Sara Breitmeyer is a chemist with the Pennsylvania Water Science Center.
Sara completed a B.A. in Chemistry & M.S. in Environmental Sciences and supports national USGS projects including advanced capabilities in modeling and the fate and effects of emerging contaminants, such as PFAS, pesticides and endocrine disrupting chemicals, in the environment. She also works as part of the Ecosystems Mission Area Environmental Health Program national tapwater infrastructure project through GIS mapping, web-scraping, database development, and R programming. She managed the organic geochemistry laboratory that specialized in the isolation and characterization of natural organic matter in surface water environments and investigated interactions between natural organic matter and trace metal contaminants (e.g. mercury). Other projects include validation of statistical & machine learning models, amphibian & fish health effects from water contaminants, and data collation strategies.
Professional Experience
Chemist, New Jersey Water Science Center, USGS, Lawrenceville, NJ (2019-2023)
Chemist, Project Laboratories Branch (former National Research Program), USGS, Boulder, CO (2015-2019)
Water Quality Technician, Denver Water, Denver, CO (2014-2015)
Environmental Science Research Assistant & Chemistry Program Assistant, University of Colorado (2011-2014)
Education and Certifications
2016 M.S., Environmental Science, University of Colorado Denver
2013 B.A., Chemistry, University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Science and Products
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in United States tapwater: Comparison of underserved private-well and public-supply exposures and associated health implications
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in Pennsylvania surface waters: A statewide assessment, associated sources, and land-use relations
Biogeochemical and hydrologic synergy control mercury fate in an arid land river-reservoir system
Juxtaposition of intensive agriculture, vulnerable aquifers, and mixed chemical/microbial exposures in private-well tapwater in northeast Iowa
Tapwater exposures, effects potential, and residential risk management in Northern Plains Nations
Potential health effects of contaminant mixtures from point and nonpoint sources on fish and frogs in the New Jersey Pinelands
The statistical power to detect regional temporal trends in riverine contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA
Assessing the ecological functionality and integrity of natural ponds, excavated ponds and stormwater basins for conserving amphibian diversity
Pilot-scale expanded assessment of inorganic and organic tapwater exposures and predicted effects in Puerto Rico, USA
Reconnaissance of cumulative risk of pesticides and pharmaceuticals in Great Smoky Mountains National Park streams
Multi-region assessment of chemical mixture exposures and predicted cumulative effects in USA wadeable urban/agriculture-gradient streams
Chemical-contaminant mixtures are widely reported in large stream reaches in urban/agriculture-developed watersheds, but mixture compositions and aggregate biological effects are less well understood in corresponding smaller headwaters, which comprise most of stream length, riparian connectivity, and spatial biodiversity. During 2014–2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measured 389 unique orga
Chemical characterization of water, sediments, and fish from Water Conservation Areas and Canals of the Florida Everglades (USA), 2012 to 2019
Chemical characterization of water and suspended sediment of the Snake River and Hells Canyon Complex (Idaho, Oregon) (ver. 3.0, November 2023)
Pore water chemistry of wetlands in Interior and Southcentral Alaska, 2015 and 2016
Dissolved organic carbon concentration and dissolved organic matter characteristics in surface water samples from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Network rivers, 2008 to 2018
Water quality, quantity, and gas fluxes of the Upper Mississippi River basin (WY 2012-2016)
Water, Soil, Rock, and Sediment Geochemistry Data from the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2015-2017
Organic Carbon Data in Water Samples from Minnesota Lakes, 2012 to 2013
Dissolved organic matter data in water samples from Penobscot River, Penobscot Bay, and the Gulf of Maine, 2008
Water and Sediment Geochemistry Data from the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2014-2015
PFAS in US Tapwater Interactive Dashboard
Drinking-water quality and potential exposures to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at the point-of-use (tapwater) are a rising concern in the United States (US).
Drop by Drop
US Geological Survey research on contaminants in drinking water across the US.
