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Environmental Health Program

The Environmental Health Program (Contaminant Biology and Toxic Substances Hydrology) supports integrated natural science expertise and capabilities across the USGS related to environmental contaminants and pathogens. This one-health approach recognizes the interdependence of human and animal health and the health of ecosystems that they share. 

News

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Friday's Findings - July 28 2023

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USGS EcoNews - Vol. 4 | Issue 3

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GeoHEALTH—USGS Newsletter, July 2023

Publications

Attenuation of barium, strontium, cobalt, and nickel plumes formed during microbial iron-reduction in a crude-oil-contaminated aquifer

We assessed the spatial distribution of 35 elements in aquifer sediments and groundwater of a crude-oil-contaminated aquifer and show evidence of the dissolution of barium (Ba), strontium (Sr), cobalt (Co), and nickel (Ni) during hydrocarbon oxidation coupled to historic microbial Fe(III)-reduction near the oil. Trace element plumes occur in the crude-oil-contaminated aquifer, where 50% Co, 47% Ni
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Katherine Jones, Brady Ziegler, Audrey Davis, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli

Nitrifying microorganisms linked to biotransformation of perfluoroalkyl sulfonamido precursors from legacy aqueous film forming foams

Drinking water supplies across the United States have been contaminated by firefighting and fire-training activities that use aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Much of the AFFF is manufactured using electrochemical fluorination by 3M. Precursors with six perfluorinated carbons (C6) and non-fluorinated amine substituents make up approximately o
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Bridger J. Ruyle, Lara Schultes, Denise M. Akob, Cassandra Rashan Harris, Michelle Lorah, Simon Vojta, Jitka Becanova, Shelly McCann, Heidi M. Pickard, Ann Pearson, Rainer Lohmann, Chad D. Vecitis, Elsie M. Sunderland

Uptake of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances by fish, mussel, and passive samplers in mobile laboratory exposures using groundwater from a contamination plume at a historical fire training area, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Aqueous film-forming foams historically were used during fire training activities on Joint Base Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and created an extensive per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) groundwater contamination plume. The potential for PFAS bioconcentration from exposure to the contaminated groundwater, which discharges to surface water bodies, was assessed with mobile-laboratory experiments u
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Larry Barber, Heidi M. Pickard, David Alvarez, Jitka Becanova, Steffanie H. Keefe, Denis R. LeBlanc, Rainer Lohmann, Jeffery A. Steevens, Alan M. Vajda

Science

Toxin Producing Algae Across U.S. Landscapes—Are They Gaining a Foothold?

There are still many unknowns related to the occurrence and potential range of various types of algae in inland waters. To fill some of these gaps, scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently published a review and synthesis of toxic algae in inland waters of the conterminous United States.
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Toxin Producing Algae Across U.S. Landscapes—Are They Gaining a Foothold?

There are still many unknowns related to the occurrence and potential range of various types of algae in inland waters. To fill some of these gaps, scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently published a review and synthesis of toxic algae in inland waters of the conterminous United States.
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USGS Scientists Develop an Interactive Mapping Tool to Visualize PFAS in Tap Water

A new interactive dashboard is available to visualize PFAS measurements for 716 tap water samples collected at select sites across the nation between 2016 and 2021 from private and public supplies.
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USGS Scientists Develop an Interactive Mapping Tool to Visualize PFAS in Tap Water

A new interactive dashboard is available to visualize PFAS measurements for 716 tap water samples collected at select sites across the nation between 2016 and 2021 from private and public supplies.
Learn More

A Farewell but not a Goodbye to a Civil Servant that Never Wavered on her Dedication to the Environment

Kathy Lee, a Deputy Program Coordinator for the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program within the Environmental Health Program, retired at the end of July. Her work with NAWQA as an ecologist, author of the GeoHealth Newsletter, archivist for the programs bibliography, mentor and resource will make a lasting impression in the Environmental Health community.
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A Farewell but not a Goodbye to a Civil Servant that Never Wavered on her Dedication to the Environment

Kathy Lee, a Deputy Program Coordinator for the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program within the Environmental Health Program, retired at the end of July. Her work with NAWQA as an ecologist, author of the GeoHealth Newsletter, archivist for the programs bibliography, mentor and resource will make a lasting impression in the Environmental Health community.
Learn More