James L Gray, PhD
James Gray is a Research Chemist for the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
Science and Products
Collaborative Science Provides Understanding of Contaminants in Bottled Water-an Increasingly Common Alternate Drinking Water Source
U.S. Geological Survey researchers and public health experts collaborated to determine what contaminants occur in bottled water, which is an increasingly common alternate drinking water source, to broaden their understanding of human exposure to contaminants in drinking water supply chains. Bottled water, like public-supply and private-well tap water supply chains, contained multiple organic...
Study Provides a Data Resource for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Streams Within Iowa Agricultural Watersheds
Per- and poly fl uoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were detected in streams within agricultural areas (an often-unmeasured landscape) across Iowa. The data from this study provide one resource to understand the extent of PFAS concentrations in water resources from diverse landscapes throughout the United States.
Commonly Used Chemicals Transported to Agricultural Field through Municipal Biosolids Application
Commonly used chemicals (including fragrances, detergents, fire retardants, plasticizers, and antibacterials) transferred to wastewater treatment plants were detected in municipal wastewater biosolids applied to agricultural field plots and subsequently detected in the runoff transported from the plots during precipitation events.
Target-Chemical Concentrations for Assessment of Mixed-Organic/Inorganic Chemical and Biological Exposures in Private-Well Tapwater at Campbell, Wisconsin, 2021
Tapwater samples were obtained from groundwater sources on French Island, in the town of Campbell, Wisconsin. Samples from three locations were collected multiple times over a period of three days to assess temporal variations in water quality. Samples from an additional eight locations, were collected one time, spatially distributed around Campbell. Due to privacy concerns, the exact...
Target-chemical concentrations and microbiological results in surface water and tapwater, Montana, 2022
This data release contains the concentration and quality-assurance results for inorganic constituents, as well as organic compounds (volatile organic compounds [VOC], per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances [PFAS], pesticides and disinfection byproducts [DBP]) and microbiological results collected in the Little Big Horn River and residential or commercial tapwater locations in Montana...
Concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in tapwater collected throughout the United States, 2021-22
This dataset contains the concentration and quality assurance results for 34 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 409 residential and commercial tapwater samples were collected once between May 2021 and May 2022, in the contiguous U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Of these samples 252 were from publicly supplied tapwater locations, and 155 were sourced...
Chemical Concentrations and Microbiological Results for Assessment of Mixed-Organic/Inorganic Chemical Exposures in Tapwater in Mead, Nebraska, June 2022 and January 2023
In the United States and globally, the lack of data on contaminant exposure from unregulated private-well point-of-use (POU) tapwater (TW) is a recognized public health data gap and an obstacle to risk management and homeowner decision making. Mead, Nebraska, is an agricultural community about 30 miles west of Omaha. To help address the lack of data on broad contaminant exposures in TW...
State-Wide Reconnaissance of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD), and 6PPD-Quinone in Iowa Streams, 2022-2023
Water-quality samples were collected at 49 surface water sites covering a range of land uses across the state of Iowa starting the summer of 2022 and continuing into the spring of 2023 by staff from the U.S. Geological Survey Central Midwest Water Science Center. Samples were submitted to the National Water Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colorado, and were analyzed for 32 per- and...
Water quality and contaminants in stream surface waters collected in the Shenandoah Valley, 2021
The data presented in this data release includes 11 field/water quality parameters, concentrations of 16 nutrients/anions, dissolved organic carbon, 14 organic contaminants, net estrogenicity concentrations, and 51 inorganic constituents in surface water collected twice from 28 stream sites and collected once from 2 stream sites in the Shenandoah Valley (Virginia and West Virginia, USA)...
Target-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...
Emerging contaminant data at wastewater treatment facilities, municipal water supplies, surface water and lake sites in the northeastern United States, 2009-2018 (ver. 1.1, January 2023)
Over 300 samples were collected in New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts from wastewater treatment facilities (20 locations), drinking water facilities (9 locations), streams (53 locations), lakes (2 locations), a bay (1 location), and a POCIS (Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler) blank sample between April 2009 and October 2018. This data release provides chemistry data for over...
Target-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...
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
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...
Concentrations of organic and inorganic constituents in tapwater samples from California in 2020-21 (ver. 3.1, March 2024)
This dataset contains the trace elements, cations, anions, disinfection by-products, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceutical and pesticide concentration results for the tapwater study conducted in California, November, 2020 through May, 2021. Trace elements, cations and anions were analyzed at the U.S. Geological Survey Redox Chemistry Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado...
