Publications
Dive into our publications and explore the science from the Environmental Health Program (Toxic Substances Hydrology and Contaminant Biology).
Filter Total Items: 4094
Biogeochemical aspects of uranium mineralization, mining, milling, and remediation
Natural uranium (U) occurs as a mixture of three radioactive isotopes: 238U, 235U, and 234U. Only 235U is fissionable and makes up about 0.7% of natural U, while 238U is overwhelmingly the most abundant at greater than 99% of the total mass of U. Prior to the 1940s, U was predominantly used as a coloring agent, and U-bearing ores were mined mainly for their radium (Ra) and/or vanadium (V) content;
Authors
Kate M. Campbell, Tanya J. Gallegos, Edward R. Landa
Linking carbon and water limitations to drought-induced mortality of Pinus flexilis seedlings
Survival of tree seedlings at high elevations has been shown to be limited by thermal constraints on carbon balance, but it is unknown if carbon relations also limit seedling survival at lower elevations, where water relations may be more important. We measured and modeled carbon fluxes and water relations in first-year Pinus flexilis seedlings in garden plots just beyond the warm edge of their na
Authors
Keith Reinhardt, Matthew J. Germino, Lara M. Kueppers, Jean-Christophe Domec, Jeffry Mitton
Diel cycling of trace elements in streams draining mineralized areas: a review
Many trace elements exhibit persistent diel, or 24-h, concentration cycles in streams draining mineralized areas. These cycles can be caused by various physical and biogeochemical mechanisms including streamflow variation, photosynthesis and respiration, as well as reactions involving photochemistry, adsorption and desorption, mineral precipitation and dissolution, and plant assimilation. Iron is
Authors
Christopher H. Gammons, David A. Nimick, Stephen R. Parker
Toxicity reference values for chlorophacinone and their application for assessing anticoagulant rodenticide risk to raptors
Despite widespread use and benefit, there are growing concerns regarding hazards of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides to non-target wildlife which may result in expanded use of first-generation compounds, including chlorophacinone (CPN). The toxicity of CPN over a 7-day exposure period was investigated in American kestrels (Falco sparverius) fed either rat tissue mechanically-amended wi
Authors
Barnett A. Rattner, Katherine E. Horak, Rebecca S. Lazarus, Sandra L. Schultz, Susan Knowles, Benjamin G. Abbo, Steven F. Volker
AMDTreat 5.0+ with PHREEQC titration module to compute caustic chemical quantity, effluent quality, and sludge volume
Alkaline chemicals are commonly added to discharges from coal mines to increase pH and decrease concentrations of acidity and dissolved aluminum, iron, manganese, and associated metals. The annual cost of chemical treatment depends on the type and quantities of chemicals added and sludge produced. The AMDTreat computer program, initially developed in 2003, is widely used to compute such costs on t
Authors
Charles A. Cravotta, Brent P Means, Willam Arthur, Robert M McKenzie, David L. Parkhurst
Experimental dosing of wetlands with coagulants removes mercury from surface water and decreases mercury bioaccumulation in fish
Mercury pollution is widespread globally, and strategies for managing mercury contamination in aquatic environments are necessary. We tested whether coagulation with metal-based salts could remove mercury from wetland surface waters and decrease mercury bioaccumulation in fish. In a complete randomized block design, we constructed nine experimental wetlands in California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin D
Authors
Joshua T. Ackerman, Tamara E.C. Kraus, Jacob A. Fleck, David P. Krabbenhoft, William R. Horwarth, Sandra M. Bachand, Mark P. Herzog, C. Alex Hartman, Philip A.M. Bachand
Groundwater movement, recharge, and perchlorate occurrence in a faulted alluvial aquifer in California (USA)
Perchlorate from military, industrial, and legacy agricultural sources is present within an alluvial aquifer in the Rialto-Colton groundwater subbasin, 80 km east of Los Angeles, California (USA). The area is extensively faulted, with water-level differences exceeding 60 m across parts of the Rialto-Colton Fault separating the Rialto-Colton and Chino groundwater subbasins. Coupled well-bore flow a
Authors
John A. Izbicki, Nicholas F. Teague, Paul B. Hatzinger, John Karl Böhlke, Neil C. Sturchio
Genes indicative of zoonotic and swine pathogens are persistent in stream water and sediment following a swine manure spill
Manure spills to streams are relatively frequent, but no studies have characterized stream contamination with zoonotic and veterinary pathogens, or fecal chemicals, following a spill. We tested stream water and sediment over 25 days and downstream for 7.6 km for: fecal indicator bacteria (FIB); the fecal indicator chemicals cholesterol and coprostanol; 20 genes for zoonotic and swine-specific bact
Authors
Sheridan K. Haack, Joseph W. Duris, Dana W. Kolpin, Lisa R. Fogarty, Heather E. Johnson, Kristen E. Gibson, Michael J. Focazio, Kellogg J. Schwab, Laura E. Hubbard, William T. Foreman
Contaminants in sea ducks: metals, trace elements, petroleum, organic pollutants, and radiation: Chapter 6
Exposure to lead and petroleum has caused deaths of sea ducks, but relatively few contaminants have been shown to cause mortality or be associated with population level effects. This chapter focuses primarily on field reports of contaminant concentrations in tissues of sea ducks in North America and Europe and results of some pertinent experimental studies. Much of the available interpretive data
Authors
J. Christian Franson
Developmental exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) alters sexual differentiation in painted turtles (Chrysemys picta)
Environmental chemicals can disrupt endocrine signaling and adversely impact sexual differentiation in wildlife. Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogenic chemical commonly found in a variety of habitats. In this study, we used painted turtles (Chrysemys picta), which have temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), as an animal model for ontogenetic endocrine disruption by BPA. We hypothesized that B
Authors
Caitlin M. Jandegian, Sharon L. Deem, Ramji K. Bhandari, Casey M. Holliday, Diane Nicks, Cheryl S. Rosenfeld, Kyle Selcer, Donald E. Tillitt, Fredrick S. vom Saal, Vanessa Velez, Ying Yang, Dawn K. Holliday
Sampling animal sign in heterogeneous environments: how much is enough?
Animal ecologists often use animal sign as a surrogate for direct observation of organisms, especially when species are secretive or difficult to observe. Spatial heterogeneity in arid environments makes it challenging to consistently detect and precisely characterize animal sign, which can bias estimates of animal abundance or habitat use. Piute ground squirrels (Urocitellus mollis) and Owyhee ha
Authors
Joseph D. Holbrook, Robert S. Arkle, Janet L. Rachlow, Kerri T. Vierling, David S. Pilliod
Characterization of Missouri surface waters near point sources of pollution reveals potential novel atmospheric route of exposure for bisphenol A and wastewater hormonal activity pattern
Surface water contamination by chemical pollutants increasingly threatens water quality around the world. Among the many contaminants found in surface water, there is growing concern regarding endocrine disrupting chemicals, based on their ability to interfere with some aspect of hormone action in exposed organisms, including humans. This study assessed water quality at several sites across Missou
Authors
Christopher D. Kassotis, David A. Alvarez, Julia A. Taylor, Frederick S. vom Saal, Susan C. Nagel, Donald E. Tillitt