Science and Products
- Publications
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 conductedAuthorsKelly Smalling, Kristin M. Romanok, Paul M. Bradley, Matthew Connor Morriss, James L. Gray, Leslie K. Kanagy, Stephanie Gordon, Brianna Williams, Sara Breitmeyer, Daniel Jones, Laura A. DeCicco, Collin Eagles-Smith, Tyler WagnerByEcosystems 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 CenterPer- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in Pennsylvania surface waters: A statewide assessment, associated sources, and land-use relations
The objectives of this study are to identify per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Pennsylvania surface waters, corresponding associations with potential sources of PFAS contamination (PSOC) and other parameters, and compare raw surface water concentrations to human and ecological benchmarks. Surface water samples from 161 streams were collected in September 2019 and were analyzed for 33 tAuthorsSara Breitmeyer, Amy Williams, Joseph W. Duris, Lee W. Eicholtz, Dustin R. Shull, Timothy A. Wertz, Emily WoodwardBiogeochemical and hydrologic synergy control mercury fate in an arid land river-reservoir system
Reservoirs in arid landscapes provide critical water storage and hydroelectric power but influence the transport and biogeochemical cycling of mercury (Hg). Improved management of reservoirs to mitigate the supply and uptake of bioavailable methylmercury (MeHg) in aquatic food webs will benefit from a mechanistic understanding of inorganic divalent Hg (Hg(II)) and MeHg fate within and downstream oAuthorsBrett Poulin, Michael T. Tate, Jacob M. Ogorek, Sara Breitmeyer, Austin K. Baldwin, Alysa Muir Yoder, Reed C. Harris, Jesse Naymik, Nick Gastelecutto, Charles Hoovestol, Christopher F. Larsen, Ralph Myers, George R. Aiken, David P. KrabbenhoftJuxtaposition 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 Bradley, Dana W. Kolpin, Darrin A. Thompson, Kristin Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Sara 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. WardTapwater 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 Bradley, Kristin Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Robert Charboneau, Christine Marie George, Ana Navas-Acien, Marcia O'Leary, Reno Red Cloud, Tracy Zacher, Sara 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. WeisPotential health effects of contaminant mixtures from point and nonpoint sources on fish and frogs in the New Jersey Pinelands
Aquatic ecosystems convey complex contaminant mixtures from anthropogenic pollution on a global scale. Point (e.g., municipal wastewater) and nonpoint sources (e.g., stormwater runoff) are both drivers of contaminant mixtures in aquatic habitats. The objectives of this study were to identify the contaminant mixtures present in surface waters impacted by both point and nonpoint sources, to determinAuthorsSara Breitmeyer, Heather L. Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer, John F. Bunnell, Patrick M. Burritt, Jeff Dragon, Michelle Hladik, Paul Bradley, Kristin Romanok, Kelly SmallingThe statistical power to detect regional temporal trends in riverine contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA
Chemical contamination of riverine ecosystems is largely a result of urbanization, industrialization, and agricultural activities occurring on adjacent terrestrial landscapes. Land management activities (e.g., Best Management Practices) are an important tool used to reduce point and non-point sources of pollution. However, the ability to confidently make inferences about the efficacy of land managAuthorsTyler Wagner, Paul McLaughlin, Kelly Smalling, Sara Breitmeyer, Stephanie Gordon, Gregory B. NoeAssessing the ecological functionality and integrity of natural ponds, excavated ponds and stormwater basins for conserving amphibian diversity
Wetlands provide ecological functionality by maintaining and promoting regional biodiversity supporting quality habitat for aquatic organisms. Globally, habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation due to increases in agricultural activities and urban development have reduced or altered geographically isolated wetlands, thus reducing biodiversity. The objective of this study was to assess the relatAuthorsKelly Smalling, Sara Breitmeyer, John F. Bunnell, Kim J Laidig, Patrick Burritt, Marilyn Sobel, Jonathan Cohl, Michelle Hladik, Kristin M. Romanok, Paul BradleyPilot-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 microbioloAuthorsPaul Bradley, Ingrid Y. Padilla, Kristin Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Sara 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. WilsonReconnaissance of cumulative risk of pesticides and pharmaceuticals in Great Smoky Mountains National Park streams
The United States (US) National Park Service (NPS) manages protected public lands to preserve biodiversity. Exposure to and effects of bioactive organic contaminants in NPS streams are challenges for resource managers. Recent assessment of pesticides and pharmaceuticals in protected-streams within the urbanized NPS Southeast Region (SER) indicated the importance of fluvial inflows from external soAuthorsPaul Bradley, Matt A. Kulp, Bradley J. Huffman, Kristin Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Sara Breitmeyer, Jimmy Clark, Celeste A. JourneyMulti-region assessment of chemical mixture exposures and predicted cumulative effects in USA wadeable urban/agriculture-gradient streams