Water-quality data for a statewide assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) study in Iowa, 2019-2020
Data were collected at 60 surface water and two effluent sites across Iowa in 2019-2020 by staff from the U.S. Geological Survey Central Midwest Water Science Center. Samples were submitted to the National Water Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colorado, and were analyzed for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Filter Total Items: 45
Mixed contaminant exposure in tapwater and the potential implications for human-health in disadvantaged communities in California
Water is an increasingly precious resource in California as years of drought, climate change, pollution, as well as an expanding population have all stressed the state's drinking water supplies. Currently, there are increasing concerns about whether regulated and unregulated contaminants in drinking water are linked to a variety of human-health outcomes particularly in socially...
Authors
Kelly Smalling, Kristin M. Romanok, Paul M. Bradley, Michelle Hladik, James L. Gray, Leslie K. Kanagy, R. Blaine McCleskey, Diana A. Stavreva, Annika K. Alexander-Ozinskas, Jesus Alonso, Wendy Avila, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Roberto Bustillo, Stephanie Gordon, Gordon L. Hager, Rena R. Jones, Dana W. Kolpin, Seth Newton, Peggy Reynolds, John Sloop, Andria Ventura, Julie Von Behren, Mary H. Ward, Gina M. Solomon
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water in Southeast Los Angeles: Industrial legacy and environmental justice
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent chemicals of increasing concern to human health. PFAS contamination in water systems has been linked to a variety of sources including hydrocarbon fire suppression activities, industrial and military land uses, agricultural applications of biosolids, and consumer products. To assess PFAS in California tap water, we collected 60...
Authors
Julie Von Behren, Peggy Reynolds, Paul M. Bradley, James L. Gray, Dana W. Kolpin, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Catherine Carpenter, Wendy Avila, Paul B. English, Rena R. Jones, Gina Solomon
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in United States tapwater: Comparison of underserved private-well and public-supply exposures and associated health implications
Drinking-water quality is a rising concern in the United States (US), emphasizing the need to broadly assess exposures and potential health effects at the point-of-use. Drinking-water exposures to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a national concern, however, there is limited information on PFAS in residential tapwater at the point-of-use, especially from private-wells. We...
Authors
Kelly L. Smalling, Kristin M. Romanok, Paul M. Bradley, Matthew C. Morriss, James L. Gray, Leslie K. Kanagy, Stephanie Gordon, Brianna Williams, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Daniel Jones, Laura A. DeCicco, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Tyler Wagner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Utah Water Science Center
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
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...
Authors
Kelly 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. Weis
Juxtaposition 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...
Authors
Paul 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. Ward
Contaminant 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...
Authors
Jason 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. Wilson
By
Water 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 Laboratory
Bottled 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...
Authors
Paul 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. Weis
Tapwater 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...
Authors
Paul 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. Weis
Food, beverage, and feedstock processing facility wastewater: A unique and underappreciated source of contaminants to U.S. streams
Process wastewaters from food, beverage, and feedstock facilities, although regulated, are an under-investigated environmental contaminant source. Food process wastewaters (FPWWs) from 23 facilities in 17 U.S. states were sampled and documented for a plethora of chemical and microbial contaminants. Of the 576 analyzed organics, 184 (32%) were detected at least once, with concentrations...
Authors
Laura E. Hubbard, Dana W. Kolpin, Carrie E Givens, Bradley D. Blackwell, Paul M. Bradley, James L. Gray, Rachael F. Lane, Jason R. Masoner, R. Blaine McCleskey, Kristin M. Romanok, Mark W. Sandstrom, Kelly L. Smalling, Daniel L. Villeneuve
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Water Science Center, National Water Quality Laboratory
A comprehensive statewide spatiotemporal stream assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in an agricultural region of the United States
Public concern regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has grown substantially in recent years. In addition, research has documented multiple potential agriculture-related release pathways for PFAS (e.g., biosolids and livestock manure). Nevertheless, little research on the environmental prevalence of PFAS has been conducted in agricultural regions of the United States. To...
Authors
Dana W. Kolpin, Laura E. Hubbard, D.M. Cwiertny, Shannon M. Meppelink, D.A. Thompson, James L. Gray
Pilot-scale expanded assessment of inorganic and organic tapwater exposures and predicted effects in Puerto Rico, USA
A pilot-scale expanded target assessment of mixtures of inorganic and organic contaminants in point-of-consumption drinking water (tapwater, TW) was conducted in Puerto Rico (PR) to continue to inform TW exposures and corresponding estimations of cumulative human-health risks across the US. In August 2018, a spatial synoptic pilot assessment of than 524 organic, 37 inorganic, and select...
