream-gaging s
Authors
G.M. Nalley, J.G. Gorman, R.D. Goodrich, V.E. Miller