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
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Residential Tap Water: Source-to-Tap Science for Underserved Communities
Mixtures of Organic and Inorganic Chemicals Characterized in Water from the Taps of Residences in the Greater Chicago Area— Science to Understand Contaminant Exposures in Drinking Water
U.S. Geological Survey Microbiologist Selected as an American Society for Microbiology Distinguished Lecturer
Amphibian Research and Occupancy Modeling in the South-Central Region of the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI)
Are there Health Hazards from Contaminants Released to the Environment by Natural Disasters?
Are Tumors in Wild Fish Harvested in the Great Lakes Region Related to Contaminants in Water Resources?
Bioactive Chemicals Research Laboratory
Michigan Bacteriological Research Laboratory
Scientists Examined Native Pollinator Exposure Risk to Neonicotinoids in Native Prairie Strips
Occurrence of Avian Influenza Virus in Groundwater—Study Provides Baseline Data and Informs Future Studies
Sources of Contaminants to Congaree National Park—USGS and National Park Service Working Together
USGS Scientists Receive Award for Pioneering Work on White-Nose Syndrome in Bats
Environmental Stressors and Wildlife Health
Low Levels of Contaminants Found in Great Lakes Tree Swallow Nestlings
Assessing Impacts to Ecosystems from Uranium Mining in the Grand Canyon Region
Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Environment
Chemical Mixtures and Environmental Effects
New Sediment-Toxicity Benchmarks Available for Pesticides in Whole Sediment
Landfill Leachate Released to Wastewater Treatment Plants and other Environmental Pathways Contains a Mixture of Contaminants including Pharmaceuticals
Environmental Contaminants and Beak Deformities in Alaskan Chickadees
First National-Scale Reconnaissance of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in United States Streams
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.