Authors
Paul M. Bradley, Ingrid Y. Padilla, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Mary C. Cardon, Justin M. Conley, Nicola Evans, Carrie E Givens, James L. Gray, L. Earl Gray, Phillip C. Hartig, Michelle Hladik, Christopher P. Higgins, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Rachael F. Lane, Keith Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Carrie A. McDonough, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Shannon M. Meppelink, Christopher P. Weis, Vickie S. Wilson
Public and private tapwater: Comparative analysis of contaminant exposure and potential risk, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA
BackgroundHumans are primary drivers of environmental contamination worldwide, including in drinking-water resources. In the United States (US), federal and state agencies regulate and monitor public-supply drinking water while private-supply monitoring is rare; the current lack of directly comparable information on contaminant-mixture exposures and risks between private- and public...
Authors
Paul M. Bradley, Denis R. LeBlanc, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Mary C. Cardon, Jimmy Clark, Justin M. Conley, Nicola Evans, Carrie E Givens, James L. Gray, L. Earl Gray, Phillip C. Hartig, Christopher P. Higgins, Michelle Hladik, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Keith Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Carrie A. McDonough, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Christopher P. Weis, Vickie S. Wilson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, New England Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Water Science Center, National Water Quality Laboratory
Non-USGS Publications**
Kolodziej, E. P., Gray, J. L., & Sedlak, D. L. (2003). Quantification Of Steroid Hormones With Pheromonal Properties In Municipal Wastewater Effluent. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 22(11), 2622. doi:10.1897/03-42
Sedlak, D. L., Pinkston, K. E., Gray, J. L., & Kolodziej, E. P. (2003). Approaches for Quantifying the Attenuation of Wastewater-Derived Contaminants in the Aquatic Environment. CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry, 57(9), 567-569. doi:10.2533/000942903777679055
Sedlak, D. L., Gray, J. L., & Pinkston, K. E. (2000). Peer Reviewed: Understanding Microcontaminants in Recycled Water. Environmental Science & Technology, 34(23). doi:10.1021/es003513e
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in U.S. Tapwater: Comparison of Public-Supply and Underserved Private-Well Exposures and Associated Health Implications
This software involves files to fit the statistical models described in Smalling et al. Specifically, there are R scripts and associated stan model files (when appropriate) for comparing PFAS concentrations among public-supply and private-wells and as a function of geospatial predictor variables. There is also an R script for modeling the number of PFAS chemicals detected among water...
Science and Products
Collaborative Science Provides Understanding of Contaminants in Bottled Water-an Increasingly Common Alternate Drinking Water Source
U.S. Geological Survey researchers and public health experts collaborated to determine what contaminants occur in bottled water, which is an increasingly common alternate drinking water source, to broaden their understanding of human exposure to contaminants in drinking water supply chains. Bottled water, like public-supply and private-well tap water supply chains, contained multiple organic...
Study Provides a Data Resource for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Streams Within Iowa Agricultural Watersheds
Per- and poly fl uoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were detected in streams within agricultural areas (an often-unmeasured landscape) across Iowa. The data from this study provide one resource to understand the extent of PFAS concentrations in water resources from diverse landscapes throughout the United States.
Commonly Used Chemicals Transported to Agricultural Field through Municipal Biosolids Application
Commonly used chemicals (including fragrances, detergents, fire retardants, plasticizers, and antibacterials) transferred to wastewater treatment plants were detected in municipal wastewater biosolids applied to agricultural field plots and subsequently detected in the runoff transported from the plots during precipitation events.
Target-Chemical Concentrations for Assessment of Mixed-Organic/Inorganic Chemical and Biological Exposures in Private-Well Tapwater at Campbell, Wisconsin, 2021
Tapwater samples were obtained from groundwater sources on French Island, in the town of Campbell, Wisconsin. Samples from three locations were collected multiple times over a period of three days to assess temporal variations in water quality. Samples from an additional eight locations, were collected one time, spatially distributed around Campbell. Due to privacy concerns, the exact...
Target-chemical concentrations and microbiological results in surface water and tapwater, Montana, 2022
This data release contains the concentration and quality-assurance results for inorganic constituents, as well as organic compounds (volatile organic compounds [VOC], per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances [PFAS], pesticides and disinfection byproducts [DBP]) and microbiological results collected in the Little Big Horn River and residential or commercial tapwater locations in Montana...
Concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in tapwater collected throughout the United States, 2021-22
This dataset contains the concentration and quality assurance results for 34 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 409 residential and commercial tapwater samples were collected once between May 2021 and May 2022, in the contiguous U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Of these samples 252 were from publicly supplied tapwater locations, and 155 were sourced...
