Cumulative impacts of oil and gas production on watersheds in North Dakota between January 2008 and June 2015. Watershed volumes were calculated by combining reported values of oil, brine, and unidentified liquid waste accidentally released during drilling operations.
Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Ph.D.
Isabelle Cozzarelli is a Research Hydrologist with the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, VA.
Isabelle uses a combined field and laboratory experimental approach to investigate biogeochemical processes in shallow groundwater and surface water environments that affect water availability. She uses a multi-disciplinary and multi-scale approach to study processes in environments stressed by anthropogenic inputs of biodegradable carbon, such as crude oil, landfill leachate, and oil and gas wastes.
Work Assignment
As a research hydrologist in the Geology, Energy, and Minerals Science Center I conduct long-term research on the fate and geochemical effect of organic contaminants in surface and subsurface environments. I use a combined field and laboratory approach in a variety of hydrogeologic environments in order to meet these objectives. I am currently a principal investigator for projects at unconventional oil and gas (UOG) drilling and disposal sites, the Bemidji, MN crude oil spill site and landfill-leachate and wastewater affected sites. My research at these sites focuses on the long-term evolution of biogeochemical zones in the aquifers and the natural attenuation of contaminants. The impact of chemical heterogeneity and the availability of electron acceptors on the extent of biodegradation have been a major thrust of my work. I have also studied aquifers affected by creosote and gasoline releases, with an emphasis on understanding the fate of metabolites in shallow aquifers.
Professional Experience
2020-present: Research Hydrologist, USGS, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Reston, VA, USA
2017-2020: Research Hydrologist, USGS Water Mission Area Headquarters, Reston, VA, USA
1985-2017: Research Hydrologist, USGS National Research Program, USGS, Reston, Virginia, USA
1983-1985: Research Assistant, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. University of Virginia, Environmental Sciences-Geochemistry, 1993
M.S. University of Virginia, Environmental Sciences-Geochemistry, 1986
B.S. University of Rochester, Geomechanics, 1983
Affiliations and Memberships*
2016-present: Adjunct Faculty, Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech
Honors and Awards
2023: Friend of Water-Rock Interaction & Applied Isotope Geochemistry Award, International Association of Geochemistry
2017: USGS Meritorious Service Award
2005: Elected GSA Fellow
2005: USGS Superior Service Award
Science and Products
Groundwater quality near the Placerita Oil Field, California, 2018
Distribution of ancient carbon in groundwater and soil gas from degradation of petroleum near the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
The groundwater below the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (the facility) in Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, contains fuel compounds from past spills. This study used carbon-14 analyses to distinguish fuel-derived carbon from background carbon, along with other biodegradation indicators, to address two goals: (1) determine the extent and migration direction of groundwater affected by residual fuel below the fa
Land-use interactions, Oil-Field infrastructure, and natural processes control hydrocarbon and arsenic concentrations in groundwater, Poso Creek Oil Field, California, USA
Illegal dumping of oil and gas wastewater alters arid soil microbial communities
Photochemical mobilization of dissolved hydrocarbon oxidation products from petroleum contaminated soil into a shallow aquifer activate human nuclear receptors
Attenuation of barium, strontium, cobalt, and nickel plumes formed during microbial iron-reduction in a crude-oil-contaminated aquifer
Contaminant exposure and transport from three potential reuse waters within a single watershed
Using biological responses to monitor freshwater post-spill conditions over 3 years in Blacktail Creek, North Dakota, USA
Understanding the evolution of groundwater-contaminant plume chemistry emanating from legacy contaminant sources: An example from a long-term crude oil spill
