Bumble bees being prepped for pesticide residue analysis at the USGS Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory (OCRL), California.
Organic Chemistry Research Core Technology Team Active
Bumble bees being prepped for pesticide residue analysis.
Vial containing an egg sample that will undergo chemical extraction
A U.S. Geological Survey chemist evaporating sample extracts
Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer
U.S. Geological Survey chemist homogenizes a tissue sample
About the Research
The Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory Core Technology Team (CTT) as part of the Environmental Health Program focuses on the identification and quantitation of trace level organic contaminants (with a special focus on pesticides) in a wide array of environmental media (water, sediment/soil, plants, biota, etc.).
The Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory CTT develops targeted analytical methods for the quantitation of chemicals that can impact the health of organisms and humans.
This work focuses on contaminants and emerging issues including pesticides, other agrochemicals (nitrification inhibitors, herbicide safeners), disinfection by-products, quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), and multiple other anthropogenic chemicals and their transformation products.
Key Instrumentation
- Two gas chromatograph single quadrupole mass spectrometers for chemical quantitation (water, sediment, tissue)
- Gas chromatograph triple quadrupole mass spectrometer for chemical quantitation (tissue and sediments)
- Liquid chromatograph triple quadrupole mass spectrometer for chemical quantitation (water, sediment, tissue)
- Liquid chromatograph high resolution mass spectrometer for chemical quantitation and identification
- Extraction equipment for working with a variety of sample matrices
Key Analytical Capabilities
- Pesticides and pesticide degradates
- Custom method/matrix development
- Ability to measure environmentally relevant concentrations in small sample volumes.
Science Team Collaborators
-
Food Resources Lifecycle Integrated Science Team
The team studies the movement of toxicants and pathogens that could originate from the growing, raising, and processing/manufacturing of plant and animal products through the environment where exposure can occur. This information is used to understand if there are adverse effects upon exposure and to develop decision tools to protect health.Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Science Team
The team studies toxicants and pathogens in water resources from their sources, through watersheds, aquifers, and infrastructure to human and wildlife exposures. That information is used to develop decision tools that protect human and wildlife health.Energy Integrated Science Team
The Energy Lifecycle Integrated Science Team focuses on the potential for contaminant exposures in the environment that might originate from energy resource activities including, extraction, production, transportation, storage, extraction, waste management and restoration. Perceived health risks to humans and other organisms will be distinguished from actual risks, if any. If actual risks are...
Science activities related to the Organic Chemistry Research Core Technology Team can be found below.
Pesticide Fate Research Group (PFRG)
Data related to the Organic Chemistry Research Core Technology Team can be found below.
Target-chemical concentrations and bioassay results for assessment of mixed-organic/inorganic chemical and biological exposures in Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota tapwater, August 2019
Results from U.S. Geological Survey Environmental Health Food Resources Lifecycle Integrated Science Team, Graton Pesticides (GRAPE) Study, in Graton, California, April–May 2021
Multiresidue extraction of current-use pesticides from complex solid matrices using energized dispersive extraction with analysis by gas and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy
Pesticide Concentrations in American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) Tadpoles Collected from Ponds and Reservoirs near Mead, Nebraska
Target-Chemical Concentrations and Microbiological Results for Assessment of Mixed Contaminant and Biological Exposures in Bottled Water, 2020
Pesticide residues in passive samplers and bee tissue from Conservation Reserve Program fields across an agricultural gradient in eastern Iowa, USA, 2019 (ver 2.0, October 2023)
Pesticide concentrations in bees and other matrices collected from sunflower fields (with and without a neonicotinoid seed treatment) near Sacramento, California
Naled and dichlorvos in water and aquatic organisms from a canal and rice fields near Sacramento, California
Water-quality results from a wastewater reuse study: Inorganic and organic compositions of wastewater effluent and select urban and agricultural water types during rain-induced runoff, Chickasha, Oklahoma, 2018-2019
Characterizing microbiota, virulome, and resistome of wild prairie grouse in crop producing and uncultivated areas of Nebraska
Concentrations of pesticides in multiple matrices to measure exposure of wild bees visiting pollinator hedgerows in northern California
Adult aquatic insect emergence, insect pesticide concentrations and water chemistry of wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region, North Dakota, USA, 2015-16
Multimedia items related to the Organic Chemistry Research Core Technology Team can be found below.