Chemical Concentrations and Microbiological Results for Assessment of Mixed-Organic/Inorganic Chemical Exposures in Tapwater in Mead, Nebraska, June 2022 and January 2023
In the United States and globally, the lack of data on contaminant exposure from unregulated private-well point-of-use (POU) tapwater (TW) is a recognized public health data gap and an obstacle to risk management and homeowner decision making. Mead, Nebraska, is an agricultural community about 30 miles west of Omaha. To help address the lack of data on broad contaminant exposures in TW...
State-Wide Reconnaissance of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD), and 6PPD-Quinone in Iowa Streams, 2022-2023
Water-quality samples were collected at 49 surface water sites covering a range of land uses across the state of Iowa starting the summer of 2022 and continuing into the spring of 2023 by staff from the U.S. Geological Survey Central Midwest Water Science Center. Samples were submitted to the National Water Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colorado, and were analyzed for 32 per- and...
Water quality and contaminants in stream surface waters collected in the Shenandoah Valley, 2021
The data presented in this data release includes 11 field/water quality parameters, concentrations of 16 nutrients/anions, dissolved organic carbon, 14 organic contaminants, net estrogenicity concentrations, and 51 inorganic constituents in surface water collected twice from 28 stream sites and collected once from 2 stream sites in the Shenandoah Valley (Virginia and West Virginia, USA)...
Target-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...
Emerging contaminant data at wastewater treatment facilities, municipal water supplies, surface water and lake sites in the northeastern United States, 2009-2018 (ver. 1.1, January 2023)
Over 300 samples were collected in New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts from wastewater treatment facilities (20 locations), drinking water facilities (9 locations), streams (53 locations), lakes (2 locations), a bay (1 location), and a POCIS (Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler) blank sample between April 2009 and October 2018. This data release provides chemistry data for over...
Target-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...
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
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...
Concentrations of organic and inorganic constituents in tapwater samples from California in 2020-21 (ver. 3.1, March 2024)
This dataset contains the trace elements, cations, anions, disinfection by-products, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceutical and pesticide concentration results for the tapwater study conducted in California, November, 2020 through May, 2021. Trace elements, cations and anions were analyzed at the U.S. Geological Survey Redox Chemistry Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado...
Water-quality data for a statewide assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) study in Iowa, 2019-2020
Data were collected at 60 surface water and two effluent sites across Iowa in 2019-2020 by staff from the U.S. Geological Survey Central Midwest Water Science Center. Samples were submitted to the National Water Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colorado, and were analyzed for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Filter Total Items: 45
Mixed contaminant exposure in tapwater and the potential implications for human-health in disadvantaged communities in California
Water is an increasingly precious resource in California as years of drought, climate change, pollution, as well as an expanding population have all stressed the state's drinking water supplies. Currently, there are increasing concerns about whether regulated and unregulated contaminants in drinking water are linked to a variety of human-health outcomes particularly in socially...
Authors
Kelly Smalling, Kristin M. Romanok, Paul M. Bradley, Michelle Hladik, James L. Gray, Leslie K. Kanagy, R. Blaine McCleskey, Diana A. Stavreva, Annika K. Alexander-Ozinskas, Jesus Alonso, Wendy Avila, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Roberto Bustillo, Stephanie Gordon, Gordon L. Hager, Rena R. Jones, Dana W. Kolpin, Seth Newton, Peggy Reynolds, John Sloop, Andria Ventura, Julie Von Behren, Mary H. Ward, Gina M. Solomon
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water in Southeast Los Angeles: Industrial legacy and environmental justice
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent chemicals of increasing concern to human health. PFAS contamination in water systems has been linked to a variety of sources including hydrocarbon fire suppression activities, industrial and military land uses, agricultural applications of biosolids, and consumer products. To assess PFAS in California tap water, we collected 60...
Authors
Julie Von Behren, Peggy Reynolds, Paul M. Bradley, James L. Gray, Dana W. Kolpin, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Catherine Carpenter, Wendy Avila, Paul B. English, Rena R. Jones, Gina Solomon
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in United States tapwater: Comparison of underserved private-well and public-supply exposures and associated health implications
Drinking-water quality is a rising concern in the United States (US), emphasizing the need to broadly assess exposures and potential health effects at the point-of-use. Drinking-water exposures to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a national concern, however, there is limited information on PFAS in residential tapwater at the point-of-use, especially from private-wells. We...
Authors
Kelly L. Smalling, Kristin M. Romanok, Paul M. Bradley, Matthew C. Morriss, James L. Gray, Leslie K. Kanagy, Stephanie Gordon, Brianna Williams, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Daniel Jones, Laura A. DeCicco, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Tyler Wagner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Utah Water Science Center
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
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...
