Unified Core Technology Team

This study is a major step forward in understanding how harmful algal blooms, which are often associated with lakes and rivers, can also affect coastal environments. It provides important baseline information for scientists, public health officials, and environmental managers.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent synthetic chemicals that accumulate in the environment and living organisms. A USGS study examined how different PFAS compounds move through a stream ecosystem and are transferred from aquatic to terrestrial food webs. The findings documented that not all PFAS behave the same once they enter the environment, leading to differences in...

Ethanol production from seed corn, while reducing waste and promoting renewable energy, can have environmental and health implications. A USGS study on a former bioenergy plant that received pesticide-coated seeds used for ethanol production, revealed that the process led to contaminated wastewater and solid residue, resulting in elevated pesticide levels in nearby surface waters even after the...

Agriculture is vital to the U.S. economy, supplying food, fibers, fuels, and jobs. Ensuring the quality of our natural resources is essential for keeping our food safe and plentiful. The USGS studies environmental factors affecting food security and offers valuable insights to reduce health risks, ensuring a safer food supply and a healthier environment.

By analyzing dust samples in northern Utah, the USGS is providing crucial insights about the importance of water and lakebed management to mitigate dust pollution and protect vulnerable communities in northern Utah.

The USGS Environmental Health Program seeks to understand how environmental factors, especially contaminants and pathogens, influence human health and ecosystems. It focuses on studying the distribution and effects of toxic substances, environmental stressors, and their pathways. The program prioritizes collaboration with State, Federal and local governments; Tribes; non-government organizations...

The Environmental Health Program features a Unified Core Technology Team comprised of multiple laboratories with specialized expertise that support the overall program research assessing actual and perceived risks from environmental contaminants and pathogens. Individual Core Technology Teams work closely with the Integrated Science Teams to ensure current and emerging techniques are being used to...

About the Laboratory The Environmental Health Program collaborates with scientists at the Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory (OGRL) in Lawrence, Kansas, to develop and employ targeted and non-targeted analytical methods for identification and quantitation of known and understudied algal/cyanobacterial toxins. The laboratory contructed in 2019 is a 2,500 square foot modern laboratory facility...

The Environmental Health Program integrates multidisciplinary research to tackle the environmental challenges that impact the nation's natural resource assets. By providing comprehensive research and data, the program assesses both actual and perceived risks associated with environmental contaminants and pathogens while supporting a variety of uses of our natural resources.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 14,000 different man-made compounds that are widely used in various industrial and consumer products and linked to various health issues. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) is a persistent synthetic chemical within the PFAS group, recognized for its widespread use and persistence in the environment. The U.S. Geological Survey is...

USGS scientists have advanced methods to measure bacterial activity in environmental waters. Their research showed that when bacteria naturally in the water are exposed to substances like pharmaceuticals, herbicides, and antimicrobials, their normal functions are disrupted. This finding suggests that monitoring bacterial activity could provide early warnings about potential problems with water...

In October of 2024, USGS Scientist’s published a study where they created a model to predict PFAS occurrence in groundwater at the depths of drinking water supplies. This model can help guide our partners to sample areas where PFAS in drinking water could be an issue for the public.