Publications
Dive into our publications and explore the science from the Environmental Health Program (Toxic Substances Hydrology and Contaminant Biology).
Filter Total Items: 3785
Multiple injected and natural conservative tracers quantify mixing in a stream confluence affected by acid mine drainage near Silverton, Colorado Multiple injected and natural conservative tracers quantify mixing in a stream confluence affected by acid mine drainage near Silverton, Colorado
The acidic discharge from Cement Creek, containing elevated concentrations of dissolved metals and sulphate, mixed with the circumneutral-pH Animas River over a several hundred metre reach (mixing zone) near Silverton, CO, during this study. Differences in concentrations of Ca, Mg, Si, Sr, and SO42- between the creek and the river were sufficiently large for these analytes to be used as...
Authors
L. E. Schemel, M.H. Cox, R.L. Runkel, B. A. Kimball
Investigation of mercury exchange between forest canopy vegetation and the atmosphere using a new dynamic chamber Investigation of mercury exchange between forest canopy vegetation and the atmosphere using a new dynamic chamber
This paper presents the design of a dynamic chamber system that allows full transmission of PAR and UV radiation and permits enclosed intact foliage to maintain normal physiological function while Hg(0) flux rates are quantified in the field. Black spruce and jack pine foliage both emitted and absorbed Hg(0), exhibiting compensation points near atmospheric Hg(0) concentrations of ∼2−3 ng...
Authors
J.A. Graydon, Louis, S.E. Lindberg, H. Hintelmann, D. P. Krabbenhoft
Geophysical monitoring of a field-scale biostimulation pilot project Geophysical monitoring of a field-scale biostimulation pilot project
The USGS conducted a geophysical investigation in support of a U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southern Division field‐scale biostimulation pilot project at Anoka County Riverfront Park (ACP), downgradient of the Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant, Fridley, Minnesota. The goal of the pilot project is to evaluate subsurface injection of vegetable oil emulsion (VOE) to...
Authors
J.W. Lane, F. D. Day-Lewis, C.C. Casey
Subsurface imaging of an abandoned solid waste landfill site in Norman, Oklahoma Subsurface imaging of an abandoned solid waste landfill site in Norman, Oklahoma
Leachate plume emanating from an old unlined municipal landfill site near the city of Norman, Oklahoma, is discharging into the underlying alluvial aquifer. Subsurface imaging techniques, electrical resistivity tomography and electrical conductivity (EC) logging, were used on the site to detect and map the position of the leachate plume. Anomalous EC zones, delineated with the two...
Authors
J.T. Zume, A. Tarhule, S. Christenson
Presence and distribution of wastewater-derived pharmaceuticals in soil irrigated with reclaimed water Presence and distribution of wastewater-derived pharmaceuticals in soil irrigated with reclaimed water
Three sites in the Front Range of Colorado, USA, were monitored from May through September 2003 to assess the presence and distribution of pharmaceuticals in soil irrigated with reclaimed water derived from urban wastewater. Soil cores were collected monthly, and 19 pharmaceuticals, all of which were detected during the present study, were measured in 5‐cm increments of the 30‐cm cores...
Authors
C.A. Kinney, E. T. Furlong, S.L. Werner, J.D. Cahill
Denitrification potential in stream sediments impacted by acid mine drainage: Effects of pH, various electron donors, and iron Denitrification potential in stream sediments impacted by acid mine drainage: Effects of pH, various electron donors, and iron
Acid mine drainage (AMD) contaminates thousands of kilometers of stream in the western United States. At the same time, nitrogen loading to many mountain watersheds is increasing because of atmospheric deposition of nitrate and increased human use. Relatively little is known about nitrogen cycling in acidic, heavy-metal-laden streams; however, it has been reported that one key process
Authors
J.L. Baeseman, R. L. Smith, J. Silverstein
Long-term natural attenuation of carbon and nitrogen within a groundwater plume after removal of the treated wastewater source Long-term natural attenuation of carbon and nitrogen within a groundwater plume after removal of the treated wastewater source
Disposal of treated wastewater for more than 60 years onto infiltration beds on Cape Cod, Massachusetts produced a groundwater contaminant plume greater than 6 km long in a surficial sand and gravel aquifer. In December 1995 the wastewater disposal ceased. A long-term, continuous study was conducted to characterize the post-cessation attenuation of the plume from the source to 0.6 km...
Authors
D.A. Repert, L. B. Barber, K.M. Hess, S.H. Keefe, D.B. Kent, D.R. LeBlanc, R. L. Smith
Resolving structural influences on water-retention properties of alluvial deposits Resolving structural influences on water-retention properties of alluvial deposits
With the goal of improving property-transfer model (PTM) predictions of unsaturated hydraulic properties, we investigated the influence of sedimentary structure, defined as particle arrangement during deposition, on laboratory-measured water retention (water content vs. potential [θ(ψ)]) of 10 undisturbed core samples from alluvial deposits in the western Mojave Desert, California. The...
Authors
K.A. Winfield, J. R. Nimmo, J. A. Izbicki, P. M. Martin
Occurrence and transport of agricultural chemicals in Leary Weber Ditch Basin, Hancock County, Indiana, 2003-04 Occurrence and transport of agricultural chemicals in Leary Weber Ditch Basin, Hancock County, Indiana, 2003-04
Leary Weber Ditch Basin, Hancock County, Indiana, is one of seven first-order basins selected from across the United States as part of the Agricultural Chemicals: Source, Transport, and Fate study conducted by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. The nationwide study was designed to increase the understanding of the links between the sources of...
Authors
Nancy T. Baker, Wesley W. Stone, John T. Wilson, Michael T. Meyer
Inverse modeling for seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers: Insights about parameter sensitivities, variances, correlations and estimation procedures derived from the Henry problem Inverse modeling for seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers: Insights about parameter sensitivities, variances, correlations and estimation procedures derived from the Henry problem
Inverse modeling studies employing data collected from the classic Henry seawater intrusion problem give insight into several important aspects of inverse modeling of seawater intrusion problems and effective measurement strategies for estimation of parameters for seawater intrusion. Despite the simplicity of the Henry problem, it embodies the behavior of a typical seawater intrusion...
Authors
E. Sanz, C.I. Voss
Atmospheric mercury speciation in Yellowstone National Park Atmospheric mercury speciation in Yellowstone National Park
Atmospheric concentrations of elemental mercury (Hg0), reactive gaseous Hg (RGM), and particulate Hg (pHg) concentrations were measured in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), U.S.A. using high resolution, real time atmospheric mercury analyzers (Tekran 2537A, 1130, and 1135). A survey of Hg0 concentrations at various locations within YNP showed that concentrations generally reflect global...
Authors
B.D. Hall, M.L. Olson, A.P. Rutter, R.R. Frontiera, D. P. Krabbenhoft, D.S. Gross, M. Yuen, T.M. Rudolph, J.J. Schauer