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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: 4098

Using geochemical and statistical tools to identify irrigated areas that might contain high selenium concentrations in surface water Using geochemical and statistical tools to identify irrigated areas that might contain high selenium concentrations in surface water

Irrigated agriculture has a long history in the Western United States, beginning with Native American Indians. After passage of the Reclamation Act of 1902, the United States Government began building and subsidizing irrigation projects to foster settlement and development of the arid and semi-arid areas of the Western United States (National Research Council, 1989). Precipitation in the
Authors
David L. Naftz

Trace metal speciation in natural waters: Computational vs. analytical Trace metal speciation in natural waters: Computational vs. analytical

Improvements in the field sampling, preservation, and determination of trace metals in natural waters have made many analyses more reliable and less affected by contamination. The speciation of trace metals, however, remains controversial. Chemical model speciation calculations do not necessarily agree with voltammetric, ion exchange, potentiometric, or other analytical speciation...
Authors
D. Kirk Nordstrom

Deformation-induced changes in hydraulic head during ground-water withdrawal Deformation-induced changes in hydraulic head during ground-water withdrawal

Ground-water withdrawal from a confined or semiconfined aquifer causes three-dimensional deformation in the pumped aquifer and in adjacent layers (overlying and underlying aquifers and aquitards). In response to the deformation, hydraulic head in the adjacent layers could rise or fall almost immediately after the start of pumping. This deformation-induced effect suggest that an adjacent...
Authors
Paul A. Hsieh

Two-dimensional advective transport in ground-water flow parameter estimation Two-dimensional advective transport in ground-water flow parameter estimation

Nonlinear regression is useful in ground-water flow parameter estimation, but problems of parameter insensitivity and correlation often exist given commonly available hydraulic-head and head-dependent flow (for example, stream and lake gain or loss) observations. To address this problem, advective-transport observations are added to the ground-water flow, parameter-estimation model...
Authors
E.R. Anderman, M. C. Hill, E. P. Poeter

Reactive solute transport in an acidic stream: Experimental pH increase and simulation of controls on pH, aluminum, and iron Reactive solute transport in an acidic stream: Experimental pH increase and simulation of controls on pH, aluminum, and iron

Solute transport simulations quantitatively constrained hydrologic and geochemical hypotheses about field observations of a pH modification in an acid mine drainage stream. Carbonate chemistry, the formation of solid phases, and buffering interactions with the stream bed were important factors in explaining the behavior of pH, aluminum, and iron. The precipitation of microcrystalline...
Authors
R. E. Broshears, R.L. Runkel, B. A. Kimball, Diane M. McKnight, K.E. Bencala

Cadmium in the California Current system: Tracer of past and present upwelling Cadmium in the California Current system: Tracer of past and present upwelling

Over 100 samples were collected off the west coast of North America during 1991–1993 to determine the relation between wind‐driven upwelling and nearshore concentrations of dissolved silicate (Si), phosphate (P), and cadmium (Cd). Highly enriched in deep water offshore, these constituents are sensitive indicators of upwelling. Coastal water was sampled from the shore in January and June...
Authors
A. VanGeen, D.M. Husby

Removal of selenium from contaminated agricultural drainage water by nanofiltration membranes Removal of selenium from contaminated agricultural drainage water by nanofiltration membranes

Seleniferous agricultural drainage wastewater has become a new major source of pollution in the world. In the USA, large areas of farmland in 17 western states, generate contaminated salinized drainage with Se concentrations much higher than 5 ??g/l, the US Environmental Protection Agency water-quality criterion for the protection of aquatic life; Se values locally reach 4200 ??g/l in...
Authors
Y.K. Kharaka, G. Ambats, T. S. Presser, R. A. Davis

Hydrogeology of the Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project borehole KP-1 2. Groundwater geochemistry and regional flow patterns Hydrogeology of the Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project borehole KP-1 2. Groundwater geochemistry and regional flow patterns

A series of downhole and surface water samples were taken from the 1‐km‐deep KP‐1 borehole located on the eastern flank of the island of Hawaii. Early samples from depths of more than 700 m showed salinities nearly equivalent to seawater but having anomalous cation concentrations that are attributed to ion exchange between formation fluids and residual drilling mud clays. Later deep...
Authors
D. M. Thomas, Frederick L. Paillet, M.E. Conrad

The long-term salinity field in San Francisco Bay The long-term salinity field in San Francisco Bay

Data are presented on long-term salinity behaviour in San Francisco Bay, California. A two-level, width averaged model of the tidally averaged salinity and circulation has been written in order to interpret the long-term (days to decades) salinity variability. The model has been used to simulate daily averaged salinity in the upper and lower levels of a 51 segment discretization of the...
Authors
R.J. Uncles, D. H. Peterson

Analysis of fractures intersecting Kahi Puka Well 1 and its relation to the growth of the island of Hawaii Analysis of fractures intersecting Kahi Puka Well 1 and its relation to the growth of the island of Hawaii

As part of the Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project, Kahi Puka Well 1 penetrated about 275 m of Mauna Loa basalts overlying a sequence of Mauna Kea flow units as it was drilled and cored to a total depth of 1053 m below land surface. A borehole televiewer (BHTV) was run in most of the well in successive stages prior to casing in order to obtain magnetically oriented acoustic images of the...
Authors
Roger H. Morin, Frederick L. Paillet

Comparison of denitrification activity measurements in groundwater using cores and natural-gradient tracer tests Comparison of denitrification activity measurements in groundwater using cores and natural-gradient tracer tests

The transport of many solutes in groundwater is dependent upon the relative rates of physical flow and microbial metabolism. Quantifying rates of microbial processes under subsurface conditions is difficult and is most commonly approximated using laboratory studies with aquifer materials. In this study, we measured in situ rates of denitrification in a nitrate-contaminated aquifer using...
Authors
R. L. Smith, S. P. Garabedian, M. H. Brooks

Kinetic determinations of trace element bioaccumulation in the mussel Mytilus edulis Kinetic determinations of trace element bioaccumulation in the mussel Mytilus edulis

Laboratory experiments employing radiotracer methodology were conducted to determine the assimilation efficiencies from ingested natural seston, the influx rates from the dissolved phase and the efflux rates of 6 trace elements (Ag, Am, Cd, Co, Se and Zn) in the mussel Mytilus edulis. A kinetic model was then employed to predict trace element concentration in mussel tissues in 2...
Authors
W.-X. Wang, N.S. Fisher, S. N. Luoma
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