Publications

Despite the concerns surging around nanoplastics (NPs) regarding their prevalence and bioavailability in freshwater systems, robust detection of NPs in complex environmental matrices is hindered by the lack of standardized sample pretreatment and a mechanistic understanding of oxidative digestion. Here, we systematically investigate the interaction between hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and...

Low-micrometer microplastics (

Various techniques are used to estimate nutrient delivery in streams that combine flow and water-quality data. However, the transport of surface floating material is difficult to measure, and is therefore typically neglected when stream sampling and in the estimated nutrient delivery. Here, we describe an approach to estimate the amount of material (duckweed (Lemna genus), filamentous...

Understanding the drivers of nitrate export in rivers is critical for developing effective nutrient management strategies. However, few studies have explored event-scale drivers of export in large river basins with human modifications like reservoirs. Here, we analyzed nitrate concentration-discharge (C-Q) relationships from 215 events at the outlet of the Kansas River Basin, USA (155...

Decomposition of organic matter is critical to the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients in all ecosystems. In streams, decomposition can be influenced by anthropogenic impacts, including contaminants. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are resistant to degradation and widespread in freshwater ecosystems, yet little is known about their influence on organic matter...

The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is a poorly constrained source of mercury (Hg) to Arctic ecosystems. We measured Hg concentrations and stable isotopes along an ice-to-ocean continuum to identify controls on GrIS Hg export. Early-season permafrost melt and rainfall produced high filtered total mercury (fTHg, ~17 pM) and monomethylmercury (MMHg, ~2 pM). As subglacial drainage evolved...

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with support from the Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project (FISP), developed the electric vehicle (EV)-crane, a modified electric cart equipped with a rigid swivel-mounted crane and integrated accessory holders. The EV-crane was developed to improve the efficiency and safety of fluvial sediment and water-quality sampling from bridges. USGS field...

Accurate collection of fluvial suspended‑sediment and water‑quality samples is essential for understanding transport processes, evaluating river health, quantifying loads, and supporting regulatory and management decisions. Since 1939, the Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project (FISP) has led the development and standardization of sediment‑sampling equipment and methods across Federal...

The U.S. Geological Survey developed a two-dimensional hydraulic model for a 9.2-mile reach of the Kalamazoo River between the Trowbridge and Allegan City Dams. The model simulates streamflow conditions with spatial coverage and resolution that would be difficult or dangerous to document with field measurements, enabling assessments of habitat connectivity and substrate stability to...

This study presents historical estimates and future projections of net infiltration (potential recharge), actual evapotranspiration (ET), surface runoff, and related water budget components across Minnesota using the USGS Soil Water Balance model, version 2 (SWB). The model was calibrated to streamflow and actual ET observations from 2000–2022, achieving an overall r² of 0.973 with a...

Lake Huron, one of the five Great Lakes, borders the United States and Canada, with Michigan as the only U.S. State on its shoreline. Like other freshwater lakes, it faces water-quality challenges from nutrients and chemicals applied across its drainage basin. Although past studies focused on surface-water sources, groundwater contributions remain less understood. To address this gap...

Lake St. Clair Metropark Beach in Michigan has a history of closures because of elevated Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations in its recreational waters. To reduce closures, restoration projects were implemented in 2021 to deter waterfowl from congregating on the beach. In this study, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Michigan Department of the Environment, Great...