Unified Core Technology Team

Imidacloprid, a commonly used insecticide in both agricultural and urban settings, is reaching rivers and streams across the country, where it can potentially harm the aquatic insects and other organisms that support healthy freshwater ecosystems. A decade‑long USGS study found this insecticide in nearly half of all samples, often at levels above chronic health benchmarks and present throughout...

USGS is studying how different waste materials are reused on farmland and what they might mean for people and the environment. These wastes can offer benefits, but they can also carry substances we don’t fully understand. Because little is known about what’s in these waste materials or how they move through soil and water, more information is needed. USGS research helps fill these gaps so...

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) are common in freshwater systems and can produce toxins that pose health risks. A recent study investigated whether these blooms were linked to emergency department visits for asthma or wheeze in Wisconsin communities by combining satellite observations of cyanoHABs with hospital records. The study found no evidence that cyanoHABs caused measurable...

This study is a major step forward in understanding how harmful algal blooms, which are often associated with lakes and rivers, can also affect coastal environments. It provides important baseline information for scientists, public health officials, and environmental managers.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent synthetic chemicals that accumulate in the environment and living organisms. A USGS study examined how different PFAS compounds move through a stream ecosystem and are transferred from aquatic to terrestrial food webs. The findings documented that not all PFAS behave the same once they enter the environment, leading to differences in...

Ethanol production from seed corn, while reducing waste and promoting renewable energy, can have environmental and health implications. A USGS study on a former bioenergy plant that received pesticide-coated seeds used for ethanol production, revealed that the process led to contaminated wastewater and solid residue, resulting in elevated pesticide levels in nearby surface waters even after the...

Agriculture is vital to the U.S. economy, supplying food, fibers, fuels, and jobs. Ensuring the quality of our natural resources is essential for keeping our food safe and plentiful. The USGS studies environmental factors affecting food security and offers valuable insights to reduce health risks, ensuring a safer food supply and a healthier environment.

By analyzing dust samples in northern Utah, the USGS is providing crucial insights about the importance of water and lakebed management to mitigate dust pollution and protect vulnerable communities in northern Utah.

The USGS Environmental Health Program seeks to understand how environmental factors, especially contaminants and pathogens, influence human health and ecosystems. It focuses on studying the distribution and effects of toxic substances, environmental stressors, and their pathways. The program prioritizes collaboration with State, Federal and local governments; Tribes; non-government organizations...

The Environmental Health Program features a Unified Core Technology Team comprised of multiple laboratories with specialized expertise that support the overall program research assessing actual and perceived risks from environmental contaminants and pathogens. Individual Core Technology Teams work closely with the Integrated Science Teams to ensure current and emerging techniques are being used to...

About the Laboratory The Environmental Health Program collaborates with scientists at the Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory (OGRL) in Lawrence, Kansas, to develop and employ targeted and non-targeted analytical methods for identification and quantitation of known and understudied algal/cyanobacterial toxins. The laboratory contructed in 2019 is a 2,500 square foot modern laboratory facility...

The Environmental Health Program integrates multidisciplinary research to tackle the environmental challenges that impact the nation's natural resource assets. By providing comprehensive research and data, the program assesses both actual and perceived risks associated with environmental contaminants and pathogens while supporting a variety of uses of our natural resources.