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Publications

Publications are the cornerstone of the Pennsylvania Water Science Center’s dissemination of scientific data and conclusions. 

Filter Total Items: 968

Hydrologic investigations and a preliminary conceptual model of the groundwater system at North Penn Area 1 Superfund Site, Souderton, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Hydrologic investigations and a preliminary conceptual model of the groundwater system at North Penn Area 1 Superfund Site, Souderton, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted hydrogeologic investigations, reviewed existing data, and developed a preliminary conceptual model of the groundwater system as part of technical support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the North Penn Area 1 Superfund Site (hereafter, the NP1 Site) located within the Borough of Souderton in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania...
Authors
Lisa A. Senior, Dennis W. Risser, Daniel J. Goode, Philip H. Bird

Predicted potential for aquatic exposure effects of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in Pennsylvania’s statewide network of streams Predicted potential for aquatic exposure effects of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in Pennsylvania’s statewide network of streams

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are contaminants that can lead to adverse health effects in aquatic organisms, including reproductive toxicity and developmental abnormalities. To assess the ecological health risk of PFAS in Pennsylvania stream surface water, we conducted a comprehensive analysis that included both measured and predicted estimates. The potential combined...
Authors
Sara E. Breitmeyer, Amy Williams, Matthew D. Conlon, Timothy A. Wertz, Brian Heflin, Dustin Shull, Joseph W. Duris

A multidisciplinary approach that considers occurrence, geochemistry, bioavailability, and toxicity to prioritize critical minerals for environmental research A multidisciplinary approach that considers occurrence, geochemistry, bioavailability, and toxicity to prioritize critical minerals for environmental research

Critical minerals (or critical elements) are minerals or elements that are essential to global security and development and have supply chains vulnerable to disruption. In general, knowledge of the environmental behavior and health effects of critical elements is needed to support the development of safe and environmentally responsible supplies. This knowledge includes identifying...
Authors
Sarah Jane White, Tyler Kane, Kate M. Campbell, Marie Noele Croteau, Michael G. Iacchetta, Johanna Blake, Charles A. Cravotta, Bethany K. Kunz, Charles N. Alpers, Jill Jenkins, Katherine Walton-Day

The state of the science and practice of stream restoration in the Chesapeake: Lessons learned to inform better implementation, assessment and outcomes The state of the science and practice of stream restoration in the Chesapeake: Lessons learned to inform better implementation, assessment and outcomes

The Chesapeake Bay Program’s (CBP) Science and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) organized and led a workshop on the science and practice of stream restoration in order to summarize the state of knowledge in order to identify ways to improve stream restoration outcomes. The workshop identified a general framework for explaining the main factors leading to stream restoration outcomes...
Authors
Gregory E. Noe, Neely Law, Joel Berger, Solange Filoso, Sadie Drescher, L. Fraley-McNeal, Ben Hayes, Paul Mayer, Chris Ruck, Bill Stack, Rich Starr, Scott Stranko, Tess Thompson

Predictive understanding of stream salinization in a developed watershed using machine learning Predictive understanding of stream salinization in a developed watershed using machine learning

Stream salinization is a global issue, yet few models can provide reliable salinity estimates for unmonitored locations at the time scales required for ecological exposure assessments. Machine learning approaches are presented that use spatially limited high-frequency monitoring and spatially distributed discrete samples to estimate the daily stream-specific conductance across a...
Authors
Jared David Smith, Lauren Elizabeth Koenig, Margaux Jeanne Sleckman, Alison P. Appling, Jeffrey M Sadler, Vincent T. DePaul, Zoltan Szabo

Using a time-of-travel sampling approach to quantify per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) stream loading and source inputs in a mixed-source, urban catchment Using a time-of-travel sampling approach to quantify per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) stream loading and source inputs in a mixed-source, urban catchment

Understanding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) mass distribution in surface and groundwater systems can support source prioritization, load reduction, and water management. Thirteen sites within an urban catchment were sampled utilizing a time-of-travel sampling approach to minimize the influence of subdaily fluctuations in mass from PFAS point sources and to quantify PFAS and...
Authors
Emily Woodward, Lisa A. Senior, Jacob Fleck, Larry B. Barber, Angela Hansen, Joseph W. Duris

