Contaminants can be chemical or biological and represent major stressors to ecosystems, including human and wildlife populations. Chemical contaminants include those purposefully released into the environment (for example, pesticides) and those that are inadvertently released (for example, mining waste). Biological contaminants can harm our food, water or environment with microorganisms (for example, fungus, bacteria, virus). USGS scientists are helping to understand potential environmental and health hazards posed by chemical and biological contaminants. We study the connections between air, water, soil, and living things to identify the environmental pathways that expose humans and wildlife to contaminants.
Environmental Health Program
Contaminants and Pathogens
Emerging Contaminants
Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration
USGS Contaminants Science
Skin Lesions and Mortality of Fishes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Understudied Fungicides Common in U.S. Streams Draining Agricultural Land
Glyphosate Found in Wastewater Discharged to Streams
National Reconnaissance of Pharmaceuticals, Hormones and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in U.S. Streams is Making an Impact
National Reconnaissance of Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in Streams Named as One of the Top 100 Science Stories of the Year
Contaminants can be chemical or biological and represent major stressors to ecosystems, including human and wildlife populations. Chemical contaminants include those purposefully released into the environment (for example, pesticides) and those that are inadvertently released (for example, mining waste). Biological contaminants can harm our food, water or environment with microorganisms (for example, fungus, bacteria, virus). USGS scientists are helping to understand potential environmental and health hazards posed by chemical and biological contaminants. We study the connections between air, water, soil, and living things to identify the environmental pathways that expose humans and wildlife to contaminants.