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Publications

Dive into our publications and explore the science from the Environmental Health Program (Toxic Substances Hydrology and Contaminant Biology).

Filter Total Items: 4093

Effects of surface-water irrigation on sources, fluxes, and residence times of water, nitrate, and uranium in an alluvial aquifer Effects of surface-water irrigation on sources, fluxes, and residence times of water, nitrate, and uranium in an alluvial aquifer

Effects of surface-water irrigation on an alluvial aquifer were evaluated using chemical and isotopic data including δ2H, δ18O, 3H, δ3He, Ar, Ne, N2, δ15N, and 234U/238U activity ratios in a transect of nested wells in the North Platte River valley in western Nebraska, USA. The data were used to evaluate sources and fluxes of H2O, NO3- and U, all of which were strongly affected by...
Authors
John Karl Bohlke, Ingrid M. Verstraeten, Thomas F. Kraemer

Arsenic in the environment: Biology and chemistry Arsenic in the environment: Biology and chemistry

Arsenic (As) distribution and toxicology in the environment is a serious issue, with millions of individuals worldwide being affected by As toxicosis. Sources of As contamination are both natural and anthropogenic and the scale of contamination ranges from local to regional. There are many areas of research that are being actively pursued to address the As contamination problem. These...
Authors
Prosun Bhattacharya, Alan H. Welch, Kenneth G. Stollenwerk, Mike J. McLaughlin, Jochen Bundschuh, G. Panaullah

Quasi-horizontal circulation cells in 3D seawater intrusion Quasi-horizontal circulation cells in 3D seawater intrusion

The seawater intrusion process is characterized by the difference in freshwater and seawater density that causes freshwater to float on seawater. Many confined aquifers have a large horizontal extension with respect to thickness. In these cases, while buoyancy acts in the vertical direction, flow is confined between the upper and bottom boundaries and the effect of gravity is controlled...
Authors
E. Abarca, J. Carrera, X. Sanchez-Vila, Clifford I. Voss

Characterization of suspended particles in Everglades wetlands Characterization of suspended particles in Everglades wetlands

We report the concentration, phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) content, and size and chemical fractionation of fine suspended particles (0.2‐100 µm) and colloids (3 kilodalton [kDa]‐0.1 µm) in the surface water of Everglades wetlands along regional and P‐enrichment gradients. Total suspended sediment concentrations ranged from 0.7 to 2.7 mg L−1. Total particulate P concentrations increased...
Authors
Gregory B. Noe, Judson W. Harvey, James E. Saiers

Nitrification in the euphotic zone as evidenced by nitrate dual isotopic composition: Observations from Monterey Bay, California Nitrification in the euphotic zone as evidenced by nitrate dual isotopic composition: Observations from Monterey Bay, California

Coupled measurements of nitrate (NO3−), nitrogen (N), and oxygen (O) isotopic composition (δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3) were made in surface waters of Monterey Bay to investigate multiple N cycling processes occurring within surface waters. Profiles collected throughout the year at three sites exhibit a wide range of values, suggesting simultaneous and variable influence of both phytoplankton...
Authors
Scott D. Wankel, Carol Kendall, J.T. Pennington, Francisco P. Chavez, Adina Paytan

Profiling refined hydrocarbon fuels using polar components Profiling refined hydrocarbon fuels using polar components

Identification of a fuel released into the environment can be difficult due to biodegradation or weathering. Negative electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry was used to screen for unique polar components in a wide variety of commercial hydrocarbon products and mixtures. These fuels produced unique and relatively simple spectra. When applied to hydrocarbon samples from a large, long...
Authors
Colleen E. Rostad, Frances D. Hostettler

Isotopic analysis of N and O in nitrite and nitrate by sequential selective bacterial reduction to N2O Isotopic analysis of N and O in nitrite and nitrate by sequential selective bacterial reduction to N2O

Nitrite is an important intermediate species in the biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen, but its role in natural aquatic systems is poorly understood. Isotopic data can be used to study the sources and transformations of NO2- in the environment, but methods for independent isotopic analyses of NO2- in the presence of other N species are still new and evolving. This study demonstrates that...
Authors
John Karl Bohlke, Richard L. Smith, Janet E. Hannon

Hydrologic significance of carbon monoxide concentrations in ground water Hydrologic significance of carbon monoxide concentrations in ground water

Dissolved carbon monoxide (CO) is present in ground water produced from a variety of aquifer systems at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 20 nanomoles per liter (0.0056 to 0.56 μg/L). In two shallow aquifers, one an unconsolidated coastal plain aquifer in Kings Bay, Georgia, and the other a fractured‐bedrock aquifer in West Trenton, New Jersey, long‐term monitoring showed that CO...
Authors
Francis H. Chapelle, Paul M. Bradley

Role of hydrous iron oxide formation in attenuation and diel cycling of dissolved trace metals in a stream affected by acid rock drainage Role of hydrous iron oxide formation in attenuation and diel cycling of dissolved trace metals in a stream affected by acid rock drainage

Mining-impacted streams have been shown to undergo diel (24-h) fluctuations in concentrations of major and trace elements. Fisher Creek in south-central Montana, USA receives acid rock drainage (ARD) from natural and mining-related sources. A previous diel field study found substantial changes in dissolved metal concentrations at three sites with differing pH regimes during a 24-h period...
Authors
Stephen R. Parker, Christopher H. Gammons, Clain A. Jones, David A. Nimick

Thioarsenates in geothermal waters of Yellowstone National Park: Determination, preservation, and geochemical importance Thioarsenates in geothermal waters of Yellowstone National Park: Determination, preservation, and geochemical importance

Mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrathioarsenate, as well as methylated arsenic oxy- and thioanions, were determined besides arsenite and arsenate in geothermal waters of Yellowstone National Park using anion-exchange chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Retention time match with synthetic standards, measured S:As ratios, and molecular electrospray mass spectra support the
Authors
B. Planer-Friedrich, J. London, R. Blaine McCleskey, D. Kirk Nordstrom, D. Wallschlager

Toward a transport-based analysis of nutrient spiraling and uptake in streams Toward a transport-based analysis of nutrient spiraling and uptake in streams

Nutrient addition experiments are designed to study the cycling of nutrients in stream ecosystems where hydrologic and nonhydrologic processes determine nutrient fate. Because of the importance of hydrologic processes in stream ecosystems, a conceptual model known as nutrient spiraling is frequently employed. A central part of the nutrient spiraling approach is the determination of...
Authors
Robert L. Runkel

Habitat connectivity and ecosystem productivity: implications from a simple model. Habitat connectivity and ecosystem productivity: implications from a simple model.

The import of resources (food, nutrients) sustains biological production and food webs in resource-limited habitats. Resource export from donor habitats subsidizes production in recipient habitats, but the ecosystem-scale consequences of resource translocation are generally unknown. Here, I use a nutrient-phytoplankton-zooplankton model to show how dispersive connectivity between a...
Authors
James E. Cloern
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