Environmental Health Featured Science Activities

Field study in California describes the potential for pollinator-attractive field borders in agricultural areas to become a pesticide exposure pathway to bees through soil, air, and plants.

USGS recently (2022) released a strategic vision document that identifies science gaps and opportunities for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) monitoring, assessment, and research activities (sampling protocols and analytical methods, environmental sources and source apportionment, environmental occurrence, environmental fate and transport, human and wildlife exposure routes...

Per- and poly fl uoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were detected in streams within agricultural areas (an often-unmeasured landscape) across Iowa. The data from this study provide one resource to understand the extent of PFAS concentrations in water resources from diverse landscapes throughout the United States.

A web-based application tool utilizing satellite data—CyANWeb—developed through collaborative interagency efforts was released as part of the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) to help Federal, State, Tribal, and local partners identify when cyanobacterial blooms may be forming. Available through a web browser or as an application, the tool can access, download, and provide data to notify...

A group of scientists investigated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in watersheds on Cape Cod and identified a unique signature for aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) from legacy firefighting and fire training. A combination of statistical modeling and laboratory measurements indicates that unidentified organofluorine constitutes a large fraction of PFAS in the river systems that...

To understand if contaminants are associated with white sturgeon population declines, U.S. Geological Survey scientists reviewed the life history, physiology, and behavior of white sturgeon, along with recent toxicological studies and existing trace metal data for locations in the Columbia River. The analysis indicated that the highest concentrations of copper and other metals in the Columbia...

Groundwater discharge zones are important spawning areas for fish because they provide a thermally stable habitat. Research at three streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed with areas of focused groundwater discharge revealed that groundwater also is a source of phytoestrogens and herbicides that could result in fish exposure during sensitive life stages.

Scientists identified geochemical signatures of wastewater in Blacktail Creek, North Dakota, as a result of a 2015 pipeline leak. They demonstrated that environmental signatures from wastewater spills are persistent within a short (1-3 year) time frame, can enter the creek through subsurface pathways, and can create the potential for extended environmental exposures.

More than 50 years of existing mercury and selenium concentrations in native and nonnative fish species residing in streams within the Upper Colorado River Basin were compiled and analyzed to provide an understanding of concentrations among different species, sampling years, and locations to determine potential health risks. Concentrations of mercury and selenium were above health benchmarks in 13...

Ecotoxicology and ecological risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are summarized to highlight critical gaps and uncertainties, and to provide potential approaches to fill those gaps, including the development of targeted monitoring programs and cross-disciplinary approaches.

Multiple detections of regulated and unregulated chemical (inorganic, organic) analytes or elements were detected in both privately and publicly supplied tap water samples from 20 residences in Cape Cod, Massachusetts that share a common source of water.

U.S. Geological Survey scientists and their partners utilize laboratory and field studies and existing information to improve understanding of anticoagulant rodenticide exposure and effects to wild birds.