Publications
Dive into our publications and explore the science from the Environmental Health Program (Toxic Substances Hydrology and Contaminant Biology).
Filter Total Items: 4098
Copper, lead, mercury and zinc in periphyton from the south Florida ecosystem Copper, lead, mercury and zinc in periphyton from the south Florida ecosystem
Periphyton samples from the Big Cypress National Preserve were analyzed for concentrations of copper, lead, zinc, mercury, and methylmercury. Concentrations of organic carbon, inorganic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in periphyton samples also were determined. The samples were extracted with sodium acetate solution at a pH of 5.5 to determine exchangeable and carbonate phase metal...
Authors
T. Cox, N.S. Simon, L. Newland
Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated ground water: The perspectives of history and hydrology Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated ground water: The perspectives of history and hydrology
Bioremediation, the use of microbial degradation processes to detoxify environmental contamination, was first applied to petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated ground water systems in the early 1970s. Since that time, these technologies have evolved in some ways that were clearly anticipated early investigators, and in other ways that were not foreseen. The expectation that adding oxidants...
Authors
F. H. Chapelle
Oxidation and mobilization of selenium by nitrate in irrigation drainage Oxidation and mobilization of selenium by nitrate in irrigation drainage
Selenium (Se) can be oxidized by nitrate (NO−3) from irrigation on Cretaceous marine shale in western Colorado. Dissolved Se concentrations are positively correlated with dissolved NO−3concentrations in surface water and ground water samples from irrigated areas. Redox conditions dominate in the mobilization of Se in marine shale hydrogeologic settings; dissolved Se concentrations...
Authors
W. G. Wright
Denitrification in marine shales in northeastern Colorado Denitrification in marine shales in northeastern Colorado
Parts of the South Platte River alluvial aquifer in northeastern Colorado are underlain by the Pierre Shale, a marine deposit of Late Cretaceous age that is
Authors
Peter B. McMahon, J.K. Böhlke, Breton W. Bruce
A record of hydrocarbon input to San Francisco Bay as traced by biomarker profiles in surface sediment and sediment cores A record of hydrocarbon input to San Francisco Bay as traced by biomarker profiles in surface sediment and sediment cores
San Francisco Bay is one of the world's largest urbanized estuarine systems. Its water and sediment receive organic input from a wide variety of sources; much of this organic material is anthropogenically derived. To document the spatial and historical record of the organic contaminant input, surficial sediment from 17 sites throughout San Francisco Bay and sediment cores from two...
Authors
F. D. Hostettler, W. E. Pereira, K.A. Kvenvolden, A. VanGeen, S. N. Luoma, C. C. Fuller, R. Anima
Sedimentary record of anthropogenic and biogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in San Francisco Bay, California Sedimentary record of anthropogenic and biogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in San Francisco Bay, California
Dated sediment cores collected from Richardson and San Pablo Bays in San Francisco Bay were used to reconstruct a history of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination. The sedimentary record of PAHs in Richardson Bay shows that anthropogenic inputs have increased since the turn of the century, presumably as a result of increasing urbanization and industrialization around the...
Authors
W. E. Pereira, Frances D. Hostettler, Samuel N. Luoma, A. VanGeen, Christopher C. Fuller, R. J. Anima
Stochastic analysis of virus transport in aquifers Stochastic analysis of virus transport in aquifers
A large-scale model of virus transport in aquifers is derived using spectral perturbation analysis. The effects of spatial variability in aquifer hydraulic conductivity and virus transport (attachment, detachment, and inactivation) parameters on large-scale virus transport are evaluated. A stochastic mean model of virus transport is developed by linking a simple system of local-scale...
Authors
Linda L. Campbell Rehmann, Claire Welty, Ronald W. Harvey
Stable lead isotopic analyses of historic and contemporary lead contamination of San Francisco Bay estuary Stable lead isotopic analyses of historic and contemporary lead contamination of San Francisco Bay estuary
Variations in stable lead isotopic composition (240Pb, 206Pb, 207Pb, 208Pb) in three sediment cores from the San Francisco Bay estuary document temporal changes in sources of lead during the past two centuries. Sediment, with lead from natural geologic sources, and relatively homogeneous lead isotopic compositions are overlain by sediments whose isotopic compositions indicate change in...
Authors
P.I. Ritson, R. M. Bouse, A.R. Flegal, Samuel N. Luoma
Binding of polychlorinated biphenyls to aquatic humic substances: The role of substrate and sorbate properties on partitioning Binding of polychlorinated biphenyls to aquatic humic substances: The role of substrate and sorbate properties on partitioning
Two ortho- (2,2‘,5 and 2,2‘,5,6‘) and a non-ortho- (3,3‘,4,4‘) substituted polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were used to study the effects of sorbate structure in binding processes to two lacustrine fulvic acids. Binding constants were determined by solubility enhancement of the solutes by the fulvic acids. The binding of the ortho-trichlorobiphenyl was significantly less than...
Authors
M.E. Uhle, Y.-P. Chin, G. R. Aiken, Diane M. McKnight
Use of cosmogenic 35S for comparing ages of water from three alpine-subalpine basins in the Colorado Front Range Use of cosmogenic 35S for comparing ages of water from three alpine-subalpine basins in the Colorado Front Range
High-elevation basins in Colorado are a major source of water for the central and western United States; however, acidic deposition may affect the quality of this water. Water that is retained in a basin for a longer period of time may be less impacted by acidic deposition. Sulfur-35 (35S), a short-lived isotope of sulfur (t( 1/2 ) = 87 days), is useful for studying short-time scale...
Authors
J.K. Sueker, J.T. Turk, R. L. Michel
GIXAFS study of Fe3+ sorption and precipitation on natural quartz surfaces GIXAFS study of Fe3+ sorption and precipitation on natural quartz surfaces
Grazing-incidence EXAFS has been used to characterize the structure of Fe3+ sorbed onto natural single crystal quartz surfaces. Fe3+ sorption at ca. 5% monolayer coverage on a natural crystal allowed to equilibrate in air resulted in formation of hematite nuclei with strong texturing on r-and m-planes. EXAFS calculations suggests that both O and Fe backscattering is necessary to yield...
Authors
G. Waychunas, J. Davis, R. Reitmeyer
Methane as a product of chloroethene biodegradation under methanogenic conditions Methane as a product of chloroethene biodegradation under methanogenic conditions
Radiometric detection headspace analyses of microcosms containing bed sediments from two geographically distinct sites indicated that 10-39% of the radiolabeled carbon transformed during anaerobic biodegradation of [1,2- 14C]trichloroethene (TCE) or [1,2-14C]vinyl chloride (VC) under methanogenic conditions was ultimately incorporated into 14CH4. The results demonstrate that, in addition...
Authors
P. M. Bradley, F. H. Chapelle