Microbially induced anaerobic oxidation of magnetite to maghemite in a hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer
Oil and gas wastewater components alter streambed microbial community structure and function
Arsenic in petroleum-contaminated groundwater near Bemidji, Minnesota is predicted to persist for centuries
We used a reactive transport model to investigate the cycling of geogenic arsenic (As) in a petroleum-contaminated aquifer. We simulated As mobilization and sequestration using surface complexation reactions with Fe(OH)3 during petroleum biodegradation coupled with Fe-reduction. Model results predict that dissolved As in the plume will exceed the U.S. and EU 10 µg/L drinking water standard for ~40
Organic Contaminants in Reuse Waters and Transport Following Land Application
Geochemical Signatures of Oil and Gas Wastewater from an Accidental Release Detected in Stream Sediment and Pore Waters Two Years Post Spill
Energy Integrated Science Team
Stormwater and Green Infrastructure
Framework for Examining Stream Ecosystem Health in Areas of Shale Gas Development—A Multi-Parameter Watershed-Based Case Study in Pennsylvania
Produced water from Marcellus Shale and amphibians
Hydrocarbons and Biofuels
Wastewaters from Unconventional Oil and Gas Development
Ongoing Research to Characterize the Complexity of Chemical Mixtures in Water Resources—Urban Stormwater
Cyclical Mobilization and Attenuation of Naturally Occurring Arsenic in an Underground Petroleum Plume
Landfills
Program Scientist Receives Meritorious Service Award
Groundwater and soil gas data, methods, and quality assurance information for samples collected to determine ancient carbon distributions at Red Hill, Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i 2022-2023
Produced water chemistry data collected from the Poso Creek, Midway-Sunset, and Buena Vista Oil Fields, 2020-21, Kern County, California
Aqueous and solid phases partitioning of elemental constituents associated with Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) gas well produced wastewater, Morgantown, WV, 2016 - 2019
Geochemistry and microbiology data collected to study the effects of oil and gas wastewater dumping on arid lands in New Mexico
Analyses of Select Organic and Inorganic Data Collected from Lysimeters Installed at the Bemidji Crude Oil Spill Site, Minnesota, 2018, 2019, 2021
High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Data for Wastewater Samples Collected at an on-Site Separator and Storage Tank at the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) 2015-2019, Morgantown Industrial Park (MIP), West Virginia
Produced water volatile organic compound and select organic and inorganic data collected from eight oil fields, 2016-2020, California
Dissolved organic carbon, total petroleum hydrocarbons and and toxicity assay results for Bemidji, MN (2018)
Toxicity Data for Groundwater Contaminated by Petroleum Hydrocarbons near Bemidji, MN (2016)
Nonvolatile dissolved organic carbon and diesel range organics concentrations measured in 2016 at the Bemidji crude oil study site
Water-quality results from a wastewater reuse study: Inorganic and organic compositions of wastewater effluent and select urban and agricultural water types during rain-induced runoff, Chickasha, Oklahoma, 2018-2019
Data on barium, strontium, cobalt, and nickel plumes formed during microbial iron-reduction on sediments and in water from a crude-oil-contaminated aquifer, Bemidji, Minnesota (2009-2019)
Cumulative impacts of oil and gas production on watersheds in North Dakota between January 2008 and June 2015. Watershed volumes were calculated by combining reported values of oil, brine, and unidentified liquid waste accidentally released during drilling operations.
Research Hydrologist Isabelle Cozzarelli holds a sediment core collected from a contaminated aquifer at the Bemidji National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site. The sediment from the core is analyzed and used to measure iron, arsenic, and trace metals in the solid phase.
Research Hydrologist Isabelle Cozzarelli holds a sediment core collected from a contaminated aquifer at the Bemidji National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site. The sediment from the core is analyzed and used to measure iron, arsenic, and trace metals in the solid phase.
