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Publications

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

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Methods for the preparation and analysis of solids and suspended solids for methylmercury Methods for the preparation and analysis of solids and suspended solids for methylmercury

This report presents the methods and method performance data for the determination of methylmercury concentrations in solids and suspended solids. Using the methods outlined here, the U.S. Geological Survey's Wisconsin District Mercury Laboratory can consistently detect methylmercury in solids and suspended solids at environmentally relevant concentrations. Solids can be analyzed wet or...
Authors
John F. DeWild, Shane D. Olund, Mark L. Olson, Michael T. Tate

Surface-Water and Ground-Water Interactions in the Central Everglades, Florida Surface-Water and Ground-Water Interactions in the Central Everglades, Florida

Recharge and discharge are hydrological processes that cause Everglades surface water to be exchanged for subsurface water in the peat soil and the underlying sand and limestone aquifer. These interactions are thought to be important to water budgets, water quality, and ecology in the Everglades. Nonetheless, relatively few studies of surface water and ground water interactions have been...
Authors
Judson W. Harvey, Jessica T. Newlin, James M. Krest, Jungyill Choi, Eric A. Nemeth, Steven L. Krupa

Tannins and terpenoids as major precursors of Suwannee River fulvic acid Tannins and terpenoids as major precursors of Suwannee River fulvic acid

Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA) was fractionated into 7 fractions by normal-phase chromatography on silica gel followed by reverse-phase fractionation on XAD-8 resin that produced 18 subfractions. Selected major subfractions were characterized by 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared spectrometry, and elemental analyses. 13C-NMR spectra of the subfractions were more indicative...
Authors
Jerry A. Leenheer, Colleen E. Rostad

Water year 2004: Western water managers feel the heat Water year 2004: Western water managers feel the heat

This spring, a rare combination of exceptionally warm temperatures and near-record lack of precipitation in the western United States caused a rapid change in hydrologic conditions and an unexpectedly early onset of spring conditions. With much of the western U.S. already in its fifth year of drought, an above-average western snowpack on 1 March 2004 provided hope for much-needed...
Authors
Thomas Pagano, Phil Pasteris, Michael D. Dettinger, Daniel Cayan, Kelly Redmond

The microbial arsenic cycle in Mono Lake, California The microbial arsenic cycle in Mono Lake, California

Significant concentrations of dissolved inorganic arsenic can be found in the waters of a number of lakes located in the western USA and in other water bodies around the world. These lakes are often situated in arid, volcanic terrain. The highest concentrations of arsenic occur in hypersaline, closed basin soda lakes and their remnant brines. Although arsenic is a well-known toxicant to...
Authors
Ronald S. Oremland, John F. Stolz, James T. Hollibaugh

Hydrologic scales, cloud variability, remote sensing, and models: Implications for forecasting snowmelt and streamflow Hydrologic scales, cloud variability, remote sensing, and models: Implications for forecasting snowmelt and streamflow

Accurate prediction of available water supply from snowmelt is needed if the myriad of human, environmental, agricultural, and industrial demands for water are to be satisfied, especially given legislatively imposed conditions on its allocation. Robust retrievals of hydrologic basin model variables (e.g., insolation or areal extent of snow cover) provide several advantages over the...
Authors
James J. Simpson, M. D. Dettinger, F. Gehrke, T.J. McIntire, Gary L. Hufford

Inhibition and enhancement of microbial surface colonization: the role of silicate composition Inhibition and enhancement of microbial surface colonization: the role of silicate composition

Classical treatment of cell attachment by models of filtration or coulombic attraction assumes that attachment of cells to mineral surfaces would be controlled by factors such as response to predation, collision efficiency, or coulombic attraction between the charged groups at the mineral and cell surfaces. In the study reported here, the passive model of attachment was investigated...
Authors
Jennifer A. Roberts

Importance of the Vadose Zone in analyses of unconfined aquifer tests Importance of the Vadose Zone in analyses of unconfined aquifer tests

Analytical models commonly used to interpret unconfined aquifer tests have been based on upper-boundary (water table) conditions that do not adequately address effects of time-varying drainage from the vadose zone. As a result, measured and simulated drawdown data may not agree and hydraulic parameters may be inaccurately estimated. A 72-hour aquifer test conducted in Cape Cod...
Authors
A.F. Moench

Uptake pathway for Ag bioaccumulation in three benthic invertebrates exposed to contaminated sediments Uptake pathway for Ag bioaccumulation in three benthic invertebrates exposed to contaminated sediments

We exposed 3 benthic invertebrates, the clam Macoma balthica, the polychaete Neanthes arenaceodentataand the amphipod Leptocheirus plumulosus, to Ag-contaminated sediments to evaluate the relative importance of various uptake routes (sediments, porewater or overlying water, and supplementary food) for Ag bioaccumulation. Silver bioaccumulation was evaluated at 4 levels of sediment Ag (0...
Authors
H. Yoo, J.-S. Lee, B.-G. Lee, I.T. Lee, C.E. Schlekat, C.-H. Koh, S. N. Luoma

Degradation of methyl bromide and methyl chloride in soil microcosms: Use of stable C isotope fractionation and stable isotope probing to identify reactions and the responsible microorganisms Degradation of methyl bromide and methyl chloride in soil microcosms: Use of stable C isotope fractionation and stable isotope probing to identify reactions and the responsible microorganisms

Bacteria in soil microcosm experiments oxidized elevated levels of methyl chloride (MeCl) and methyl bromide (MeBr), the former compound more rapidly than the latter. MeBr was also removed by chemical reactions while MeCl was not. Chemical degradation dominated the early removal of MeBr and accounted for more than half of its total loss. Fractionation of stable carbon isotopes during...
Authors
L.G. Miller, K.L. Warner, S.M. Baesman, R.S. Oremland, I.R. McDonald, S. Radajewski, J.C. Murrell
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