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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: 3785

Hydrodynamics of larval settlement: The influence of turbulent stress events at potential recruitment sites Hydrodynamics of larval settlement: The influence of turbulent stress events at potential recruitment sites

We describe a laboratory investigation into the effect of turbulent hydrodynamic stresses on clam larvae in the settlement phase of the recruitment process. A two-component laser-Doppler anemometer (LDA) was used to measure time histories of the instantaneous turbulence structure at potential recruitment sites within reconstructed beds of the adult Asian clam, Potamocorbula amurensis...
Authors
John P. Crimaldi, Janet K. Thompson, Johanna H. Rosman, Ryan J. Lowe, Jeffrey R. Koseff

Method of analysis and quality-assurance practices by the U.S. Geological Survey Organic Geochemistry Research Group: Determination of geosmin and methylisoborneol in water using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry Method of analysis and quality-assurance practices by the U.S. Geological Survey Organic Geochemistry Research Group: Determination of geosmin and methylisoborneol in water using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of two common odor-causing compounds in water, geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol, was modified and verified by the U.S. Geological Survey's Organic Geochemistry Research Group in Lawrence, Kansas. The optimized method involves the extraction of odor-causing compounds from filtered water samples using a divinylbenzene-carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane cross-link...
Authors
L.R. Zimmerman, A.C. Ziegler, E.M. Thurman

Relating net nitrogen input in the Mississippi River Basin to nitrate flux in the Lower Mississippi River--A comparison of approaches Relating net nitrogen input in the Mississippi River Basin to nitrate flux in the Lower Mississippi River--A comparison of approaches

A quantitative understanding of the relationship between terrestrial N inputs and riverine N flux can help guide conservation, policy, and adaptive management efforts aimed at preserving or restoring water quality. The objective of this study was to compare recently published approaches for relating terrestrial N inputs to the Mississippi River basin (MRB) with measured nitrate flux in...
Authors
Gregory F. McIsaac, Mark B. David, George Z. Gertner, Donald A. Goolsby

A review of bacterial methyl halide degradation: Biochemistry, genetics and molecular ecology A review of bacterial methyl halide degradation: Biochemistry, genetics and molecular ecology

Methyl halide‐degrading bacteria are a diverse group of organisms that are found in both terrestrial and marine environments. They potentially play an important role in mitigating ozone depletion resulting from methyl chloride and methyl bromide emissions. The first step in the pathway(s) of methyl halide degradation involves a methyltransferase and, recently, the presence of this...
Authors
I.R. McDonald, K.L. Warner, C. McAnulla, C.A. Woodall, R.S. Oremland, J.C. Murrell

Anaerobic methane oxidation in a landfill-leachate plume Anaerobic methane oxidation in a landfill-leachate plume

The alluvial aquifer adjacent to Norman Landfill, OK, provides an excellent natural laboratory for the study of anaerobic processes impacting landfill-leachate contaminated aquifers. We collected groundwaters from a transect of seven multilevel wells ranging in depth from 1.3 to 11 m that were oriented parallel to the flow path. The center of the leachate plume was characterized by (1)...
Authors
Ethan L. Grossman, Luis A. Cifuentes, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli

Determination of the total oxygen isotopic composition of nitrate and the calibration of a Δ17Ο nitrate reference material Determination of the total oxygen isotopic composition of nitrate and the calibration of a Δ17Ο nitrate reference material

A thermal decomposition method was developed and tested for the simultaneous determination of δ18O and δ17Ο in nitrate. The thermal decomposition of AgNO3 allows for the rapid and accurate determination of 18O/16O and 17O/16O isotopic ratios with a precision of ±1.5‰ for δ18O and ±0.11‰ for Δ17Ο (Δ17Ο = δ17Ο − 0.52 × δ18O). The international nitrate isotope reference material IAEA-NO3...
Authors
Greg Michalski, Joel Savarino, J.K. Böhlke, Mark Thiemens

Evaluating the influence of source basins on downstream water quality in the Mississippi River Evaluating the influence of source basins on downstream water quality in the Mississippi River

Chemical variability in the Mississippi River during water years 1989 to 1998 was evaluated using stream discharge and water‐quality data in conjunction with the DAFLOW/BLTM hydraulic model. Model simulations were used to identify subbasin contributions of water and chemical constituents to the Mississippi River upstream from its confluence with the Ohio and the Mississippi River and at...
Authors
Gregory M. Clark, Robert E. Broshears, Richard P. Hooper, Donald A. Goolsby

Mechanisms of uranium interactions with hydroxyapatite: Implications for groundwater remediation Mechanisms of uranium interactions with hydroxyapatite: Implications for groundwater remediation

The speciation of U(VI) sorbed to synthetic hydroxyapatite was investigated using a combination of U LIII-edge XAS, synchrotron XRD, batch uptake measurements, and SEM-EDS. The mechanisms of U(VI) removal by apatite were determined in order to evaluate the feasibility of apatite-based in-situ permeable reactive barriers (PRBs). In batch U(VI) uptake experiments with synthetic...
Authors
C. C. Fuller, J.R. Bargar, J.A. Davis, M.J. Piana

Simulation of the mobility of metal-EDTA complexes in groundwater: The influence of contaminant metals Simulation of the mobility of metal-EDTA complexes in groundwater: The influence of contaminant metals

Reactive transport simulations were conducted to model chemical reactions between metal−EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) complexes during transport in a mildly acidic quartz−sand aquifer. Simulations were compared with the results of small-scale tracer tests wherein nickel−, zinc−, and calcium−EDTA complexes and free EDTA were injected into three distinct chemical zones of a plume...
Authors
J.C. Friedly, D.B. Kent, J.A. Davis

Crosswell seismic investigation of hydraulically conductive, fracture bedrock near Mirror Lake, New Hampshire Crosswell seismic investigation of hydraulically conductive, fracture bedrock near Mirror Lake, New Hampshire

Near Mirror Lake, New Hampshire (USA), hydraulically conductive, fractured bedrock was investigated with the crosswell seismic method to determine whether this method could provide any information about hydraulic conductivity between wells. To this end, crosswell seismic data, acoustic logs from boreholes, image logs from boreholes, and single borehole hydraulic tests were analyzed. The...
Authors
K.J. Ellefsen, P. A. Hsieh, A.M. Shapiro
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