Contaminants and Pathogens
Contaminants and Pathogens
While the Upper Midwest Water Science Center investigates a wide variety of factors affecting water quality, there are some issues that need particular focus due to their potential to enter the environment and cause known or suspected adverse ecological and/or human health effects. They originate from a wide variety of sources and causes, including industry, agriculture, urbanization, human and animal waste, and nature itself. They may be found in high quantities and cause immediate effects, or occur in very low quantities that only cause problems after long-term exposure. They may even be safe and beneficial at lower amounts, but harmful when overused. This group of projects addresses current water-quality issues that are causing concern among water-resource managers and the public, such as chemical pollutants, human and animal pathogens, and the biological effects of chemical and biological contaminants on natural ecosystems.
Filter Total Items: 44
Wings of Change: The Environment's Influence on Bird Flu
Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses naturally occur in wild birds and are rarely fatal. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses are highly contagious, spread rapidly, are often fatal to poultry, and have been responsible for worldwide outbreaks. Together, LPAI and HPAI are generally referred to as either avian influenza viruses (AIVs) or "the bird flu."
Evaluating the impacts of aircraft deicers in runoff from General Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee, Wis.
Chemicals used to deice planes at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee may be entering nearby streams in concentrations that may be harmful to aquatic life. This project will investigate the toxicity of decing chemicals, evaluate their impact on receiving streams, and assess changes in water quality in response to the implementation of deicer management at General Mitchell Airport.
Michigan Bacteriological Research Core Technology Team
About the Research The Michigan Bacteriological Research Laboratory (MI-BaRL) Core Technology Team (CTT) as part of the Environmental Health Program uses a wide array of traditional and modern molecular approaches to evaluate microbial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance pathways in the environment. The scientists use these approaches to advance the understanding of how environmental...
Environmental detection of avian influenza virus
A collaborative project with Federal and university partners working toward the goal of understanding avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in the environment: early detection, enhancing biosurveillance, and mitigation to reduce spread into domestic poultry and potential occupational or recreational exposure to humans.
Well Water Advisory Forecasts for northeast Wisconsin
The fractured bedrock of northeast Wisconsin is vulnerable to groundwater contamination because water and contaminants can move quickly. LIDE is launching a study to predict contamination of private wells in northeast WI using Runoff Risk Advisory Forecasts (RRAF). RRAF is an online tool that forecasts conditions conducive to surface runoff, and the long-term vision is to leverage its forecasts to...
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Watercourse Corridor Study
Since 2000, the USGS and MMSD have been partners in the Milwaukee Area Watercourse Corridor Study. The USGS has applied a multi-disciplinary approach to monitor and assess stream water quality within studies of aquatic communities, geomorphology and habitat, water and sediment, and streamflow. Results are provided to MMSD and watershed management agencies for planning and decision-making.
MMSD Watercourse Corridor Study: Contaminants in Water and Sediment
There are many kinds of chemical, physical, and biological contaminants contained in water and sediment, and new or “emerging” contaminants are continually being discovered. USGS investigations of contaminants in the MMSD Watercourse Corridor Study include studies of PFAS, PAHs, microplastics, and wastewater contamination as well as modeling long-term trends in water quality.
MMSD Watercourse Corridor Study: Ecological Assessments and Trends
Changes in streams that result from urban development such as loss of stream habitat, inadequate or flashy streamflow, and degraded water quality can adversely affect communities of aquatic organisms. MMSD Watercourse Corridor Study ecological assessments evaluate water quality over time by pairing community assessments of aquatic organisms with chemical assessments from passive samplers, as well...
MMSD Watercourse Corridor Study: Green Infrastructure
In urban areas, the term “stormwater” refers to the precipitation (either rainfall or snowmelt) that isn’t absorbed by the ground, but rather flows off impervious surfaces such as roads, roofs, and parking lots. Stormwater flows into storm drains and is typically routed directly to streams, which often results in flooding and sometimes combined sewer overflows (CSO) as well. Stormwater can also...
Mixtures of Algal Toxins Present Prior to and After Formation of Visible Algal Blooms—Science to Inform the Timing of Algal Toxin Exposure
Cyanobacteria with toxin-producing potential, genes indicating an ability for toxin synthesis, or cyanotoxins were present before and after formation of a visible algal bloom in Kabetogama Lake, a popular recreation area in Voyageurs National Park that lies along the border of Minnesota and Canada. The temporal patterns observed in this study indicate that sampling only when there is a visible...
Mercury studies
The USGS Mercury Research Lab is a national leader in advancing mercury research and science, specializing in low-level mercury speciation and isotope analysis and mercury-source fingerprinting. The MRL leads national cutting-edge collaborative studies, including state-of-the-art sample analysis, methods development for field and lab procedures, and data interpretation and dissemination.
Chemicals of Concern in the Great Lakes Basin
The Great Lakes are an important freshwater source of drinking water, fisheries, and habitat. Chemicals of concern are introduced to the environment by human activities, but resulting ecological consequences are little understood. With federal and University partners, we are characterizing the presence of contaminants and potential effects to fish in Great Lakes tributaries.