Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Publications

Dive into our publications and explore the science from the Environmental Health Program (Toxic Substances Hydrology and Contaminant Biology).

Filter Total Items: 3746

Hydrologic significance of carbon monoxide concentrations in ground water

Dissolved carbon monoxide (CO) is present in ground water produced from a variety of aquifer systems at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 20 nanomoles per liter (0.0056 to 0.56 μg/L). In two shallow aquifers, one an unconsolidated coastal plain aquifer in Kings Bay, Georgia, and the other a fractured‐bedrock aquifer in West Trenton, New Jersey, long‐term monitoring showed that CO concentrations v
Authors
Francis H. Chapelle, Paul M. Bradley

Freshwater-saltwater transition zone movement during aquifer storage and recovery cycles in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, USA

Freshwater storage in deep aquifers of Brooklyn and Queens, New York, USA, is under consideration as an emergency water supply for New York City. The purpose of a New York City storage and recovery system is to provide an emergency water supply during times of drought or other contingencies and would entail longer-term storage phases than a typical annual cycle. There is concern amongst neighborin
Authors
Paul E. Misut, Clifford I. Voss

The effects of acidic mine drainage from historical mines in the Animas River watershed, San Juan County, Colorado—What is being done and what can be done to improve water quality?

Historical production of metals in the western United States has left a legacy of acidic drainage and toxic metals in many mountain watersheds that are a potential threat to human and ecosystem health. Studies of the effects of historical mining on surface water chemistry and riparian habitat in the Animas River watershed have shown that cost-effective remediation of mine sites must be carefully p
Authors
Stanley E. Church, Robert J. Owen, Paul Von Guerard, Philip L. Verplanck, Briant A. Kimball, Douglas B. Yager

Integrated ground-water monitoring strategy for NRC-licensed facilities and sites: Case study applications

This document discusses results of applying the Integrated Ground-Water Monitoring Strategy (the Strategy) to actual waste sites using existing field characterization and monitoring data. The Strategy is a systematic approach to dealing with complex sites. Application of such a systematic approach will reduce uncertainty associated with site analysis, and therefore uncertainty associated with mana
Authors
V. Price, T. Temples, R. Hodges, Z. Dai, D. Watkins, J. Imrich

Contaminated salmon and the public's trust

Scientific uncertainties often make it difficult for environmental policy makers to determine how to communicate risks to the public. A constructive, holistic, multisectoral dialogue about an issue can improve understanding of uncertainties from different perspectives and clarify options for risk communication. Many environmental issues could benefit from explicit promotion of such a dialogue. Whe
Authors
Samuel N. Luoma, Ragnar E. Löfstedt

Effects of sorbate speciation on sorption of selected sulfonamides in three loamy soils

Sorption of sulfamethazine (SMN) and sulfathiazole (STZ) was investigated in three soils, a North Carolina loamy sand, an Iowa sandy loam, and a Missouri loam, under various pH conditions. A significant increase in the sorption coefficient (KD) was observed in all three soils, as the sulfonamides converted from an anionic form at higher pH to a neutral/cationic form at lower pH. Above pH 7.5, sulf
Authors
Sudarshan T. Kurwadkar, Craig D. Adams, Michael T. Meyer, Dana W. Kolpin

Accumulation of dechlorination daughter products: A valid metric of chloroethene biodegradation

In situ reductive dechlorination of perchloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) generates characteristic chlorinated (cis-dichloroethene [cis-DCE] and vinyl chloride [VC]) and nonchlorinated (ethene and ethane) products. The accumulation of these daughter products is commonly used as a metric for ongoing biodegradation at field sites. However, this interpretation assumes that reductive dechlor
Authors
Paul M. Bradley, Frank H. Chapelle

Arsenic in the environment: Biology and chemistry

Arsenic (As) distribution and toxicology in the environment is a serious issue, with millions of individuals worldwide being affected by As toxicosis. Sources of As contamination are both natural and anthropogenic and the scale of contamination ranges from local to regional. There are many areas of research that are being actively pursued to address the As contamination problem. These include new
Authors
Prosun Bhattacharya, Alan H. Welch, Kenneth G. Stollenwerk, Mike J. McLaughlin, Jochen Bundschuh, G. Panaullah

Striving for collaborative science and communication through the Consortium for Research and Education on Emerging Contaminants (CREEC)

Current analytical capabilities are allowing scientists to identify possible contaminants in the environment that were previously unmonitored or were present at concentrations too low for detection. New scientific evidence about the exposure pathways and potential impacts of some of these compounds on human or environmental health is regularly being published (Woodling et al., 2006; Drewes et al.,
Authors
Juliane B. Brown, William A. Battaglin

BAT3 Analyzer: Real-time data display and interpretation software for the multifunction bedrock-aquifer transportable testing tool (BAT3)

The BAT3 Analyzer provides real-time display and interpretation of fluid pressure responses and flow rates measured during geochemical sampling, hydraulic testing, or tracer testing conducted with the Multifunction Bedrock-Aquifer Transportable Testing Tool (BAT3) (Shapiro, 2007). Real-time display of the data collected with the Multifunction BAT3 allows the user to ensure that the downhole appara
Authors
Richard B. Winston, Allen M. Shapiro

Occurrence of selected pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, organic wastewater compounds, and pesticides in the lower Tallapoosa River watershed near Montgomery, Alabama, 2005

Synthetic and natural organic compounds derived from agricultural operations, residential development, and treated and untreated sanitary and industrial wastewater discharges can contribute contaminants to surface and ground waters. To determine the occurrence of these compounds in the lower Tallapoosa River watershed, Alabama, new laboratory methods were used that can detect human and veterinary
Authors
Carolyn J. Oblinger, Amy C. Gill, Ann K. McPherson, Michael T. Meyer, Edward T. Furlong

Discovery of cyanuric acid during an assessment of natural organic matter in stormflow water of the Santa Ana River, southern California, 2003-2004

A stormflow study of natural organic matter and organic contaminants in the Santa Ana River, the Mill Creek tributary, and an urban drain tributary discovered cyanuric acid in variable concentrations up to 510 g/L. Cyanuric acid was isolated with a hydrophilic natural organic matter (NOM) fraction, and its identity was confirmed by a combination of infrared spectrometry, 13C-nuclear magnetic reson
Authors
Jerry A. Leenheer, John A. Izbicki, Colleen E. Rostad, Ted I. Noyes, Greg Woodside