Pesticide Fate Research Group (PFRG) Active
Pesticides are used in both agricultural and urban settings to manage unwanted plants, insects, fungi, and other pests. However, these substances and their breakdown products can move beyond their intended application sites through various means, ending up in areas where they weren't meant to be. This movement can happen via the air, through water (both surface and groundwater), and by sticking to soil or sediment particles. Depending on how long they stick around and how concentrated they are, pesticides can harm aquatic creatures and people. To grasp the risks associated with pesticide exposure, it's crucial to comprehend how these chemicals move and behave in the environment.
Neonicotinoid Seed Treatment Study
Neonicotinoids are a new class of insecticides chemically related to nicotine. Like nicotine, they act on receptors in the nerves and are generally much more toxic to insects, than they are to mammals and other higher organisms. Their use has increased rapidly over the last decade, driven in large part by their use for seed coating.
USGS Environmental Health Science
In the Pesticide Fate Research Group Laboratory, we see a scientist using an instrument to identify unknown organic compounds in environmental samples. It gives exact masses of chemical compounds, allowing scientists to decipher the elemental composition of a compound, and the chemical structure, without ever having known what they were looking for in the first place.
Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory
The Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory is comprised of multidisciplinary scientists with experiences in method development, sample collection, sample preparation, and instrumental analysis. The lab is equipped with instrumentation for the identification and quantification of trace level organic contaminants in water, sediment, soil, plants, biota, etc.
The Pesticide Fate Research Group (PFRG) operates within the USGS California Water Science Center, focusing on evaluating the occurrence, fate, and transport of current-use pesticides and organic contaminants in both aquatic and terrestrial environments across California and the nation. Comprising chemists, hydrologists, and physical scientists with specialized expertise, the PFRG engages in all stages of research, from field study design and sampling to analytical method development across various matrices such as water, sediment, plants, and biota. Utilizing cutting-edge instrumentation, the group conducts sample analysis, interprets data, manages information, and communicates findings to diverse stakeholders.
While pesticides represent the primary research domain, the PFRG's capabilities extend to investigating a broader spectrum of organic chemicals, including disinfection by-products, substances linked to cannabis production, alkylphenols, and others. By leveraging their skills and analytical prowess, the group addresses a wide array of environmental contaminants.
Establishing collaborative partnerships with state agencies, academic researchers, and fellow scientists within the USGS and other federal entities is central to the PFRG's approach. Funding for projects stems from various sources, including USGS mission areas such as Environmental Health (including the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program and Contaminant Biology Program), Ecosystems, and Water, as well as support from other USGS Water Science Centers and cooperating entities like the California State Department of Pesticide Regulation, Water Resources Control Board, Department of Water Resources, among others.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Data releases in ScienceBase are primarily focused on raw and processed data resulting from various research activities. The primary goal of these data releases is to make the data collected by USGS scientists accessible and usable. This open data approach facilitates transparency, reproducibility, and further research by allowing others to analyze, reinterpret, or build upon the original data.
USGS publications serve as authoritative sources of information for scientists, policymakers, educators, and the general public, contributing significantly to our understanding of the earth's processes, landscape changes, resource management, and environmental health. The accessibility of these publications ensures that the valuable insights and findings from the USGS are widely available.
Field-level exposure of bumble bees to fungicides applied to a commercial cherry orchard
Prevalence of neonicotinoids and sulfoxaflor in alluvial aquifers in a high corn and soybean producing region of the Midwestern United States
Public and private tapwater: Comparative analysis of contaminant exposure and potential risk, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA
Exploring biophysical linkages between coastal forestry management practices and aquatic bivalve contaminant exposure
Salinity changes the dynamics of pyrethroid toxicity in terms of behavioral effects on newly hatched delta smelt larvae
Environmental and anthropogenic drivers of contaminants in agricultural watersheds with implications for land management
Widespread use of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin: Assessing benefits and costs to agriculture, ecosystems, and environmental health
Beyond neonicotinoids – Wild pollinators are exposed to a range of pesticides while foraging in agroecosystems
Differences in neonicotinoid and metabolite sorption to activated carbon are driven by alterations to the insecticidal pharmacophore
Spatiotemporal variation in occurrence and co-occurrence of pesticides, hormones, and other organic contaminants in rivers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, United States
Pesticide concentrations associated with augmented flow pulses in the Yolo Bypass and Cache Slough Complex, California
Biofilms provide new insight into pesticide occurrence in streams and links to aquatic ecological communities
Below are news stories associated with this project.
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
Pesticides are used in both agricultural and urban settings to manage unwanted plants, insects, fungi, and other pests. However, these substances and their breakdown products can move beyond their intended application sites through various means, ending up in areas where they weren't meant to be. This movement can happen via the air, through water (both surface and groundwater), and by sticking to soil or sediment particles. Depending on how long they stick around and how concentrated they are, pesticides can harm aquatic creatures and people. To grasp the risks associated with pesticide exposure, it's crucial to comprehend how these chemicals move and behave in the environment.