Authors
Kelly 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. Weis
Juxtaposition 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...
Authors
Paul 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. Ward
Contaminant 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...
Authors
Jason 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. Wilson
By
Water 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 Laboratory
Bottled 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...
Authors
Paul 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. Weis
Tapwater 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...
Authors
Paul 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. Weis
Food, beverage, and feedstock processing facility wastewater: A unique and underappreciated source of contaminants to U.S. streams
Process wastewaters from food, beverage, and feedstock facilities, although regulated, are an under-investigated environmental contaminant source. Food process wastewaters (FPWWs) from 23 facilities in 17 U.S. states were sampled and documented for a plethora of chemical and microbial contaminants. Of the 576 analyzed organics, 184 (32%) were detected at least once, with concentrations...
Authors
Laura E. Hubbard, Dana W. Kolpin, Carrie E Givens, Bradley D. Blackwell, Paul M. Bradley, James L. Gray, Rachael F. Lane, Jason R. Masoner, R. Blaine McCleskey, Kristin M. Romanok, Mark W. Sandstrom, Kelly L. Smalling, Daniel L. Villeneuve
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Water Science Center, National Water Quality Laboratory
A comprehensive statewide spatiotemporal stream assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in an agricultural region of the United States
Public concern regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has grown substantially in recent years. In addition, research has documented multiple potential agriculture-related release pathways for PFAS (e.g., biosolids and livestock manure). Nevertheless, little research on the environmental prevalence of PFAS has been conducted in agricultural regions of the United States. To...
Authors
Dana W. Kolpin, Laura E. Hubbard, D.M. Cwiertny, Shannon M. Meppelink, D.A. Thompson, James L. Gray
Pilot-scale expanded assessment of inorganic and organic tapwater exposures and predicted effects in Puerto Rico, USA
A pilot-scale expanded target assessment of mixtures of inorganic and organic contaminants in point-of-consumption drinking water (tapwater, TW) was conducted in Puerto Rico (PR) to continue to inform TW exposures and corresponding estimations of cumulative human-health risks across the US. In August 2018, a spatial synoptic pilot assessment of than 524 organic, 37 inorganic, and select...
Authors
Paul M. Bradley, Ingrid Y. Padilla, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Mary C. Cardon, Justin M. Conley, Nicola Evans, Carrie E Givens, James L. Gray, L. Earl Gray, Phillip C. Hartig, Michelle Hladik, Christopher P. Higgins, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Rachael F. Lane, Keith Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Carrie A. McDonough, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Shannon M. Meppelink, Christopher P. Weis, Vickie S. Wilson
Public and private tapwater: Comparative analysis of contaminant exposure and potential risk, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA
BackgroundHumans are primary drivers of environmental contamination worldwide, including in drinking-water resources. In the United States (US), federal and state agencies regulate and monitor public-supply drinking water while private-supply monitoring is rare; the current lack of directly comparable information on contaminant-mixture exposures and risks between private- and public...
Authors
Paul M. Bradley, Denis R. LeBlanc, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Mary C. Cardon, Jimmy Clark, Justin M. Conley, Nicola Evans, Carrie E Givens, James L. Gray, L. Earl Gray, Phillip C. Hartig, Christopher P. Higgins, Michelle Hladik, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Keith Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Carrie A. McDonough, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Christopher P. Weis, Vickie S. Wilson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, New England Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Water Science Center, National Water Quality Laboratory
Non-USGS Publications**
Kolodziej, E. P., Gray, J. L., & Sedlak, D. L. (2003). Quantification Of Steroid Hormones With Pheromonal Properties In Municipal Wastewater Effluent. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 22(11), 2622. doi:10.1897/03-42
Sedlak, D. L., Pinkston, K. E., Gray, J. L., & Kolodziej, E. P. (2003). Approaches for Quantifying the Attenuation of Wastewater-Derived Contaminants in the Aquatic Environment. CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry, 57(9), 567-569. doi:10.2533/000942903777679055
Sedlak, D. L., Gray, J. L., & Pinkston, K. E. (2000). Peer Reviewed: Understanding Microcontaminants in Recycled Water. Environmental Science & Technology, 34(23). doi:10.1021/es003513e
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in U.S. Tapwater: Comparison of Public-Supply and Underserved Private-Well Exposures and Associated Health Implications
This software involves files to fit the statistical models described in Smalling et al. Specifically, there are R scripts and associated stan model files (when appropriate) for comparing PFAS concentrations among public-supply and private-wells and as a function of geospatial predictor variables. There is also an R script for modeling the number of PFAS chemicals detected among water...