Temporal analysis of water chemistry and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) health at two sites with divergent land use in the Susquehanna River watershed, Pennsylvania, USA Temporal analysis of water chemistry and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) health at two sites with divergent land use in the Susquehanna River watershed, Pennsylvania, USA

Monitoring wild fish health and exposure effects in impacted rivers and streams with differing land use has become a valuable research tool. Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) are a sensitive, indicator species that exhibit signs of immunosuppression and endocrine disruption in response to water quality changes and contaminant exposure. To determine the impact of agriculture and...
Authors
Heather L. Walsh, Geoffrey Smith, Megan Schall, Stephanie E. Gordon, Vicki S. Blazer

Feeding habits and ecological implications of the invasive Flathead Catfish in the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania Feeding habits and ecological implications of the invasive Flathead Catfish in the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania

Objective Flathead Catfish Pylodictis olivaris are a widespread aquatic invasive species within the United States and a recent invader in the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania. Flathead Catfish are piscivores known to consume native and recreationally important fish species. In the mid-Atlantic United States, it is unknown how this invader is impacting food webs and which species may...
Authors
Sydney Stark, Megan K. Schall, Geoffrey D. Smith, Aaron Maloy, Jason A. Coombs, Tyler Wagner, Julian Avery

Population genetic structure and demographic history reconstruction of introduced flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) in two US Mid-Atlantic rivers Population genetic structure and demographic history reconstruction of introduced flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) in two US Mid-Atlantic rivers

Population genetic analysis of invasive populations can provide valuable insights into the source of introductions, pathways for expansion, and their demographic histories. Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) are a prolific invasive species with high fecundity, long-distance dispersal, and piscivorous feeding habits that can lead to declines in native fish populations. In this study...
Authors
Justin Waraniak, Michael S. Eackles, Jason Keagy, Geoffrey D. Smith, Megan Schall, Sydney Stark, Shannon L. White, David C. Kazyak, Tyler Wagner

Exploring spatial and temporal symptoms of the freshwater salinization syndrome in a rural to urban watershed Exploring spatial and temporal symptoms of the freshwater salinization syndrome in a rural to urban watershed

The freshwater salinization syndrome (FSS), a concomitant watershed-scale increase in salinity, alkalinity, and major-cation and trace-metal concentrations, over recent decades, has been described for major rivers draining extensive urban areas, yet few studies have evaluated temporal and spatial FSS variations, or causal factors, at the subwatershed scale in mixed-use landscapes. This...
Authors
Nicole K. Marks, Charles A. Cravotta, Marissa Lee Rossi, Camila Silva, Peleg Kremer, Steven T. Goldsmith

A spatial machine learning model developed from noisy data requires multiscale performance evaluation: Predicting depth to bedrock in the Delaware River Basin, USA A spatial machine learning model developed from noisy data requires multiscale performance evaluation: Predicting depth to bedrock in the Delaware River Basin, USA

Spatial machine learning models can be developed from observations with substantial unexplainable variability, sometimes called ‘noise’. Traditional point-scale metrics (e.g., R2) alone can be misleading when evaluating these models. We present a multi-scale performance evaluation (MPE) using two additional scales (distributional and geostatistical). We apply the MPE framework to...
Authors
Phillip J. Goodling, Kenneth Belitz, Paul E. Stackelberg, Brandon J. Fleming

Environmental monitoring of groundwater, surface water, and soil at the Ammonium Perchlorate Rocket Motor Destruction Facility at the Letterkenny Army Depot, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, 2021 Environmental monitoring of groundwater, surface water, and soil at the Ammonium Perchlorate Rocket Motor Destruction Facility at the Letterkenny Army Depot, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, 2021

Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, built an Ammonium Perchlorate Rocket Motor Destruction (ARMD) Facility in 2016 to centralize rocket motor destruction and contain all waste during the destruction process. The U.S. Geological Survey has collected environmental samples from groundwater, surface water, and soils at ARMD since 2016. During 2021, samples were collected...
Authors
Daniel G. Galeone, Shaun J. Donmoyer
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