Bumble bees being prepped for pesticide residue analysis at the USGS Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory (OCRL), California.
Water samples are extracted for pesticides at the USGS Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory.
Photo credit: Elisabeth LaBarbera
Water samples are extracted for pesticides at the USGS Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory.
Photo credit: Elisabeth LaBarbera
Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory — Sacramento, California. Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer - GCMS
Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory — Sacramento, California. Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer - GCMS
Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory -- Sacramento, California. Small sample bottles with pollen inside
Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory -- Sacramento, California. Small sample bottles with pollen inside
Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory — Sacramento, California. USGS chemist working with samples in a laboratory hood
Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory — Sacramento, California. USGS chemist working with samples in a laboratory hood
Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory — Sacramento, California. USGS chemist homogenizes a tissue sample into a mortar and pestle
Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory — Sacramento, California. USGS chemist homogenizes a tissue sample into a mortar and pestle
Scientific publications related to the Organic Chemistry Research Core Technology Team can be found below.
Neonicotinoid sunflower seed treatment, while not detected in pollen and nectar, still impacts wild bees and crop yield
Exposures and potential health implications of contaminant mixtures in linked source water, finished drinking water, and tapwater from public-supply drinking water systems in Minneapolis/St. Paul area, USA
Multiresidue extraction of current-use pesticides from complex solid matrices using energized dispersive guided extraction with analysis by gas and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy
Field assessment of Naled and its primary degradation product (dichlorvos) in aquatic ecosystems following aerial ultra-low volume application for mosquito control
Prevalence of neonicotinoid insecticides in paired private-well tap water and human urine samples in a region of intense agriculture overlying vulnerable aquifers in eastern Iowa
Juxtaposition of intensive agriculture, vulnerable aquifers, and mixed chemical/microbial exposures in private-well tapwater in northeast Iowa
Contaminant exposure and transport from three potential reuse waters within a single watershed
Wild bee exposure to pesticides in conservation grasslands increases along an agricultural gradient: A tale of two sample types
Bottled water contaminant exposures and potential human effects
Tapwater exposures, effects potential, and residential risk management in Northern Plains Nations
Exposure to crop production alters cecal prokaryotic microbiota, inflates virulome and resistome in wild prairie grouse
Pesticide exposure of wild bees and honey bees foraging from field border flowers in intensively managed agriculture areas
- Overview
About the Research
The Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory Core Technology Team (CTT) as part of the Environmental Health Program focuses on the identification and quantitation of trace level organic contaminants (with a special focus on pesticides) in a wide array of environmental media (water, sediment/soil, plants, biota, etc.).
The Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory CTT develops targeted analytical methods for the quantitation of chemicals that can impact the health of organisms and humans.
This work focuses on contaminants and emerging issues including pesticides, other agrochemicals (nitrification inhibitors, herbicide safeners), disinfection by-products, quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), and multiple other anthropogenic chemicals and their transformation products.
Key Instrumentation
- Two gas chromatograph single quadrupole mass spectrometers for chemical quantitation (water, sediment, tissue)
- Gas chromatograph triple quadrupole mass spectrometer for chemical quantitation (tissue and sediments)
- Liquid chromatograph triple quadrupole mass spectrometer for chemical quantitation (water, sediment, tissue)
- Liquid chromatograph high resolution mass spectrometer for chemical quantitation and identification
- Extraction equipment for working with a variety of sample matrices
Key Analytical Capabilities
- Pesticides and pesticide degradates
- Custom method/matrix development
- Ability to measure environmentally relevant concentrations in small sample volumes.
