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

GeoHEALTH-USGS Newsletter

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The GeoHEALTH–USGS Newsletter—published since 2004—provides information on USGS science activities pertinent to safeguarding the health of fish, wildlife, domesticated animals, and people from environmental exposures to contaminants and pathogens.

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Featured Science Activities

USGS scientist sampling tap water from a public water supply

Lean about our Featured Science Activities through our pages that highlight science studies, publications, and results.

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Filter Total Items: 3746

The groundwater geochemistry of waste disposal facilities

No abstract available.
Authors
P.L. Bjerg, H.-J. Albrechtsen, P. Kjeldsen, T. Christensen, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory

Mass balance approach to interpreting weathering reactions in watershed systems

No abstract available.
Authors
O.P. Bricker, Blair F. Jones, C.J. Bowser
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

Occurrence of arsenic in ground water of the Middle Rio Grande Basin, central New Mexico

Chemical data from more than 400 ground-water sites in the Middle Rio Grande Basin of central New Mexico indicate that arsenic concentrations exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standard of 10 micrograms per liter across broad areas of the Santa Fe Group aquifer system, which is currently the almost exclusive source of drinking-water supply for residents of the basin. Id
Authors
L.N. Plummer
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, New Mexico Water Science Center

How fast does water flow in an unsaturated macropore? Evidence from field and lab experiments

A wide range of available field and lab evidence can lead to useful generalizations about the speed of macropore flow, which often dominates the transport of water and contaminants. In 36 published field tests, the values of maximum transport speed in macropores and other preferential channels vary surprisingly little. The available tests vary widely in type of medium, including fractured rock and
Authors
John R. Nimmo
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

Microbial degradation of atmospheric halocarbons

Halocarbons are present in the atmosphere at parts-per-trillion (ppt) mixing ratios and are represented by such substances as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlolofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and methyl halides like methyl bromide (MeBr) and their further substituted halomethane analogues (e. g., dibromomethane, bromoform). Many Halocarbons have only an anthropogenic origin
Authors
Ronald S. Oremland
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

Volatile fuel hydrocarbons and MTBE in the environment

No abstract available.
Authors
Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, A. L. Baehr
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory

LC/MS analyses of cationic surfactants: Methods and applications

No abstract available.
Authors
I. Ferrer, H.F. Schroeder, Edward T. Furlong
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, Colorado Water Science Center

Geochemistry of active and passive treatment processes used to treat mine drainage

No abstract available.
Authors
Katherine Walton-Day
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, Colorado Water Science Center

Geothermal arsenic

No abstract available. 
Authors
John G. Webster, D. Kirk Nordstrom
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

Tracers in groundwater: Use of microorganisms and microspheres

No abstract available.
Authors
Ronald W. Harvey, Hauke Harms
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

Geochemical processes controlling transport of arsenic in groundwater: A review of adsorption

Adsorption is the predominate mechanism controlling transport of arsenic in many ground water systems. Hydrous oxides of iron, aluminum, and manganese, and clay minerals are commonly associated with aquifer solids and have been shown to be significant adsorbents of arsenic. The extent of arsenic adsorption is influenced by the chemistry of the aqueous phase including pH, arsenic speciation, and th
Authors
Kenneth G. Stollenwerk
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

Water temperature, streamflow, and ground-water elevation in and adjacent to the Russian river between Hopland and Guerneville, California from 1998-2002

Temperature, water level elevation, stage height, and river discharge data for this report were collected in and adjacent to the Russian River from Hopland to Guerneville, CA over a four-year period from 1998 to 2002 to establish baselines for long-term water quality, water supply and habitat. Data files presented in this report were collected by the USGS and the Sonoma County Water Agency's Engin
Authors
Marisa H. Cox, Christine Hatch
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program