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Publications

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

Filter Total Items: 3746

Estimating occupancy dynamics in an anuran assemblage from Louisiana, USA

Effective monitoring programs are designed to track changes in the distribution, occurrence, and abundance of species. We developed an extension of Royle and Kéry's (2007) single species model to estimate simultaneously temporal changes in probabilities of detection, occupancy, colonization, extinction, and species turnover using data on calling anuran amphibians, collected from 2002 to 2006 in th
Authors
Susan C. Walls, J. Hardin Waddle, Robert M. Dorazio

Amphibian monitoring in the Atchafalaya Basin

Amphibians are a diverse group of animals that includes frogs, toads, and salamanders. They are adapted to living in a variety of habitats, but most require water for at least one life stage. Amphibians have recently become a worldwide conservation concern because of declines and extinctions even in remote protected areas previously thought to be safe from the pressures of habitat loss and degrada
Authors
Hardin Waddle

Borehole geophysical investigation of a formerly used defense site, Machiasport, Maine, 2003-2006

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, collected borehole geophysical logs in 18 boreholes and interpreted the data along with logs from 19 additional boreholes as part of an ongoing, collaborative investigation at three environmental restoration sites in Machiasport, Maine. These sites, located on hilltops overlooking the seacoast, formerly were used for
Authors
Carole D. Johnson, Remo A. Mondazzi, Peter K. Joesten

Biodegradation and attenuation of steroidal hormones and alkylphenols by stream biofilms and sediments

Biodegradation of select endocrine-disrupting compounds (17β-estradiol, estrone, 17α-ethynylestradiol, 4-nonylphenol, 4-nonylphenolmonoexthoylate, and 4-nonylphenoldiethoxylate) was evaluated in stream biofilm, sediment, and water matrices collected from locations upstream and downstream from a wastewater treatment plant effluent discharge. Both biologically mediated transformation to intermediate
Authors
Jeffrey Writer, Larry B. Barber, Joseph N. Ryan, Paul M. Bradley

Mass of chlorinated volatile organic compounds removed by Pump-and-Treat, Naval Air Warfare Center, West Trenton, New Jersey, 1996-2010

Pump and Treat (P&T) remediation is the primary technique used to contain and remove trichloroethylene (TCE) and its degradation products cis 1-2,dichloroethylene (cDCE) and vinyl chloride (VC) from groundwater at the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), West Trenton, NJ. Three methods were used to determine the masses of TCE, cDCE, and VC removed from groundwater by the P&T system since it became ful
Authors
Pierre J. Lacombe

Determination of the anionic surfactant di(ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate in water samples collected from Gulf of Mexico coastal waters before and after landfall of oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, May to October, 2010

On April 22, 2010, the explosion on and subsequent sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform resulted in the release of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. At least 4.4 million barrels had been released into the Gulf of Mexico through July 15, 2010, 10 to 29 percent of which was chemically dispersed, primarily using two dispersant formulations. Initially, the dispersant Corexit 9527 wa
Authors
James L. Gray, Leslie K. Kanagy, Edward T. Furlong, Jeff W. McCoy, Chris J. Kanagy

Trace element, semivolatile organic, and chlorinated organic compound concentrations in bed sediments of selected streams at Fort Gordon, Georgia, February-April 2010

A spatial survey of streams was conducted from February to April 2010 to assess the concentrations of major ions, selected trace elements, semivolatile organic compounds, organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls associated with the bed sediments of surface waters at Fort Gordon military installation near Augusta, Georgia. This investigation expanded a previous study conducted in Ma
Authors
Lashun K. Thomas, Celeste A. Journey, Whitney J. Stringfield, Jimmy M. Clark, Paul M. Bradley, John B. Wellborn, Hagan Ratliff, Thomas A. Abrahamsen

Endocrine active chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals of concern in surface water, wastewater-treatment plant effluent, and bed sediment, and biological characteristics in selected streams, Minnesota: Design, methods, and data, 2009

This report presents the study design, environmental data, and quality-assurance data for an integrated chemical and biological study of selected streams or lakes that receive wastewater-treatment plant effluent in Minnesota. This study was a cooperative effort of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, St. Cloud State University, the University of St. Thomas, and the U
Authors
Kathy Lee, Susan K. Langer, Larry B. Barber, Jeff H. Writer, Mark L. Ferrey, Heiko L. Schoenfuss, Edward T. Furlong, William T. Foreman, James L. Gray, Rhiannon C. ReVello, Dalma Martinovic, Olivia R. Woodruff, Steffanie H. Keefe, Greg K. Brown, Howard E. Taylor, Imma Ferrer, E. Michael Thurman

The effects of sediment and mercury mobilization in the South Yuba River and Humbug Creek confluence area, Nevada County, California: Concentrations, speciation, and environmental fate – Part 1: Field characterization

Millions of pounds of mercury (Hg) were deposited in the river and stream channels of the Sierra Nevada from placer and hard-rock mining operations in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The resulting contaminated sediments are relatively harmless when buried and isolated from the overlying aquatic environment. The entrained Hg in the sediment constitutes a potential risk to human and ecosystem health
Authors
Jacob A. Fleck, Charles N. Alpers, Mark Marvin-DiPasquale, Roger L. Hothem, Scott A. Wright, Kevin Ellett, Elizabeth Beaulieu, Jennifer L. Agee, Evangelos Kakouros, Le H. Kieu, Dennis D. Eberl, Alex E. Blum, Jason T. May

Biochar for soil fertility and natural carbon sequestration

Biochar is charcoal (similar to chars generated by forest fires) that is made for incorporation into soils to increase soil fertility while providing natural carbon sequestration. The incorporation of biochar into soils can preserve and enrich soils and also slow the rate at which climate change is affecting our planet. Studies on biochar, such as those cited by this report, are applicable to both
Authors
C.E. Rostad, D.W. Rutherford

Microphotographs of cyanobacteria documenting the effects of various cell-lysis techniques

Cyanotoxins are a group of organic compounds biosynthesized intracellularly by many species of cyanobacteria found in surface water. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has listed cyanotoxins on the Safe Drinking Water Act's Contaminant Candidate List 3 for consideration for future regulation to protect public health. Cyanotoxins also pose a risk to humans and other organisms in a va
Authors
Barry H. Rosen, Keith A. Loftin, Christopher E. Smith, Rachael F. Lane, Susan P. Keydel