Publications
Dive into our publications and explore the science from the Environmental Health Program (Toxic Substances Hydrology and Contaminant Biology).
GeoHEALTH-USGS Newsletter
GeoHEALTH-USGS Newsletter
The GeoHEALTH–USGS Newsletter—published since 2004—provides information on USGS science activities pertinent to safeguarding the health of fish, wildlife, domesticated animals, and people from environmental exposures to contaminants and pathogens.
Featured Science Activities
Featured Science Activities
Lean about our Featured Science Activities through our pages that highlight science studies, publications, and results.
Filter Total Items: 3784
Identifying chemicals and mixtures of potential biological concern detected in passive samplers from Great Lakes tributaries using high-throughput data and biological pathways Identifying chemicals and mixtures of potential biological concern detected in passive samplers from Great Lakes tributaries using high-throughput data and biological pathways
Waterborne contaminants were monitored in 69 tributaries of the Laurentian Great Lakes in 2010 and 2014 using semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS). A risk-based screening approach was used to prioritize chemicals and chemical mixtures, identify sites at greatest risk for biological impacts, and identify potential hazards to...
Authors
David A. Alvarez, Steven R. Corsi, Laura A. DeCicco, Daniel L. Villeneuve, Austin K. Baldwin
Pilot-scale expanded assessment of inorganic and organic tapwater exposures and predicted effects in Puerto Rico, USA Pilot-scale expanded assessment of inorganic and organic tapwater exposures and predicted effects in Puerto Rico, USA
A pilot-scale expanded target assessment of mixtures of inorganic and organic contaminants in point-of-consumption drinking water (tapwater, TW) was conducted in Puerto Rico (PR) to continue to inform TW exposures and corresponding estimations of cumulative human-health risks across the US. In August 2018, a spatial synoptic pilot assessment of than 524 organic, 37 inorganic, and select
Authors
Paul M. Bradley, Ingrid Y. Padilla, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Mary C. Cardon, Justin M. Conley, Nicola Evans, Carrie E. Givens, James L. Gray, L. Earl Gray, Phillip C. Hartig, Michelle L. Hladik, Christopher P. Higgins, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Rachael F. Lane, Keith A. Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Carrie A. McDonough, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Shannon M. Meppelink, Christopher P. Weis, Vickie S. Wilson
Cross-ecosystem fluxes of pesticides from prairie wetlands mediated by aquatic insect emergence: Implications for terrestrial insectivores Cross-ecosystem fluxes of pesticides from prairie wetlands mediated by aquatic insect emergence: Implications for terrestrial insectivores
Contaminants alter the quantity and quality of insect prey available to terrestrial insectivores. In agricultural regions, the quantity of aquatic insects emerging from freshwaters can be impacted by insecticides originating from surrounding croplands. We hypothesized that, in such regions, adult aquatic insects could also act as vectors of pesticide transfer to terrestrial food webs. To...
Authors
Johanna M. Kraus, Kathryn Kuivila, Michelle L. Hladik, Neil Shook, David M. Mushet, Kelen Dowdy, Rachel Harrington
Trends in agricultural triazole fungicide sse in the United States, 1992–2016 and possible implications for antifungal-resistant fungi in human disease Trends in agricultural triazole fungicide sse in the United States, 1992–2016 and possible implications for antifungal-resistant fungi in human disease
Background: The fungus Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) is the leading cause of invasive mold infections, which cause severe disease and death in immunocompromised people. Use of triazole antifungal medications in recent decades has improved patient survival; however, triazole-resistant infections have become common in parts of Europe and are emerging in the United States. Triazoles...
Authors
Mitsuru Toda, Karlyn D. Beer, Kathryn Kuivila, Tom M. Chiller, Brendan R. Jackson
Field-level exposure of bumble bees to fungicides applied to a commercial cherry orchard Field-level exposure of bumble bees to fungicides applied to a commercial cherry orchard
Bumble bees, Bombus spp. (Apidae), are important native pollinators; however, populations of some species are declining in North America and agricultural chemicals are a potential cause. Fungicides are generally not highly toxic to bees, but little is known about sublethal or synergistic effects. This study evaluates bumble bee exposure to fungicides by quantifying concentrations of...
Authors
Kathryn M. Kuivila, Houston Judd, Michelle L. Hladik, James P. Strange
Emerging investigator series: Municipal wastewater as a year-round point source of neonicotinoid insecticides that persist in an effluent-dominated stream Emerging investigator series: Municipal wastewater as a year-round point source of neonicotinoid insecticides that persist in an effluent-dominated stream
Neonicotinoids in aquatic systems have been predominantly associated with agriculture, but some are increasingly being linked to municipal wastewater. Thus, the aim of this work was to understand the municipal wastewater contribution to neonicotinoids in a representative, characterized effluent-dominated temperate-region stream. Our approach was to quantify the spatiotemporal...