Neonicotinoid Seed Treatment StudyNeonicotinoids are a new class of insecticides chemically related to nicotine. Like nicotine, they act on receptors in the nerves and are generally much more toxic to insects, than they are to mammals and other higher organisms. Their use has increased rapidly over the last decade, driven in large part by their use for seed coating.
USGS Environmental Health ScienceIn the Pesticide Fate Research Group Laboratory, we see a scientist using an instrument to identify unknown organic compounds in environmental samples. It gives exact masses of chemical compounds, allowing scientists to decipher the elemental composition of a compound, and the chemical structure, without ever having known what they were looking for in the first place.
Organic Chemistry Research LaboratoryThe Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory is comprised of multidisciplinary scientists with experiences in method development, sample collection, sample preparation, and instrumental analysis. The lab is equipped with instrumentation for the identification and quantification of trace level organic contaminants in water, sediment, soil, plants, biota, etc.
The Pesticide Fate Research Group (PFRG) operates within the USGS California Water Science Center, focusing on evaluating the occurrence, fate, and transport of current-use pesticides and organic contaminants in both aquatic and terrestrial environments across California and the nation. Comprising chemists, hydrologists, and physical scientists with specialized expertise, the PFRG engages in all stages of research, from field study design and sampling to analytical method development across various matrices such as water, sediment, plants, and biota. Utilizing cutting-edge instrumentation, the group conducts sample analysis, interprets data, manages information, and communicates findings to diverse stakeholders.
While pesticides represent the primary research domain, the PFRG's capabilities extend to investigating a broader spectrum of organic chemicals, including disinfection by-products, substances linked to cannabis production, alkylphenols, and others. By leveraging their skills and analytical prowess, the group addresses a wide array of environmental contaminants.
Establishing collaborative partnerships with state agencies, academic researchers, and fellow scientists within the USGS and other federal entities is central to the PFRG's approach. Funding for projects stems from various sources, including USGS mission areas such as Environmental Health (including the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program and Contaminant Biology Program), Ecosystems, and Water, as well as support from other USGS Water Science Centers and cooperating entities like the California State Department of Pesticide Regulation, Water Resources Control Board, Department of Water Resources, among others.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
- Data
Data releases in ScienceBase are primarily focused on raw and processed data resulting from various research activities. The primary goal of these data releases is to make the data collected by USGS scientists accessible and usable. This open data approach facilitates transparency, reproducibility, and further research by allowing others to analyze, reinterpret, or build upon the original data.
- Publications
USGS publications serve as authoritative sources of information for scientists, policymakers, educators, and the general public, contributing significantly to our understanding of the earth's processes, landscape changes, resource management, and environmental health. The accessibility of these publications ensures that the valuable insights and findings from the USGS are widely available.
Filter Total Items: 106Field-level exposure of bumble bees to fungicides applied to a commercial cherry orchard
Bumble bees, Bombus spp. (Apidae), are important native pollinators; however, populations of some species are declining in North America and agricultural chemicals are a potential cause. Fungicides are generally not highly toxic to bees, but little is known about sublethal or synergistic effects. This study evaluates bumble bee exposure to fungicides by quantifying concentrations of boscalid and pAuthorsKathryn M. Kuivila, Houston Judd, Michelle Hladik, James P. StrangePrevalence of neonicotinoids and sulfoxaflor in alluvial aquifers in a high corn and soybean producing region of the Midwestern United States
Neonicotinoids have been previously detected in Iowa surface waters, but less is known regarding their occurrence in groundwater. To help fill this research gap, a groundwater study was conducted in eastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota, a corn and soybean producing area with known heavy neonicotinoid use. Neonicotinoids were studied in alluvial aquifers, a hydrogeologic setting known to be vulnAuthorsD.A. Thompson, Dana W. Kolpin, Michelle Hladik, Kimberlee K. Barnes, J.D. Vargo, R.W. FieldPublic and private tapwater: Comparative analysis of contaminant exposure and potential risk, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA
BackgroundHumans are primary drivers of environmental contamination worldwide, including in drinking-water resources. In the United States (US), federal and state agencies regulate and monitor public-supply drinking water while private-supply monitoring is rare; the current lack of directly comparable information on contaminant-mixture exposures and risks between private- and public-supplies underAuthorsPaul M. Bradley, Denis R. LeBlanc, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Mary C. Cardon, Jimmy Clark, Justin M. Conley, Nicola Evans, Carrie E Givens, James L. Gray, L. Earl Gray, Phillip C. Hartig, Christopher P. Higgins, Michelle Hladik, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Keith Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Carrie A. McDonough, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Christopher P. Weis, Vickie S. WilsonByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, New England Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Water Science Center, National Water Quality LaboratoryExploring biophysical linkages between coastal forestry management practices and aquatic bivalve contaminant exposure
