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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

Scientific advances provide opportunities to improve pediatric environmental health Scientific advances provide opportunities to improve pediatric environmental health

The health consequences of contaminants in the environment, with respect to the health of children and infants, recently have been dramatically brought to public attention by the motion pictures Erin Brockovich and A Civil Action. These productions focused public attention on the potential link between water contaminants and pediatric health, a continuing subject of public concern. As a
Authors
Michael M. Reddy, Micaela B. Reddy, Carol F. Reddy

Chloroethene biodegradation potential, ADOT/PF Peger Road Maintenance Facility, Fairbanks, Alaska Chloroethene biodegradation potential, ADOT/PF Peger Road Maintenance Facility, Fairbanks, Alaska

A series of 14C-radiotracer-based microcosm experiments were conducted to assess: 1) the extent, rate and products of microbial dechlorination of trichloroethene (TCE), cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC) in sediments at the Peger Road site; 2) the effect of three electron donor amendments (molasses, shrimp and crab chitin, and 'Hydrogen Release Compound' (HRC)) on...
Authors
Paul M. Bradley, Frances H. Chapelle

Monitoring radionuclide contamination in the unsaturated zone - Lessons learned at the Amargosa Desert Research Site, Nye County, Nevada Monitoring radionuclide contamination in the unsaturated zone - Lessons learned at the Amargosa Desert Research Site, Nye County, Nevada

Contaminant-transport processes are being investigated at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Amargosa Desert Research Site (A DRS), adjacent to the Nation’s first commercial disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste. Gases containing tritium and radiocarbon are migrating through a 110-m thick unsaturated zone from unlined trenches that received waste from 1962 to 1992. Results relevant...
Authors
David A. Stonestrom, Jared D. Abraham, Brian J. Andraski, Ronald J. Baker, C. Justin Mayers, Robert L. Michel, David E. Prudic, Robert G. Striegl, Michelle Ann Walvoord

Object-based inversion of crosswell radar tomography data to monitor vegetable oil injection experiments Object-based inversion of crosswell radar tomography data to monitor vegetable oil injection experiments

Crosswell radar methods can be used to dynamically image ground-water flow and mass transport associated with tracer tests, hydraulic tests, and natural physical processes, for improved characterization of preferential flow paths and complex aquifer heterogeneity. Unfortunately, because the raypath coverage of the interwell region is limited by the borehole geometry, the tomographic...
Authors
John W. Lane, Frederick D. Day-Lewis, Roelof J. Versteeg, Clifton C. Casey

Alkaline hydrolysis/polymerization of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene:  Characterization of products by 13C and 15N NMR Alkaline hydrolysis/polymerization of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene:  Characterization of products by 13C and 15N NMR

Alkaline hydrolysis has been investigated as a nonbiological procedure for the destruction of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in explosives contaminated soils and munitions scrap. Nucleophilic substitutions of the nitro and methyl groups of TNT by hydroxide ion are the initial steps in the alkaline degradation of TNT. Potential applications of the technique include both in situ surface...
Authors
Kevin A. Thorn, Philip G. Thorne, Larry G. Cox

Uranium mill tailings: Nuclear waste and natural laboratory for geochemical and radioecological investigations Uranium mill tailings: Nuclear waste and natural laboratory for geochemical and radioecological investigations

Uranium mill tailings (UMT) are a high volume, low specific activity radioactive waste typically disposed in surface impoundments. This review focuses on research on UMT and related earth materials during the past decade relevant to the assessment of: (1) mineral hosts of radionuclides; (2) the use of soil analogs in predicting long-term fate of radionuclides; (3) microbial and...
Authors
Edward R. Landa

In situ expression of nifD in Geobacteraceae in subsurface sediments In situ expression of nifD in Geobacteraceae in subsurface sediments

In order to determine whether the metabolic state of Geobacteraceae involved in bioremediation of subsurface sediments might be inferred from levels of mRNA for key genes, in situ expression of nifD, a highly conserved gene involved in nitrogen fixation, was investigated. When Geobacter sulfurreducens was grown without a source of fixed nitrogen in chemostats with acetate provided as the...
Authors
Dawn E. Holmes, Kelly P. Nevin, Derek R. Lovely

Reach-scale cation exchange controls on major ion chemistry of an Antarctic glacial meltwater stream Reach-scale cation exchange controls on major ion chemistry of an Antarctic glacial meltwater stream

McMurdo dry valleys of Antarctica represent the largest of the ice-free areas on the Antarctic continent, containing glaciers, meltwater streams, and closed basin lakes. Previous geochemical studies of dry valley streams and lakes have addressed chemical weathering reactions of hyporheic substrate and geochemical evolution of dry valley surface waters. We examine cation transport and...
Authors
Michael N. Gooseff, Diane M. McKnight, Robert L. Runkel
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