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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

An overview of estrogen-associated endocrine disruption in fishes: Evidence of effects on reproductive and immune physiology An overview of estrogen-associated endocrine disruption in fishes: Evidence of effects on reproductive and immune physiology

Simply and perhaps intuitively defined, endocrine disruption is the abnormal modulation of normal hormonal physiology by exogenous chemicals. In fish, endocrine disruption of the reproductive system has been observed worldwide in numerous species and is known to affect both males and females. Observations of biologically relevant endocrine disruption most commonly occurs near waste water...
Authors
Luke R. Iwanowicz, Vicki S. Blazer

Atomic weights: No longer constants of nature Atomic weights: No longer constants of nature

Many of us were taught that the standard atomic weights we found in the back of our chemistry textbooks or on the Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements hanging on the wall of our chemistry classroom are constants of nature. This was common knowledge for more than a century and a half, but not anymore. The following text explains how advances in chemical instrumentation and isotopic...
Authors
Tyler B. Coplen, Norman E. Holden

Occurrence of azoxystrobin, propiconazole, and selected other fungicides in US streams, 2005-2006 Occurrence of azoxystrobin, propiconazole, and selected other fungicides in US streams, 2005-2006

Fungicides are used to prevent foliar diseases on a wide range of vegetable, field, fruit, and ornamental crops. They are generally more effective as protective rather than curative treatments, and hence tend to be applied before infections take place. Less than 1% of US soybeans were treated with a fungicide in 2002 but by 2006, 4% were treated. Like other pesticides, fungicides can...
Authors
William A. Battaglin, Mark W. Sandstrom, Kathryn Kuivila, Dana W. Kolpin, Michael T. Meyer

Assessing field-scale biogeophysical signatures of bioremediation over a mature crude oil spill Assessing field-scale biogeophysical signatures of bioremediation over a mature crude oil spill

We conducted electrical geophysical measurements at the National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site (Bemidji, MN). Borehole and surface self-potential measurements do not show evidence for the existence of a biogeobattery mechanism in response to the redox gradient resulting from biodegradation of oil. The relatively small self potentials recorded are instead...
Authors
Lee Slater, Dimitrios Ntarlagiannis, Estella Atekwana, Farag Mewafy, Andre Revil, Magnus Skold, Yuri Gorby, Frederick D. Day-Lewis, John W. Lane, Dale D. Werkema, Jared J. Trost, Geoffrey N. Delin, William N. Herkelrath

Ammonium in thermal waters of Yellowstone National Park: Processes affecting speciation and isotope fractionation Ammonium in thermal waters of Yellowstone National Park: Processes affecting speciation and isotope fractionation

Dissolved inorganic nitrogen, largely in reduced form (NH4(T)≈NH4(aq)++NH3(aq)o), has been documented in thermal waters throughout Yellowstone National Park, with concentrations ranging from a few micromolar along the Firehole River to millimolar concentrations at Washburn Hot Springs. Indirect evidence from rock nitrogen analyses and previous work on organic compounds associated with...
Authors
J.M. Holloway, D. Kirk Nordstrom, J.K. Böhlke, R. Blaine McCleskey, J.W. Ball

Effects of sediment-associated extractable metals, degree of sediment grain sorting, and dissolved organic carbon upon Cryptosporidium parvum removal and transport within riverbank filtration sediments, Sonoma County, California Effects of sediment-associated extractable metals, degree of sediment grain sorting, and dissolved organic carbon upon Cryptosporidium parvum removal and transport within riverbank filtration sediments, Sonoma County, California

Oocysts of the protozoan pathogen Cryptosporidium parvum are of particular concern for riverbank filtration (RBF) operations because of their persistence, ubiquity, and resistance to chlorine disinfection. At the Russian River RBF site (Sonoma County, CA), transport of C. parvumoocysts and oocyst-sized (3 μm) carboxylate-modified microspheres through poorly sorted (sorting indices, σ1...
Authors
D.W. Metge, R.W. Harvey, G. R. Aiken, R. Anders, G. Lincoln, James Jasperse, M. C. Hill

MercNet: A national monitoring network to assess responses to changing mercury emissions in the United States MercNet: A national monitoring network to assess responses to changing mercury emissions in the United States

A partnership of federal and state agencies, tribes, industry, and scientists from academic research and environmental organizations is establishing a national, policy-relevant mercury monitoring network, called MercNet, to address key questions concerning changes in anthropogenic mercury emissions and deposition, associated linkages to ecosystem effects, and recovery from mercury...
Authors
D. Schmeltz, D.C. Evers, C. T. Driscoll, R. Artz, M. Cohen, D. Gay, R. Haeuber, D. P. Krabbenhoft, R. Mason, K. Morris, J.G. Wiener

A comparison of recharge rates in aquifers of the United States based on groundwater-age data A comparison of recharge rates in aquifers of the United States based on groundwater-age data

An overview is presented of existing groundwater-age data and their implications for assessing rates and timescales of recharge in selected unconfined aquifer systems of the United States. Apparent age distributions in aquifers determined from chlorofluorocarbon, sulfur hexafluoride, tritium/helium-3, and radiocarbon measurements from 565 wells in 45 networks were used to calculate...
Authors
P.B. McMahon, Niel Plummer, J.K. Böhlke, S.D. Shapiro, S.R. Hinkle

Tracking nonpoint source nitrogen pollution in human-impacted watersheds Tracking nonpoint source nitrogen pollution in human-impacted watersheds

Nonpoint source nitrogen (N) pollution is a leading contributor to U.S. water quality impairments. We combined watershed N mass balances and stable isotopes to investigate fate and transport of nonpoint N in forest, agricultural, and urbanized watersheds at the Baltimore Long-Term Ecological Research site. Annual N retention was 55%, 68%, and 82% for agricultural, suburban, and forest...
Authors
Sujay S. Kaushal, Peter M Groffman, Lawrence Band, Emily M. Elliott, Catherine A. Shields, Carol Kendall

Rethinking hyporheic flow and transient storage to advance understanding of stream-catchment connections Rethinking hyporheic flow and transient storage to advance understanding of stream-catchment connections

Although surface water and groundwater are increasingly referred to as one resource, there remain environmental and ecosystem needs to study the 10 m to 1 km reach scale as one hydrologic system. Streams gain and lose water over a range of spatial and temporal scales. Large spatial scales (kilometers) have traditionally been recognized and studied as river-aquifer connections. Over the...
Authors
Kenneth E. Bencala, M.N. Gooseff, Briant A. Kimball

Lagrangian mass-flow investigations of inorganic contaminants in wastewater-impacted streams Lagrangian mass-flow investigations of inorganic contaminants in wastewater-impacted streams

Understanding the potential effects of increased reliance on wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents to meet municipal, agricultural, and environmental flow requires an understanding of the complex chemical loading characteristics of the WWTPs and the assimilative capacity of receiving waters. Stream ecosystem effects are linked to proportions of WWTP effluent under low-flow...
Authors
L. B. Barber, Ronald C. Antweiler, J.L. Flynn, S.H. Keefe, D.W. Kolpin, D.A. Roth, D.J. Schnoebelen, Howard E. Taylor, P. L. Verplanck
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