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Contamination and pollution
Introduction of harmful substances into the environment by human action or natural processes.
Subtopics:
Nonpoint-source pollution (11 items)
Industrial pollution (25 items)
Pesticide and herbicide contamination (24 items)
Toxic radionuclide contamination (12 items)
Toxic trace element contamination (40 items)
Pharmaceutical contamination (3 items)

Water pollution (13 items)
Soil pollution (1 items)
Air pollution (7 items)
Related topics:
Results 151 - 160 of 182 listed alphabetically [list by similarity]
PDF Sustainability of natural attenuation of nitrate in agricultural aquifers [More info]
Nitrate from fertilizer is degraded by microbial action in the presence of solid minerals. This helps mitigate the effect of the nitrate, but begins to diminish the solid minerals needed. Will the process be sustainable in the long term?
PDF The Border Environmental Health Initiative-investigating the transboundary Santa Cruz watershed [More info]
Study to identify risks to water resources in the SCW, and the potential consequences to riparian ecosystems and ultimately human health.
The Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone [More info]
Information and links to USGS and other Federal agency monitoring and research concerning the hypoxic zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico occurring along the Louisiana-Texas coast.
The South Florida environment-- a region under stress [More info]
This report serves as an environmental review and framework for developing USGS programs in the south Florida ecosystem, especially the Everglades and its watershed, and stresses the critical role of water in natural and human environment.
The USGS role in Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) assessments [More info]
Detailed information on Total Maximum Daily Load, the total quantity of a pollutant that a stream can carry and still conform to water quality standards, used as a measurement in the monitoring, assessment, and remediation of polluted waters.
The Virtual Fish: Semipermeable Membrane Device (SPMD) basics [More info]
Paper by Duane Chapman for the 6th International SPMD Workshop and Symposium on a semipermeable membrane device (SPMD) measures contaminants in water by mimicking the parts of fish that cause concentration of specific chemicals in fish tissues.
PDF Tintina gold province study, Alaska and Yukon Territory, 2002-2007 [More info]
New discoveries and modernized extraction methods prompted renewed interest in gold deposits in this part of central Alaska, prompting a variety of studies described here.
Toxic Substances Hydrology Program [More info]
Homepage for the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, which provides scientific information on contaminated sites and on human and environmental health. Links to news, topical information, investigations, meetings, publications, and photos.
PDF Toxicity and bioavailability of metals in the Missouri River adjacent to a lead refinery [More info]
Report (PDF format) on an evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of contaminated ground water from a metals refinery adjacent to the Missouri River in Omaha, Nebraska testing water and sediments for contaminants and toxicity.
PDF Trace metals related to historical iron smelting at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Berks and Chester Counties, Pennsylvania [More info]
Iron ore containing elevated concentrations of trace metals was smelted here during 113 years of operation (1771-1883). We sampled a variety of materials nearby to determine the amount of metals such as arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc.
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