The Environmental Health Program's Science Approach is Based on the Principle that Human and Animal Health are Interdependent and Linked to the Health of the Ecosystems they Share
Integrated Science Teams
Work together in the field and laboratories across the United States
Work together in the field and laboratories across the United States
Questions We Answer
Examples of how our scientists answer high priority environmental health science questions
Examples of how our scientists answer high priority environmental health science questions
Video Presenting the USGS Laboratory for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
Located at the Eastern Ecological Science Center
Located at the Eastern Ecological Science Center
Environmental Health Program
The Environmental Health Program (Contaminant Biology and Toxic Substances Hydrology) supports integrated natural science expertise and capabilities across the USGS related to environmental contaminants and pathogens. This approach recognizes the interdependence of human and animal health and the health of ecosystems that they share.
Integrated Science
Integrated Science
Science centers and scientists supported by the Environmental Health Program work together on integrated science teams to develop and apply advanced laboratory methods, field investigations, and modeling to understand sources, fate, exposure, toxicity, and effects of environmental contaminants and pathogens.
Program Highlights
Program Highlights
A new interactive dashboard is available to visualize PFAS measurements for 716 tap water samples collected at select sites across the nation between 2016 and 2021 from private and public supplies.
News
Treading Water. 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone in US Streams: Analysis, Sample Handling, and National Reconnaissance
Treading Water. 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone in US Streams: Analysis, Sample Handling, and National Reconnaissance
GeoHEALTH—USGS Newsletter, March 2025
GeoHEALTH—USGS Newsletter, March 2025
Publications
Pathways for potential exposure to onshore oil and gas wastewater: What we need to know to protect human health
Produced water is a chemically complex waste stream generated during oil and gas development. Roughly four trillion liters were generated onshore in the United States in 2021 (ALL Consulting, 2022, https://www.gwpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2021_Produced_Water_Volumes.pdf). Efforts are underway to expand historic uses of produced water to offset freshwater needs in water-stressed...
A multidisciplinary approach that considers occurrence, geochemistry, bioavailability, and toxicity to prioritize critical minerals for environmental research
Critical minerals (or critical elements) are minerals or elements that are essential to global security and development and have supply chains vulnerable to disruption. In general, knowledge of the environmental behavior and health effects of critical elements is needed to support the development of safe and environmentally responsible supplies. This knowledge includes identifying...
By
Environmental Health Program, Mineral Resources Program, California Water Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
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...
Science
Understanding the Dynamics of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): Insights from USGS Research
The USGS Environmental Health (EH) Program research where per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances PFAS are found, how they move and change in the environment, how they might affect both ecosystems and human health, and ways to reduce their impact. The three teams focusing on these issues within the EH Program include: 1) the PFAS Integrated Science Team, 2) the PFAS Core Technology Team, and 3) the...
Beneath the Surface: Exploring PFAS and Drinking Water on French Island, Wisconsin
The growing concern of finding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water has led USGS scientists to conduct more comprehensive analyses that encompass an extensive list of compounds that can be found in drinking water. These analyses will develop a more complete drinking water contaminant list that managers can use to make more informed public health decisions.
Oil and Gas Wastewater Exposure Pathways: What We Know and What Remains Unanswered
Produced water is a complex waste byproduct from oil and gas development that can be repurposed for beneficial uses. Understanding its applications, how it moves through the environment, and its potential effects on human health is essential. USGS researchers, in collaboration with Health Effects Institute (HEI) Energy, reviewed and analyzed existing literature to identify knowledge gaps about...