Chemical-contaminant mixtures are widely reported in large stream reaches in urban/agriculture-developed watersheds, but mixture compositions and aggregate biological effects are less well understood in corresponding smaller headwaters, which comprise most of stream length, riparian connectivity, and spatial biodiversity. During 2014–2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measured 389 unique orga
AuthorsPaul Bradley, Celeste A. Journey, Kristin Romanok, Sara Breitmeyer, Daniel T. Button, Daren M. Carlisle, Bradley Huffman, Barbara Mahler, Lisa H. Nowell, Sharon L. Qi, Kelly Smalling, Ian R. Waite, Peter C. Van MetreByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC) - Data
Chemical characterization of water, sediments, and fish from Water Conservation Areas and Canals of the Florida Everglades (USA), 2012 to 2019
This dataset includes field and laboratory measurements of surface waters, pore waters, sediment, and fish from Water Conservation Areas and adjacent canals of the Florida Everglades (USA). Water, sediment, and fish samples were collected from Water Conservation Areas 1 (Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge), 2, and 3 and neighboring canals between 2012 and 2019. The sites samplChemical characterization of water and suspended sediment of the Snake River and Hells Canyon Complex (Idaho, Oregon) (ver. 3.0, November 2023)
This dataset includes laboratory analyses of surface water samples and sediment trap material collected from (1) locations upstream, downstream, and within the Hells Canyon Complex (Idaho, Oregon) of the Snake River, (2) tributaries of the Snake River, and (3) two reservoirs near Boise, Idaho, from 2014 to 2021. The study area spans approximately 232 river miles of the Snake River and includes: twPore water chemistry of wetlands in Interior and Southcentral Alaska, 2015 and 2016
The pore water of eight wetlands in Interior and Southcentral Alaska were collected in 2015 (17 July - 22 July) and 2016 (12 July - 16 July). Wetlands were selected to span a range in trophic status (e.g., from bog to fen). Using ultraclean trace metal clean protocols, pore waters were sampled from shallow (10-15 cm) and deep (20-35 cm) depths below the water table. Field measurements reported forDissolved organic carbon concentration and dissolved organic matter characteristics in surface water samples from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Network rivers, 2008 to 2018
The sampling of 41 hydrologically diverse rivers that are monitored through the National Water Quality Network (NWQN) by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) took place during the water years of 2008 through 2018. Water samples were collected and filtered in the field (unless otherwise noted) using 0.45 micrometer pre-rinsed capsule filters (Versapor membrane), silicon tubing, and a peristaltic pump.Water quality, quantity, and gas fluxes of the Upper Mississippi River basin (WY 2012-2016)
This product consists of one tabular dataset and associated metadata of water quality information related to rivers, streams, and reservoirs in the Upper Mississippi River watershed between 2012 and 2016. This data release is a part of a national assessment of freshwater aquatic carbon fluxes. Data consist of organic and inorganic carbon related species, carbon dioxide and methane gas fluxes calcuWater, Soil, Rock, and Sediment Geochemistry Data from the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2015-2017
Water and sediment samples were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at or near baseflow conditions from 2015-2017 in the East Fork South Fork Salmon River watershed near Yellow Pine, Valley County, Idaho. Soil, rock and tailings samples were collected in June 2015. Sampling focused on Cinnabar Creek, which flows through the CinnabarOrganic Carbon Data in Water Samples from Minnesota Lakes, 2012 to 2013
The sampling of three hydrologically diverse Minnesota Lakes (Williams Lake, Shingobee Lake, and Lake Manganika) took place during the years of 2012 to 2013. Water samples were collected and filtered in the field using 0.45 micrometer capsule filters (Versapor membrane), silicon tubing, and a peristaltic pump. Water samples were then shipped on ice to the U.S. Geological Survey in Boulder, ColoradDissolved organic matter data in water samples from Penobscot River, Penobscot Bay, and the Gulf of Maine, 2008
The sampling of the riverine-to-marine transect (Penobscot River, Penobscot Bay, and the Gulf of Maine) took place in 2008. Water samples were collected and filtered in the field using 0.45 micrometer capsule filters (Versapor membrane), silicon tubing, and a peristaltic pump. Water samples were then shipped on ice to the U.S. Geological Survey in Boulder, Colorado and chilled to approximately 4 dWater and Sediment Geochemistry Data from the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2014-2015
Samples were collected at or near baseflow conditions. Water pH and specific conductance were measured in the field, with specific conductance also measured in the laboratory and calculated based on the ionic strength of samples based on laboratory analyses. Water samples were collected for laboratory analyses using a peristaltic pump with silicon tubing. Samples were filtered through a reusabl - Multimedia
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PFAS in US Tapwater Interactive Dashboard
Drinking-water quality and potential exposures to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at the point-of-use (tapwater) are a rising concern in the United States (US).
Drop by Drop
US Geological Survey research on contaminants in drinking water across the US.
- News