Science Team Collaborators-
Food Resources Lifecycle Integrated Science Team
The team studies the movement of toxicants and pathogens that could originate from the growing, raising, and processing/manufacturing of plant and animal products through the environment where exposure can occur. This information is used to understand if there are adverse effects upon exposure and to develop decision tools to protect health.Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Science Team
The team studies toxicants and pathogens in water resources from their sources, through watersheds, aquifers, and infrastructure to human and wildlife exposures. That information is used to develop decision tools that protect human and wildlife health.Energy Integrated Science Team
The Energy Lifecycle Integrated Science Team focuses on the potential for contaminant exposures in the environment that might originate from energy resource activities including, extraction, production, transportation, storage, extraction, waste management and restoration. Perceived health risks to humans and other organisms will be distinguished from actual risks, if any. If actual risks are...
- Science
Science activities related to the Organic Chemistry Research Core Technology Team can be found below.
Pesticide Fate Research Group (PFRG)
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... - Data
Data related to the Organic Chemistry Research Core Technology Team can be found below.
Filter Total Items: 21Target-chemical concentrations and bioassay results for assessment of mixed-organic/inorganic chemical and biological exposures in Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota tapwater, August 2019
This dataset contains the concentration and quality assurance results for inorganic and organic analytes collected for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Ecosystems Mission Area, Environmental Health Infrastructure Program, Tapwater Exposure Project conducted in Minnesota, in August of 2019. Samples were obtained from multiple publicly distributed water sources in Minnesota in 2019. Due to privacyResults from U.S. Geological Survey Environmental Health Food Resources Lifecycle Integrated Science Team, Graton Pesticides (GRAPE) Study, in Graton, California, April–May 2021
In the spring of 2021, six households with private wells were selected throughout Graton, California, based on proximity to agriculture (within one mile of agriculture), well depth (i.e., less than 150 feet in depth), and well type (i.e., dug versus drilled). Silicone bands were deployed for 30 days at outdoor locations at each household to passively sample pesticides in ambient air. On May 3, 202Multiresidue extraction of current-use pesticides from complex solid matrices using energized dispersive extraction with analysis by gas and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy
A multiresidue method for solids (i.e., soil, sediment, sludge) was developed and evaluated for the analysis of pesticides and pesticide degradates. Initially, a well characterized soil was used to determine the recovery of target compounds using an Energized Dispersive Guided Extraction (EDGE) system with two extraction solvents, acetonitrile and 1:1 (v/v) hexane:acetone. Extracts were cleaned usPesticide Concentrations in American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) Tadpoles Collected from Ponds and Reservoirs near Mead, Nebraska
To evaluate the potential uptake and accumulation of pesticides in amphibians, American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) tadpoles were collected from surface water sites (four ponds and one reservoir) in 2021 near Mead, Nebraska. Sites were located in the landscape surrounding the AltEn ethanol plant, a plant which had previously received pesticide treated (coated) seeds. Tadpoles were collectedTarget-Chemical Concentrations and Microbiological Results for Assessment of Mixed Contaminant and Biological Exposures in Bottled Water, 2020
This data release contains concentration and quality-assurance results for inorganic, organic analytes and microbiological pathogens collected from 30 different commercial bottled water sources. Samples were processed on July 20 and August 17, 2020 at the New Jersey Water Science Center and analyzed at various U.S. Geological Survey laboratories. Samples were analyzed for nutrients, cations and anPesticide residues in passive samplers and bee tissue from Conservation Reserve Program fields across an agricultural gradient in eastern Iowa, USA, 2019 (ver 2.0, October 2023)
This data release includes sampling location, pesticide concentrations in passive samplers (silicone bands) and bees foraging in Conservation Reserve Program fields. Sampling took place during July and August of 2019. Fields were located on private land managed for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program in eastern central Iowa, U.S.A.Pesticide concentrations in bees and other matrices collected from sunflower fields (with and without a neonicotinoid seed treatment) near Sacramento, California
