Images

This infographic introduces an approach that could subsequently be used to prioritize environmental research for the full range of critical elements.

A general summary of produced‐water management options and potential routes of exposure.

Rainfall mobilizes roadway contaminants that flow from storm drains into aquatic habitats. Photo taken in the Pacific Northeast

Text box including a short question/answer on why microbes are important. Can be used for outreach.

Q: What’s the difference between PFOS and PFAS?

A: PFAS is a broad term that refers to a large group of man-made chemicals that contain fluorine atoms. This group includes thousands of different compounds and are highly resistant to degradation. 

Map of U.S. Geological Survey PFAS study areas. Specific points indicate: 1) Surface water and field studies (teal circles), 2) PFAS in tapwater studies (black circles), 3) PFAS in groundwater studies (orange circles), and 4) Sites where atmospheric samples were collected (yellow triangles).

This infographic introduces an approach that could subsequently be used to prioritize environmental research for the full range of critical elements.

Multidisciplinary Approach That Considers Occurrence, Geochemistry, Bioavailability, and Toxicity to Prioritize Critical Minerals for Environmental Research

This is a photo of a filtration apparatus being used for microplastics analysis, November 2024.

Photo taken of a USGS scientist working on PFAS analyses in front of her mass spectrometer within a laboratory.

Cyanobacteria bloom in a shallow Michigan lake during the fall of 2024. Photo by Leon Katona 

In streams affected by acid mine drainage, inflows of diffuse groundwater (nearly invisible to the eye) can substantially control metal mobility, such as in this photo where copper minerals are precipitating along a reach of stream where groundwater with a distinctive composition flows into the stream. 

Mineral precipitates in mine tunnels, such as the copper-rich minerals in this mine in Oregon, may provide information on the paths of groundwater that discharge into the tunnels, informing strategies for metal recovery and potential remediation. 

Laboratory research: Bioelectrochemical system for critical mineral recovery from mining by-products.

Tailings piles at abandoned mine sites can be reprocessed to recover critical minerals and rare earth elements. 

PFOS removal occurred as sulfate-reducing bacteria increased in soil experiments with a dehalogenating culture. Graphic Credits: Denise Akob

Cyanobacteria bloom near the shoreline of North Bar Lake in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan during the fall of 2024. 

Microscope image of cyanobacteria (Microcystis sp.) collected from Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin, June 23, 2024.  Photo by Leon Katona 

Herd of elk transverse a fire pond at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. USGS scientists collected environmental samples for AIV.

Subsurface instruments measuring soil-water potential and water content aid in characterization of fluxes of water in natural and reclaimed soils around uranium mine sites.

Measuring soil surface emission of radon in an undisturbed area near a mining site, PHoto Credit: Christopher Green