Authors
Danielle T. Webb, Hui Zhi, Dana W. Kolpin, Rebecca D. Klaper, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Gregory H. LeFevre
The role of behavioral ecotoxicology in environmental protection The role of behavioral ecotoxicology in environmental protection
For decades, we have known that chemicals affect human and wildlife behavior. Moreover, due to recent technological and computational advances, scientists are now increasingly aware that a wide variety of contaminants and other environmental stressors adversely affect organismal behavior and subsequent ecological outcomes in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. There is also a groundswell...
Authors
Alex T. Ford, Marlene Agerstrand, Bryan W. Brooks, Joel Allen, Michael G. Bertram, Tomas Brodin, ZhiChao Dang, Sabine Duquesne, Rene Sahm, Frauke Hoffmann, Henner Hollert, Stefanie Jacob, Nils Kluver, James M. Lazorchak, Mariana Ledesma, Steven D. Melvin, Silvia Mohr, Stephanie Padilla, Gregory G. Pyle, Stefan Scholz, Minna Saaristo, Els Smit, Jeffery A. Steevens, Sanne van den Berg, Werner Kloas, Bob B.M. Wong, Michael Ziegler, Gerd Maack
Prevalence of neonicotinoids and sulfoxaflor in alluvial aquifers in a high corn and soybean producing region of the Midwestern United States Prevalence of neonicotinoids and sulfoxaflor in alluvial aquifers in a high corn and soybean producing region of the Midwestern United States
Neonicotinoids have been previously detected in Iowa surface waters, but less is known regarding their occurrence in groundwater. To help fill this research gap, a groundwater study was conducted in eastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota, a corn and soybean producing area with known heavy neonicotinoid use. Neonicotinoids were studied in alluvial aquifers, a hydrogeologic setting known...
Authors
D.A. Thompson, Dana W. Kolpin, Michelle Hladik, Kimberlee K. Barnes, J.D. Vargo, R.W. Field
Predicting the spatiotemporal exposure of aquatic species to intrusions of fire retardant in streams with limited data Predicting the spatiotemporal exposure of aquatic species to intrusions of fire retardant in streams with limited data
Because fire retardant can enter streams and harm aquatic species including endangered fish, agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) must estimate the downstream extent of toxic effects every time fire retardant enters streams (denoted as an “intrusion”). A challenge in estimating the length of stream affected by the intrusion and the exposure time of species in the affected...
Authors
Chris R. Rehmann, P. Ryan Jackson, Holly J. Puglis
Reconnaissance of cumulative risk of pesticides and pharmaceuticals in Great Smoky Mountains National Park streams Reconnaissance of cumulative risk of pesticides and pharmaceuticals in Great Smoky Mountains National Park streams
The United States (US) National Park Service (NPS) manages protected public lands to preserve biodiversity. Exposure to and effects of bioactive organic contaminants in NPS streams are challenges for resource managers. Recent assessment of pesticides and pharmaceuticals in protected-streams within the urbanized NPS Southeast Region (SER) indicated the importance of fluvial inflows from...
Authors
Paul M. Bradley, Matt A. Kulp, Bradley J. Huffman, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly L. Smalling, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Jimmy Clark, Celeste A. Journey
Public and private tapwater: Comparative analysis of contaminant exposure and potential risk, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA Public and private tapwater: Comparative analysis of contaminant exposure and potential risk, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA
Background Humans are primary drivers of environmental contamination worldwide, including in drinking-water resources. In the United States (US), federal and state agencies regulate and monitor public-supply drinking water while private-supply monitoring is rare; the current lack of directly comparable information on contaminant-mixture exposures and risks between private- and public...
Authors
Paul M. Bradley, Denis R. LeBlanc, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Mary C. Cardon, Jimmy Clark, Justin M. Conley, Nicola Evans, Carrie E. Givens, James L. Gray, L. Earl Gray, Phillip C. Hartig, Christopher P. Higgins, Michelle Hladik, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Keith A. Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Carrie A. McDonough, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Christopher P. Weis, Vickie S. Wilson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, New England Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Water Science Center, National Water Quality Laboratory
Genome sequences of 26 white sucker hepatitis B virus isolates from white sucker, catostomus commersonii, inhabiting transboundary waters from Alberta, Canada, to the Great Lakes, USA Genome sequences of 26 white sucker hepatitis B virus isolates from white sucker, catostomus commersonii, inhabiting transboundary waters from Alberta, Canada, to the Great Lakes, USA
We report 26 genomes of the white sucker hepatitis B virus (WSHBV) from the white sucker, Catostomus commersonii. Genome length ranged from 3541 to 3543 bp and nucleotide identity was 96.7% or greater across genomes. This work suggests a geographical range of this virus that minimally extends from the Athabasca River, Alberta, Canada to the Great Lakes, USA.
Authors
Cynthia R. Adams, Vicki S. Blazer, Jim Sherry, Robert S. Cornman, Luke R. Iwanowicz