Hybrid sunflower production occurs near Sacramento in Northern California where seed treatments are commonly used. In this study, four locations were sampled in 2016 as matched pairs; half of each field was sown with thiamethoxam treated seed and half without. In addition to the thiamethoxam seed treatment, all seeds were coated with two fungicides, fludioxonil and mefenoxam/metalaxyl. Both wild bNaled and dichlorvos in water and aquatic organisms from a canal and rice fields near Sacramento, California
Ultra-low volumes of naled are applied by aircraft over rice fields and canals to reduce adult mosquito populations near Sacramento, California. Each summer, the pesticide is applied approximately 7-10 times between July and October. Naled and its major degradate (dichlorvos) were quantified in water, biofilm, and invertebrates following aerial applications. In 2020, samples were collected beforeWater-quality results from a wastewater reuse study: Inorganic and organic compositions of wastewater effluent and select urban and agricultural water types during rain-induced runoff, Chickasha, Oklahoma, 2018-2019
Oklahoma State University South-Central Research Station (SCRS) was used to conduct research to understand the chemical composition of various water types and their potential environmental and human health effects. The study area provided the opportunity to study five water types: (1) receiving surface water (Washita River), (2) urban stormwater, (3) wastewater treatment plant effluent used for irCharacterizing microbiota, virulome, and resistome of wild prairie grouse in crop producing and uncultivated areas of Nebraska
Chart listing the geographic locations, NCBI numbers, voucher numbers, and microbiome characteristics of specimens collected for publicationConcentrations of pesticides in multiple matrices to measure exposure of wild bees visiting pollinator hedgerows in northern California
To better understand the exposure of wild bees to pesticides in an agricultural landscape, samples were collected from fields in northern California. Hedgerows are known to provide habitat for wild bees, but these bees may also be exposed to pesticides from nearby agricultural fields. The study included eight hedgerow sites located in an intensively managed agricultural landscape that includes almAdult aquatic insect emergence, insect pesticide concentrations and water chemistry of wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region, North Dakota, USA, 2015-16
This data release includes sampling location data, field-collected wetland attribute data, field-collected water chemistry data, laboratory-processed water chemistry data (anions, cations, alkalinity, nutrients, chlorophyll a concentrations, dissolved organic carbon, and specific ultraviolet absorbance, pesticide concentrations), dry mass of adult aquatic insects emerging from the surface of the w - Multimedia
Multimedia items related to the Organic Chemistry Research Core Technology Team can be found below.
Bumble bees being prepped for pesticide residue analysis.Bumble bees being prepped for pesticide residue analysis.Bumble bees being prepped for pesticide residue analysis at the USGS Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory (OCRL), California.
Bumble bees being prepped for pesticide residue analysis at the USGS Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory (OCRL), California.
Water samples are extracted for pesticides.Water samples are extracted for pesticides at the USGS Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory.
Photo credit: Elisabeth LaBarbera
Water samples are extracted for pesticides at the USGS Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory.
Photo credit: Elisabeth LaBarbera
Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GCMS) used for pesticide analysisGas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GCMS) used for pesticide analysisOrganic Chemistry Research Laboratory — Sacramento, California. Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer - GCMS
Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory — Sacramento, California. Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer - GCMS
Pollen samples from various plants collected from hedgerowsPollen samples from various plants collected from hedgerowsOrganic Chemistry Research Laboratory -- Sacramento, California. Small sample bottles with pollen inside
Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory -- Sacramento, California. Small sample bottles with pollen inside
A U.S. Geological Survey chemist evaporating sample extractsA U.S. Geological Survey chemist evaporating sample extractsOrganic Chemistry Research Laboratory — Sacramento, California. USGS chemist working with samples in a laboratory hood
Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory — Sacramento, California. USGS chemist working with samples in a laboratory hood
U.S. Geological Survey chemist homogenizes a tissue sampleU.S. Geological Survey chemist homogenizes a tissue sampleOrganic Chemistry Research Laboratory — Sacramento, California. USGS chemist homogenizes a tissue sample into a mortar and pestle
Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory — Sacramento, California. USGS chemist homogenizes a tissue sample into a mortar and pestle
- Publications
Scientific publications related to the Organic Chemistry Research Core Technology Team can be found below.
