Publications
Dive into our publications and explore the science from the Environmental Health Program (Toxic Substances Hydrology and Contaminant Biology).
GeoHEALTH-USGS Newsletter
GeoHEALTH-USGS Newsletter
The GeoHEALTH–USGS Newsletter—published since 2004—provides information on USGS science activities pertinent to safeguarding the health of fish, wildlife, domesticated animals, and people from environmental exposures to contaminants and pathogens.
Featured Science Activities
Featured Science Activities
Learn about our Featured Science Activities through our pages that highlight studies, publications, and results.
Filter Total Items: 4098
Bacterial oxidation of methyl bromide in fumigated agricultural soils Bacterial oxidation of methyl bromide in fumigated agricultural soils
The oxidation of [14C]methyl bromide ([14C]MeBr) to 14CO2 was measured in field experiments with soils collected from two strawberry plots fumigated with mixtures of MeBr and chloropicrin (CCl3NO2). Although these fumigants are considered potent biocides, we found that the highest rates of MeBr oxidation occurred 1 to 2 days after injection when the fields were tarped, rather than before...
Authors
L.G. Miller, T.L. Connell, J.R. Guidetti, R.S. Oremland
Borehole sampling of fracture populations - compensating for borehole sampling bias in crystalline bedrock aquifers, Mirror Lake, Grafton County, New Hampshire Borehole sampling of fracture populations - compensating for borehole sampling bias in crystalline bedrock aquifers, Mirror Lake, Grafton County, New Hampshire
The clustering of orientations of hydraulically conductive fractures in bedrock at the Mirror Lake, New Hampshire fractured rock study site was investigated by comparing the orientations of fracture populations in two subvertical borehole arrays with those mapped on four adjacent subvertical roadcuts. In the boreholes and the roadcuts, the orientation of fracture populations appears very...
Authors
G.D. McDonald, Frederick L. Paillet, C.C. Barton, C. D. Johnson
Spring snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada - Does a day make a difference? Spring snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada - Does a day make a difference?
No abstract available.
Authors
D. H. Peterson, M. D. Dettinger, D.R. Cayan, R. E. Smith, L. Riddle, N. Knowles
Use of chemical and isotopic tracers to characterize the interactions between ground water and surface water in mantled karst Use of chemical and isotopic tracers to characterize the interactions between ground water and surface water in mantled karst
In the mantled karst terrane of northern Florida, the water quality of the Upper Floridan aquifer is influenced by the degree of connectivity between the aquifer and the surface. Chemical and isotopic analyses [18O/16O (δ18O), 2H/1H (δD), 13C/12C (δ13C), tritium (3H), and strontium‐87/strontium‐86 (87Sr/86Sr)] along with geochemical mass‐balance modeling were used to identify the...
Authors
B. G. Katz, T.B. Coplen, T.D. Bullen, J. Hal Davis
Selenium trends in north San Francisco Bay Selenium trends in north San Francisco Bay
No abstract available.
Authors
S. N. Luoma, R. Linville
Transport and recovery of bacteriophage PRD1 in a sand and gravel aquifer: Effect of sewage-derived organic matter Transport and recovery of bacteriophage PRD1 in a sand and gravel aquifer: Effect of sewage-derived organic matter
To test the effects of sewage-derived organic matter on virus attachment, 32P-labeled bacteriophage PRD1, linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS), and tracers were injected into sewage-contaminated (suboxic, elevated organic matter) and uncontaminated (oxic, low organic matter) zones of an iron oxide-coated quartz sand and gravel aquifer on Cape Cod, MA. In the uncontaminated zone, 83% of...
Authors
A.P. Pieper, J. N. Ryan, Ronald W. Harvey, G.L. Amy, T.H. Illangasekare, D.W. Metge
The design of sampling transects for characterizing water quality in estuaries The design of sampling transects for characterizing water quality in estuaries
The high spatial variability of estuaries poses a challenge for characterizing estuarine water quality. This problem was examined by conducting monthly high-resolution transects for several water quality variables (chlorophyll a, suspended particulate matter and salinity) in San Francisco Bay (California, U.S.A.). Using these data, six different ways of choosing station locations along a...
Authors
A.D. Jassby, B.E. Cole, J. E. Cloern
Effects of exchanged cation and layer charge on the sorption of water and EGME vapors on montmorillonite clays Effects of exchanged cation and layer charge on the sorption of water and EGME vapors on montmorillonite clays
The effects of exchanged cation and layer charge on the sorption of water and ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (EGME) vapors on montmorillonite have been studied on SAz-1 and SWy-1 source clays, each exchanged respectively with Ca, Na, K, Cs and tetramethylammonium (TMA) cations. The corresponding lattice expansions were also determined, and the corresponding N2 adsorption data were...
Authors
Cary T. Chiou, David W. Rutherford
Method for determination of methyl tert-butyl ether and its degradation products in water Method for determination of methyl tert-butyl ether and its degradation products in water
An analytical method is described that can detect the major alkyl ether compounds that are used as gasoline oxygenates (methyl tert-butyl ether, MTBE; ethyl tert-butyl ether, ETBE; and tert-amyl methyl ether, TAME) and their most characteristic degradation products (tert-butyl alcohol, TBA; tert-butyl formate, TBF; and tert-amyl alcohol, TAA) in water at sub-ppb concentrations. The new...
Authors
C.D. Church, L.M. Isabelle, J. F. Pankow, D.L. Rose, P.G. Tratnyek
Diagnosing the flood of 1997 in San Francisco Bay with observations and model results Diagnosing the flood of 1997 in San Francisco Bay with observations and model results
No abstract available.
Authors
Noah Knowles, Daniel Cayan, Reginald J. Uncles, Lynn Ingram, Dave Peterson
Source characterization of disinfection byproduct precursors in two Arkansas water-supply reservoirs Source characterization of disinfection byproduct precursors in two Arkansas water-supply reservoirs
No abstract available.
Authors
Michael L. Pomes, W. R. Green, E.M. Thurman, W. H. Orem, H.T. Lerch
Geochemical and hydrologic considerations in remediating phosphorus-contaminated ground water in a sewage plume near Ashumet Pond, Cape Cod, Massachusetts Geochemical and hydrologic considerations in remediating phosphorus-contaminated ground water in a sewage plume near Ashumet Pond, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
No abstract available.
Authors
D. A. Walter, D.R. LeBlanc