Science and Products
Groundwater quality near the Placerita Oil Field, California, 2018
Distribution of ancient carbon in groundwater and soil gas from degradation of petroleum near the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
The groundwater below the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (the facility) in Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, contains fuel compounds from past spills. This study used carbon-14 analyses to distinguish fuel-derived carbon from background carbon, along with other biodegradation indicators, to address two goals: (1) determine the extent and migration direction of groundwater affected by residual fuel below the fa
Land-use interactions, Oil-Field infrastructure, and natural processes control hydrocarbon and arsenic concentrations in groundwater, Poso Creek Oil Field, California, USA
Illegal dumping of oil and gas wastewater alters arid soil microbial communities
Photochemical mobilization of dissolved hydrocarbon oxidation products from petroleum contaminated soil into a shallow aquifer activate human nuclear receptors
Attenuation of barium, strontium, cobalt, and nickel plumes formed during microbial iron-reduction in a crude-oil-contaminated aquifer
Contaminant exposure and transport from three potential reuse waters within a single watershed
Using biological responses to monitor freshwater post-spill conditions over 3 years in Blacktail Creek, North Dakota, USA
Understanding the evolution of groundwater-contaminant plume chemistry emanating from legacy contaminant sources: An example from a long-term crude oil spill
Microbially induced anaerobic oxidation of magnetite to maghemite in a hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer
Oil and gas wastewater components alter streambed microbial community structure and function
Arsenic in petroleum-contaminated groundwater near Bemidji, Minnesota is predicted to persist for centuries
We used a reactive transport model to investigate the cycling of geogenic arsenic (As) in a petroleum-contaminated aquifer. We simulated As mobilization and sequestration using surface complexation reactions with Fe(OH)3 during petroleum biodegradation coupled with Fe-reduction. Model results predict that dissolved As in the plume will exceed the U.S. and EU 10 µg/L drinking water standard for ~40
Organic Contaminants in Reuse Waters and Transport Following Land Application
Geochemical Signatures of Oil and Gas Wastewater from an Accidental Release Detected in Stream Sediment and Pore Waters Two Years Post Spill
Energy Integrated Science Team
Stormwater and Green Infrastructure
Framework for Examining Stream Ecosystem Health in Areas of Shale Gas Development—A Multi-Parameter Watershed-Based Case Study in Pennsylvania
Produced water from Marcellus Shale and amphibians
Hydrocarbons and Biofuels
Wastewaters from Unconventional Oil and Gas Development
Ongoing Research to Characterize the Complexity of Chemical Mixtures in Water Resources—Urban Stormwater
Cyclical Mobilization and Attenuation of Naturally Occurring Arsenic in an Underground Petroleum Plume
Landfills
Program Scientist Receives Meritorious Service Award
Groundwater and soil gas data, methods, and quality assurance information for samples collected to determine ancient carbon distributions at Red Hill, Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i 2022-2023
Produced water chemistry data collected from the Poso Creek, Midway-Sunset, and Buena Vista Oil Fields, 2020-21, Kern County, California
Aqueous and solid phases partitioning of elemental constituents associated with Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) gas well produced wastewater, Morgantown, WV, 2016 - 2019
Geochemistry and microbiology data collected to study the effects of oil and gas wastewater dumping on arid lands in New Mexico
Analyses of Select Organic and Inorganic Data Collected from Lysimeters Installed at the Bemidji Crude Oil Spill Site, Minnesota, 2018, 2019, 2021
High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Data for Wastewater Samples Collected at an on-Site Separator and Storage Tank at the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) 2015-2019, Morgantown Industrial Park (MIP), West Virginia
Produced water volatile organic compound and select organic and inorganic data collected from eight oil fields, 2016-2020, California
Dissolved organic carbon, total petroleum hydrocarbons and and toxicity assay results for Bemidji, MN (2018)
Toxicity Data for Groundwater Contaminated by Petroleum Hydrocarbons near Bemidji, MN (2016)
Nonvolatile dissolved organic carbon and diesel range organics concentrations measured in 2016 at the Bemidji crude oil study site
Water-quality results from a wastewater reuse study: Inorganic and organic compositions of wastewater effluent and select urban and agricultural water types during rain-induced runoff, Chickasha, Oklahoma, 2018-2019
Data on barium, strontium, cobalt, and nickel plumes formed during microbial iron-reduction on sediments and in water from a crude-oil-contaminated aquifer, Bemidji, Minnesota (2009-2019)
Cumulative impacts of oil and gas production on watersheds in North Dakota between January 2008 and June 2015. Watershed volumes were calculated by combining reported values of oil, brine, and unidentified liquid waste accidentally released during drilling operations.
Cumulative impacts of oil and gas production on watersheds in North Dakota between January 2008 and June 2015. Watershed volumes were calculated by combining reported values of oil, brine, and unidentified liquid waste accidentally released during drilling operations.
Research Hydrologist Isabelle Cozzarelli holds a sediment core collected from a contaminated aquifer at the Bemidji National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site. The sediment from the core is analyzed and used to measure iron, arsenic, and trace metals in the solid phase.
Research Hydrologist Isabelle Cozzarelli holds a sediment core collected from a contaminated aquifer at the Bemidji National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site. The sediment from the core is analyzed and used to measure iron, arsenic, and trace metals in the solid phase.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government