Filter Total Items: 40Neonicotinoid sunflower seed treatment, while not detected in pollen and nectar, still impacts wild bees and crop yield
Neonicotinoid seed treatments are commonly used in agricultural production even though their benefit to crop yield and their impact on pollinators, particularly wild bees, remains unclear. Using an on-farm matched pair design in which half of each field was sown with thiamethoxam treated seed and half without, we assessed honey bee and wild bee exposure to pesticides in sunflower fields by analyziAuthorsLaura T. Ward, Michelle Hladik, Aidee Guzman, Ariana Bautista, Nicholas MillsExposures and potential health implications of contaminant mixtures in linked source water, finished drinking water, and tapwater from public-supply drinking water systems in Minneapolis/St. Paul area, USA
Continued improvements in drinking-water quality characterization and treatment/distribution infrastructure are required to address the expanding number of documented environmental contaminants. To better understand the variability in contaminant exposures from the drinking water resource (surface and groundwater), through the distribution process, to the point-of-use (tapwater), in 2019 a synoptiAuthorsKelly L. Smalling, Paul M. Bradley, Kristin M. Romanok, Sarah M. Elliott, Jane de Lambert, Michael J. Focazio, Stephanie Gordon, James L. Gray, Leslie K. Kanagy, Michelle Hladik, Keith Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Mary C. Cardon, Nicola Evans, Christopher P. WeisMultiresidue extraction of current-use pesticides from complex solid matrices using energized dispersive guided extraction with analysis by gas and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy
The development of sample processing techniques that recover a broad suite of pesticides from solid matrices, while mitigating coextracted matrix interferences, and reducing processing time is beneficial for high throughput analyses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an automated extraction system for pesticide analyses in solid environmental samples. An Energized DiAuthorsGabrielle Pecora Black, Emily Woodward, Corey Sanders, Michael S. Gross, Michelle HladikField assessment of Naled and its primary degradation product (dichlorvos) in aquatic ecosystems following aerial ultra-low volume application for mosquito control
Naled, an organophosphate insecticide, is applied aerially at ultra-low volumes over aquatic ecosystems near Sacramento, California, USA, during summer months for mosquito control. Two ecosystem types (rice fields and a flowing canal) were sampled in 2020 and 2021. Naled and its primary degradation product (dichlorvos) were measured in water, biofilm, grazer macroinvertebrates, and omnivore/predatAuthorsCassandra Smith, Michelle Hladik, Kathryn Kuivila, Ian R. WaitePrevalence of neonicotinoid insecticides in paired private-well tap water and human urine samples in a region of intense agriculture overlying vulnerable aquifers in eastern Iowa
A pilot study among farming households in eastern Iowa was conducted to assess human exposure to neonicotinoids (NEOs). The study was in a region with intense crop and livestock production and where groundwater is vulnerable to surface-applied contaminants. In addition to paired outdoor (hydrant) water and indoor (tap) water samples from private wells, urine samples were collected from 47 adult maAuthorsD.A. Thompson, Dana W. Kolpin, Michelle L. Hladik, H-J. Lehmler, Shannon M. Meppelink, M.C. Poch, J.D. Vargo, V.A. Soupene, N.M. Irfan, M. S. Robinson, K. Kannan, L.E. Beane Freeman, J.N. Hogmann, D.M. Cwiertny, R.W. FieldJuxtaposition of intensive agriculture, vulnerable aquifers, and mixed chemical/microbial exposures in private-well tapwater in northeast Iowa
In the United States and globally, contaminant exposure in unregulated private-well point-of-use tapwater (TW) is a recognized public-health data gap and an obstacle to both risk-management and homeowner decision making. To help address the lack of data on broad contaminant exposures in private-well TW from hydrologically-vulnerable (alluvial, karst) aquifers in agriculturally-intensive landscapesAuthorsPaul M. Bradley, Dana W. Kolpin, Darrin A. Thompson, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly L. Smalling, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Mary C. Cardon, David M. Cwiertny, Nicola Evans, R. William Field, Michael J. Focazio, Laura E. Beane Freeman, Carrie E Givens, James L. Gray, Gordon L. Hager, Michelle Hladik, Jonathan N. Hoffman, Rena R. Jones, Leslie K. Kanagy, Rachael F. Lane, R. Blaine McCleskey, Danielle Medgyesi, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Shannon M. Meppelink, Michael T. Meyer, Diana A. Stavreva, Mary H. WardContaminant exposure and transport from three potential reuse waters within a single watershed
