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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 164 - 182 of 182 listed by similarity [list alphabetically]
Studies of polluted sediment offshore Los Angeles [More info]
Overview of studies of marine sediment on the continental shelf south of Los Angeles contaminated with DDT and PCBs from past sewage effluent discharges with links to research on Santa Monica Bay, Los Angeles Shelf and Palos Verdes Peninsula.
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.
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.
PDF Twelve Years of Monitoring Phosphorus and Suspended-Solids Concentrations and Yields in the North Fork Ninnescah River above Cheney Reservoir, South-Central Kansas 1997-2008 [More info]
Water quality is important here because this reservoir is the primary supply for Wichita, Kansas. Due to low streamflow during the monitoring period, we expect suspended sediment and phosphorus to be more variable in the future.
PDF Understanding beach health throughout the Great Lakes -- Continuing research [More info]
Outlines tactical problems that make it difficult for beach managers to use scientific information to make beach closure and advisory decisions. Explains methodologies we are using to address those problems and better prepare local decision makers.
PDF Understanding beach health throughout the Great Lakes-Entering a new era of investigations [More info]
People who manage recreational areas need better, more timely estimates of the likelihood that the beach and lake waters will be hazardous to human health, and which factors cause those hazards.
PDF Understanding pesticides in California's Delta [More info]
The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the hub of California's water system and an important habitat for fish and wildlife. USGS research has provided resource managers and other stakeholders with a good understanding of how pesticides enter the Delta.
PDF Understanding processes affecting mineral deposits in humid environments [More info]
Contaminants from mines move more easily from ore materials and mine waste piles to surrounding estuaries and living organisms when water moves through the mine site. Geochemical results shown here will help people mitigate the negative effects.
PDF Urban development results in stressors that degrade stream ecosystems [More info]
Explains which aspects of stream ecosystems are harmed by urban development and how, along with implications for those who manage urban ecosystems.
USGS develops geophysical methods to improve remediation monitoring and site characterization [More info]
Short news article describing the use of electrical resistivity tomography to improve imaging of tracer flow in ground water.
USGS guide to federal environmental laws and regulations [More info]
Guide to major U.S. environmental statutes and corresponding regulations on air quality, fish and wildlife conservation, cultural and historic resources, solid and hazardous substances, public lands, farmlands, and water resources.
USGS Indiana District adopts White River [More info]
Volunteers from the USGS in Indiana, their families, and friends donate two Saturdays a year for a river-cleanup.
USGS mine drainage activities [More info]
Listing of USGS research and monitoring projects on mine drainage, in order to promote cooperation and collaboration among scientists working on problems related to mining and the environment.
USGS Science Serves Public Health [More info]
Studies showing how human activities affect environmental and ecological health and how the quality of our environment and wildlife affects human health.
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