Terrestrial land use activities present cross-ecosystem threats to riverine and marine species and processes. Specifically, pesticide runoff can disrupt hormonal, reproductive, and developmental processes in aquatic organisms, yet non-point source pollution is difficult to trace and quantify. In Oregon, U.S.A., state and federal forestry pesticide regulations, designed to meet regulatory water quaAuthorsKaegan Scully-Engelmeyer, Elise F. Granek, Max Nielsen-Pincus, Andy Lanier, Steven S Rumrill, Patrick W. Moran, Elena Nilsen, Michelle Hladik, Lori PillsburySalinity changes the dynamics of pyrethroid toxicity in terms of behavioral effects on newly hatched delta smelt larvae
Salinity can interact with organic compounds and modulate their toxicity. Studies have shown that the fraction of pyrethroid insecticides in the aqueous phase increases with increasing salinity, potentially increasing the risk of exposure for aquatic organisms at higher salinities. In the San Francisco Bay Delta (SFBD) estuary, pyrethroid concentrations increase during the rainy season, coincidingAuthorsAmelie Segarra, Florian Mauduit, Nermeen Amer, Felix KJ Biefel, Michelle Hladik, Richard E Connon, Susanne M. BranderEnvironmental and anthropogenic drivers of contaminants in agricultural watersheds with implications for land management
If not managed properly, modern agricultural practices can alter surface and groundwater quality and drinking water resources resulting in potential negative effects on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Exposure to agriculturally derived contaminant mixtures has the potential to alter habitat quality and negatively affect fish and other aquatic organisms. Implementation of conservation practicesAuthorsKelly L. Smalling, Olivia H. Devereux, Stephanie Gordon, Patrick J. Phillips, Vicki S. Blazer, Michelle Hladik, Dana W. Kolpin, Michael T. Meyer, Adam Sperry, Tyler WagnerByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, New York Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science CenterWidespread use of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin: Assessing benefits and costs to agriculture, ecosystems, and environmental health
Agricultural production and associated applications of nitrogen (N) fertilizers have increased dramatically in the last century, and current projections to 2050 show that demands will continue to increase as the human population grows. Applied in both organic and inorganic fertilizer forms, N is an essential nutrient in crop productivity. Increased fertilizer applications, however, create the poteAuthorsEmily Woodward, Thea Margaret Edwards, Carrie E Givens, Dana W. Kolpin, Michelle HladikBeyond neonicotinoids – Wild pollinators are exposed to a range of pesticides while foraging in agroecosystems
Pesticide exposure is a growing global concern for pollinator conservation. While most current pesticide studies have specifically focused on the impacts of neonicotinoid insecticides toward honeybees and some native bee species, wild pollinators may be exposed to a broader range of agrochemicals. In 2016 and 2017 we collected a total of 637 wild bees and butterflies from the margins of cultivatedAuthorsA.R. Main, Michelle Hladik, Elisabeth B. Webb, K. W. Goyne, D. MengelDifferences in neonicotinoid and metabolite sorption to activated carbon are driven by alterations to the insecticidal pharmacophore
Widespread application of neonicotinoids has led to their proliferation in waters. Despite low neonicotinoid hydrophobicity, our prior studies implicated granular activated carbon (GAC) in neonicotinoid removal. Based on known receptor binding characteristics, we hypothesized that the insecticidal pharmacophore influences neonicotinoid sorption. Our objectives were to illuminate drivers of neonicoAuthorsDanielle T. Webb, Matthew R. Nagorzanski, Megan M Powers, David M. Cwiertny, Michelle Hladik, Gregory H. LeFevreSpatiotemporal variation in occurrence and co-occurrence of pesticides, hormones, and other organic contaminants in rivers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, United States
Investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of contaminants in surface water is crucial to better understand how introduced chemicals are interacting with and potentially influencing aquatic organisms and environments. Within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA, there are concerns about the potential role of contaminant exposure on fish health. Evidence suggests that exposure to contaminants in surfacAuthorsCatherine M. McClure, Kelly Smalling, Vicki S. Blazer, Adam Sperry, Megan K. Schall, Dana W. Kolpin, Patrick J. Phillips, Michelle Hladik, Tyler WagnerPesticide concentrations associated with augmented flow pulses in the Yolo Bypass and Cache Slough Complex, California
Surface-water and suspended-sediment samples were collected and analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey for multiple current-use pesticides and pesticide degradates approximately every 2 weeks at up to five sites in the Yolo Bypass and Cache Slough Complex before, during, and after augmented flow pulses in summer and fall 2016 and 2018 as well as during ambient flow conditions in summer and fall 20AuthorsJames L. Orlando, Matt De Parsia, Corey J. Sanders, Michelle L. Hladik, Jared FrantzichBiofilms provide new insight into pesticide occurrence in streams and links to aquatic ecological communities
Streambed sediment is commonly analyzed to assess occurrence of hydrophobic pesticides and risks to aquatic communities. However, stream biofilms also have the potential to accumulate pesticides and may be consumed by aquatic organisms. To better characterize risks to aquatic life, the U.S. Geological Survey Regional Stream Quality Assessment measured 93 current-use and 3 legacy pesticides in bedAuthorsBarbara Mahler, Travis S. Schmidt, Lisa H. Nowell, Sharon L. Qi, Peter C. Van Metre, Michelle Hladik, Daren M. Carlisle, Mark D. Munn, Jason May - News
Below are news stories associated with this project.
- Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.