Global demand for safe and sustainable water supplies necessitates a better understanding of contaminant exposures in potential reuse waters. In this study, we compared exposures and load contributions to surface water from the discharge of three reuse waters (wastewater effluent, urban stormwater, and agricultural runoff). Results document substantial and varying organic-chemical contribution toAuthorsJason R. Masoner, Dana W. Kolpin, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Paul M. Bradley, Brian Arnall, Kenneth J. Forshay, James L. Gray, Justin F. Groves, Michelle Hladik, Laura E. Hubbard, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Jeanne B. Jaeschke, Rachael F. Lane, R. Blaine McCleskey, Bridgette F. Polite, David A. Roth, Michael Pettijohn, Michaelah C. WilsonByWater Resources Mission Area, Environmental Health Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, California Water Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater LaboratoryWild bee exposure to pesticides in conservation grasslands increases along an agricultural gradient: A tale of two sample types
Conservation efforts have been implemented in agroecosystems to enhance pollinator diversity by creating grassland habitat, but little is known about the exposure of bees to pesticides while foraging in these grassland fields. Pesticide exposure was assessed in 24 conservation grassland fields along an agricultural gradient at two time points (July and August) using silicone band passive samplersAuthorsMichelle Hladik, Johanna M. Kraus, Cassandra Smith, Mark W. Vandever, Dana W. Kolpin, Carrie E Givens, Kelly L. SmallingBottled water contaminant exposures and potential human effects
Bottled water (BW) consumption in the United States and globally has increased amidst heightened concern about environmental contaminant exposures and health risks in drinking water supplies, despite a paucity of directly comparable, environmentally-relevant contaminant exposure data for BW. This study provides insight into exposures and cumulative risks to human health from inorganic/organic/micrAuthorsPaul M. Bradley, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly L. Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Nicola Evans, Suzanne C. Fitzpatrick, Carrie E Givens, Stephanie Gordon, James L. Gray, Emily M. Green, Dale W. Griffin, Michelle Hladik, Leslie K. Kanagy, John T. Lisle, Keith Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Ana Navas-Acien, David A. Roth, Paul F. South, Christopher P. WeisTapwater exposures, effects potential, and residential risk management in Northern Plains Nations
In the United States (US), private-supply tapwater (TW) is rarely monitored. This data gap undermines individual/community risk-management decision-making, leading to an increased probability of unrecognized contaminant exposures in rural and remote locations that rely on private wells. We assessed point-of-use (POU) TW in three northern plains Tribal Nations, where ongoing TW arsenic (As) interveAuthorsPaul M. Bradley, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly L. Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Robert Charboneau, Christine Marie George, Ana Navas-Acien, Marcia O'Leary, Reno Red Cloud, Tracy Zacher, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Mary C. Cardon, Christa K. Cuny, Guthrie Ducheneaux, Kendra Enright, Nicola Evans, James L. Gray, David E. Harvey, Michelle Hladik, Leslie K. Kanagy, Keith Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Shannon M. Meppelink, Joshua F. Valder, Christopher P. WeisExposure to crop production alters cecal prokaryotic microbiota, inflates virulome and resistome in wild prairie grouse
Chemically intensive crop production depletes wildlife food resources, hinders animal development, health, survival, and reproduction, and it suppresses wildlife immune systems, facilitating emergence of infectious diseases with excessive mortality rates. Gut microbiota is crucial for wildlife's response to environmental stressors. Its composition and functionality are sensitive to diet changes anAuthorsSerguei Vyacheslavovich Drovetski, Brian K. Schmidt, Jonas Ethan Lai, Michael S. Gross, Michelle Hladik, Kenan Oguz Matterson, Natalie K. Karouna-RenierPesticide exposure of wild bees and honey bees foraging from field border flowers in intensively managed agriculture areas
Bees are critical for food crop pollination, yet their populations are declining as agricultural practices intensify. Pollinator-attractive field border plantings (e.g. hedgerows and forb strips) can increase bee diversity and abundance in agricultural areas, however recent studies suggest these plants may contain pesticides. Pesticide exposure for wild bees in agricultural areas remains largely uAuthorsLaura T. Ward, Michelle Hladik, Aidee Guzman, Sara Winsemius, Ariana Bautista, Claire Kremen, Nicholas Mills