Contaminants Active
Contaminants can be chemical or biological and represent major stressors to ecosystems, including human and wildlife populations. Chemical contaminants include those purposefully released into the environment (for example, pesticides) and those that are inadvertently released (for example, mining waste). Biological contaminants can harm our food, water or environment with microorganisms (for example, fungus, bacteria, virus). USGS scientists are helping to understand potential environmental and health hazards posed by chemical and biological contaminants. We study the connections between air, water, soil, and living things to identify the environmental pathways that expose humans and wildlife to contaminants.
Environmental Health Program
Contaminants and Pathogens
Emerging Contaminants
Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration
USGS Contaminants Science
First National-Scale Reconnaissance of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in United States Streams
Pesticides, Flame Retardants, and Mercury in Tissues from Columbia Basin Pacific Lamprey
Groundwater Quality in Principal Aquifers of the United States, 1991—2010
Common Weed Killer is Widespread in the Environment
Pesticides Common in California Estuary
Pesticides Found in Amphibians from Remote Areas in California
Contaminants Affect Fish and Wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay
Skin Lesions and Mortality of Fishes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Understudied Fungicides Common in U.S. Streams Draining Agricultural Land
Glyphosate Found in Wastewater Discharged to Streams
National Reconnaissance of Pharmaceuticals, Hormones and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in U.S. Streams is Making an Impact
National Reconnaissance of Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in Streams Named as One of the Top 100 Science Stories of the Year
- Overview
Contaminants can be chemical or biological and represent major stressors to ecosystems, including human and wildlife populations. Chemical contaminants include those purposefully released into the environment (for example, pesticides) and those that are inadvertently released (for example, mining waste). Biological contaminants can harm our food, water or environment with microorganisms (for example, fungus, bacteria, virus). USGS scientists are helping to understand potential environmental and health hazards posed by chemical and biological contaminants. We study the connections between air, water, soil, and living things to identify the environmental pathways that expose humans and wildlife to contaminants.
Environmental Health ProgramEnvironmental Health ProgramContaminants and PathogensContaminants and PathogensEmerging ContaminantsEmerging ContaminantsNatural Resource Damage Assessment and RestorationNatural Resource Damage Assessment and RestorationUSGS Contaminants ScienceFilter Total Items: 48First National-Scale Reconnaissance of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in United States Streams
Neonicotinoid insecticides (neonicotinoids) were present in a little more than half of the streams sampled across the United States and Puerto Rico, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study. This is the first national-scale study of the presence of neonicotinoids in urban and agricultural land use settings across the Nation and was completed as part of ongoing USGS investigations of...Pesticides, Flame Retardants, and Mercury in Tissues from Columbia Basin Pacific Lamprey
Pesticides, flame retardants, and mercury were present in Pacific lampreys ( Entosphenus tridentatus ) at levels that may be contributing to their overall decline in the Columbia River Basin.These findings are based on the largest available dataset of contaminants measured in lamprey tissues and lamprey habitats by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish...Groundwater Quality in Principal Aquifers of the United States, 1991—2010
A new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report summarizes the major findings of national and regional assessments of groundwater quality in 40 Principal Aquifers in the United States. Knowledge of contaminant occurrence and the factors that control contaminant concentrations can ensure the availability and quality of this vital natural resource in the future.Common Weed Killer is Widespread in the Environment
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists report that glyphosate, known commercially by many trade names, and its degradation product AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid) are transported off-site from agricultural and urban sources and occur widely in the environment. This study is the largest and most comprehensive assessment of the environmental occurrence of glyphosate and AMPA in the United States...Pesticides Common in California Estuary
Pesticides were observed frequently in water, sediment, and the tissue of resident aquatic organisms from an agriculturally dominated estuary along the central California coast according to a collaborative study by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and University of California, Davis scientists published in Marine Pollution Bulletin .Pesticides Found in Amphibians from Remote Areas in California
Amphibians from remote locations in California have accumulated several current-use pesticides, including fungicides, in their bodies. A team of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists recently reported on field results in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry . Two fungicides, pyraclostrobin and tebuconazole, and the herbicide simazine were detected frequently in amphibians from all...Contaminants Affect Fish and Wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay
“Legacy contaminants” and “contaminants of emerging concern” that persist in the environment are affecting the health of fish and wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. State continue to report impaired water resources due to the persistence and toxicity of some previously banned pollutants. In addition, other contaminants of emerging concern are released to the environment at levels...Skin Lesions and Mortality of Fishes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
As the largest and most productive estuary in North America, Chesapeake Bay is a vital ecological and economic resource. The bay and its watershed have been degraded, however, by poor water quality, loss of habitat, and overharvesting. The Chesapeake Bay Program, a cooperative program among several Federal and State agencies, is working to restore fish and wildlife in the bay watershed and the...Understudied Fungicides Common in U.S. Streams Draining Agricultural Land
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists have detected one or more fungicides in 20 of 29 streams across the United States that were sampled during 2005 and 2006 in areas where soybeans are grown. The number of fungicides used has increased significantly since 2002, and very little is known about their occurrence in the environment. For some of the fungicides this is the first data documenting...Glyphosate Found in Wastewater Discharged to Streams
Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world, and is widely used to control weeds in both agricultural fields and in urban and suburban settings. In 2002, USGS scientists sampled the wastewater discharged into streams from 10 wastewater treatment plants. Although the observed concentrations were small, these results are the first to demonstrate that the discharge from wastewater...National Reconnaissance of Pharmaceuticals, Hormones and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in U.S. Streams is Making an Impact
The USGS's National Reconnaissance of Pharmaceuticals in U.S. Streams is making an impact in the scientific and regulatory communities.National Reconnaissance of Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in Streams Named as One of the Top 100 Science Stories of the Year
Discover Magazine has named the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program's "National Reconnaissance of Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in Streams" as one of the 100 top science stories of 2002.