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Publications

Dive into our publications and explore the science from the Environmental Health Program (Toxic Substances Hydrology and Contaminant Biology).

Filter Total Items: 3740

Bacterial oxidation of dibromomethane and methyl bromide in natural waters and enrichment cultures

Bacterial oxidation of14CH2Br2 and14CH3Br was measured in freshwater, estuarine, seawater, and hypersaline-alkaline samples. In general, bacteria from the various sites oxidized similar amounts of14CH2Br2 and comparatively less 14CH3Br. Bacterial oxidation of14CH3Br was rapid in freshwater samples compared to bacterial oxidation of 14CH3Br in more saline waters. Freshwater was also the only site i
Authors
K.D. Goodwin, J.K. Schaefer, R.S. Oremland

Airborne pesticide residues along the Mississippi River

The occurrence, concentration, and geographical distribution of agricultural pesticides were determined in air over the Mississippi River from New Orleans, LA, to St. Paul, MN, during the first 10 days of June 1994. Air samples were collected from a research vessel by pulling air through polyurethane foam plugs at about 100 L/min for up to 24 h. Each sample was analyzed for 42 pesticides and 3 pes
Authors
M.S. Majewski, W.T. Foreman, D.A. Goolsbys, N. Nakagaki

Radar attenuation tomography using the centroid frequency downshift method

A method for tomographically estimating electromagnetic (EM) wave attenuation based on analysis of centroid frequency downshift (CFDS) of impulse radar signals is described and applied to cross-hole radar data. The method is based on a constant-Q model, which assumes a linear frequency dependence of attenuation for EM wave propagation above the transition frequency. The method uses the CFDS to con
Authors
L. Liu, J. W. Lane, Y. Quan

Fate and transport of linear alkylbenzenesulfonate in a sewage- contaminated aquifer: A comparison of natural-gradient pulsed tracer tests

Two natural-gradient tracer tests were conducted to determine the transport and biodegradation behavior of linear alkylbenzenesulfonate (LAS) surfactant under in situ conditions in a sewage-contaminated aquifer. The tests were conducted in two biogeochemically distinct zones of the aquifer: (1) an aerobic uncontaminated zone (oxic zone) and (2) a moderately aerobic, sewage-contaminated zone (trans
Authors
C.J. Krueger, L. B. Barber, D.W. Metge, J.A. Field

Effect of contaminant concentration on aerobic microbial mineralization of DCE and VC in stream-bed sediments

Discharge of DCE and VC to an aerobic surface water system simultaneously represents a significant environmental concern and, potentially, a non-engineered opportunity for efficient contaminant bioremediation. The potential for bioremediation, however, depends on the ability of the stream-bed microbial community to efficiently and completely degrade DCE and VC over a range of contaminant concentra
Authors
P. M. Bradley, F. H. Chapelle

Microbial mineralization of VC and DCE under different terminal electron accepting conditions

Production of 14CO2 from [1,2-14C] dichloroethene (DCE) or [1,2-14C] vinyl chloride (VC) was quantified in aquifer and stream-bed sediment microcosms to evaluate the potential for microbial mineralization as a pathway for DCE and VC biodegradation under aerobic, Fe(III)-reducing, SO4-reducing, and methanogenic conditions. Mineralization of [1,2-14C] DCE and [1,2-14C] VC to 14CO2 decreased under in
Authors
P. M. Bradley, F. H. Chapelle

Colloid particle sizes in the Mississippi River and some of its tributaries, from Minneapolis to below New Orleans

An on-board technique was developed that combined discharge-weighted pumping to a high-speed continuous-flow centrifuge for isolation of the particulate-sized material with ultrafiltration for isolation of colloid-sized material. In order to address whether these processes changed the particle sizes during isolation, samples of particles in suspension were collected at various steps in the isolati
Authors
C.E. Rostad, T.F. Rees, S.R. Daniel

Models of metal binding structures in fulvic acid from the Suwannee River, Georgia

Fulvic acid, isolated from the Suwannee River, Georgia, was assessed for its ability to bind Ca2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+ ions at pH 6 before and after extensive fractionation that was designed to reveal the nature of metal binding functional groups. The binding constant for Ca2+ ion had the greatest increase of all the ions in a metal binding fraction that was selected for intensive character
Authors
J. A. Leenheer, G.K. Brown, P. MacCarthy, S.E. Cabaniss

Methyl mercury dynamics in littoral sediments of a temperate seepage lake

The sites and rates of methyl mercury (MeHg) production and transport in littoral zone sediments were investigated at Pallette Lake in northern Wisconsin. In littoral areas where groundwater inflow occurs, sulfate supply from groundwater creates profiles of electron acceptors (sulfate) and donors (methane, sulfide) that are reversed from those found in sediments whose sulfate supply is delivered f
Authors
D. P. Krabbenhoft, C.C. Gilmour, J.M. Benoit, Christopher L. Babiarz, A.W. Andren, J.P. Hurley

Interaction between stream temperature, streamflow, and groundwater exchanges in alpine streams

Four alpine streams were monitored to continuously collect stream temperature and streamflow for periods ranging from a week to a year. In a small stream in the Colorado Rockies, diurnal variations in both stream temperature and streamflow were significantly greater in losing reaches than in gaining reaches, with minimum streamflow losses occurring early in the day and maximum losses occurring ear
Authors
James E. Constantz

Analysis of transient storage subject to unsteady flow: Diel flow variation in an Antarctic stream

Transport of dissolved material in streams and small rivers may be characterized using tracer-dilution methods and solute transport models. Recent studies have quantified stream/substream interactions using models of transient storage. These studies are based on tracer-dilution data obtained during periods of steady flow. We present a modeling framework for the analysis of transient storage in str
Authors
R.L. Runkel, Diane M. McKnight, E.D. Andrews

System controls on the aqueous distribution of mercury in the northern Florida Everglades

The forms and partitioning of aqueous mercury species in the canals and marshes of the Northern Florida Everglades exhibit strong spatial and temporal variability. In canals feeding Water Conservation Area (WCA) 2A, unfiltered total Hg (HgT(U)) is less than 3 ng L-1 and relatively constant. In contrast, methyl mercury (MeHg) exhibited a strong seasonal pattern, with highest levels entering WCA-2A
Authors
J.P. Hurley, D. P. Krabbenhoft, L.B. Cleckner, M.L. Olson, G. R. Aiken, P.S. Rawlik