Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Publications

Dive into our publications and explore the science from the Environmental Health Program (Toxic Substances Hydrology and Contaminant Biology).

Filter Total Items: 3785

Assessment of field-related influences on polychlorinated biphenyl exposures and sorbent amendment using polychaete bioassays and passive sampler measurements Assessment of field-related influences on polychlorinated biphenyl exposures and sorbent amendment using polychaete bioassays and passive sampler measurements

Field-related influences on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure were evaluated by employing caged deposit-feeders, Neanthes arenaceodentata, along with polyoxymethylene (POM) samplers using parallel in situ and ex situ bioassays with homogenized untreated or activated carbon (AC) amended sediment. The AC amendment achieved a remedial efficiency in reducing bioaccumulation by 90% in...
Authors
E.M. Janssen, A.M. Oen, Samuel N. Luoma, R.G. Luthy

Loss of volatile hydrocarbons from an LNAPL oil source Loss of volatile hydrocarbons from an LNAPL oil source

The light nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) oil pool in an aquifer that resulted from a pipeline spill near Bemidji, Minnesota, was analyzed for volatile hydrocarbons (VHCs) to determine if the composition of the oil remains constant over time. Oil samples were obtained from wells at five locations in the oil pool in an anaerobic part of the glacial outwash aquifer. Samples covering a 21...
Authors
Mary Jo Baedecker, Robert P. Eganhouse, Barbara A. Bekins, Geoffrey N. Delin

In situ rates of sulfate reduction in response to geochemical perturbations In situ rates of sulfate reduction in response to geochemical perturbations

Rates of in situ microbial sulfate reduction in response to geochemical perturbations were determined using Native Organism Geochemical Experimentation Enclosures (NOGEEs), a new in situ technique developed to facilitate evaluation of controls on microbial reaction rates. NOGEEs function by first trapping a native microbial community in situ and then subjecting it to geochemical...
Authors
T.A. Kneeshaw, J.T. McGuire, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, E.W. Smith

Effects of humic substances on precipitation and aggregation of zinc sulfide nanoparticles Effects of humic substances on precipitation and aggregation of zinc sulfide nanoparticles

Nanoparticulate metal sulfides such as ZnS can influence the transport and bioavailability of pollutant metals in anaerobic environments. The aim of this work was to investigate how the composition of dissolved natural organic matter (NOM) influences the stability of zinc sulfide nanoparticles as they nucleate and aggregate in water with dissolved NOM. We compared NOM fractions that were...
Authors
Amrika Deonarine, Boris Lau, George R. Aiken, Joseph N. Ryan, Heileen Hsu-Kim

A novel approach reveals that zinc oxide nanoparticles are bioavailable and toxic after dietary exposures A novel approach reveals that zinc oxide nanoparticles are bioavailable and toxic after dietary exposures

If engineered nanomaterials are released into the environment, some are likely to end up associated with the food of animals due to aggregation and sorption processes. However, few studies have considered dietary exposure of nanomaterials. Here we show that zinc (Zn) from isotopically modified 67ZnO particles is efficiently assimilated by freshwater snails when ingested with food. The...
Authors
Marie Noele Croteau, A.D. Dybowska, S. N. Luoma, E. Valsami-Jones

Effects of the antimicrobial sulfamethoxazole on groundwater bacterial enrichment Effects of the antimicrobial sulfamethoxazole on groundwater bacterial enrichment

The effects of “trace” (environmentally relevant) concentrations of the antimicrobial agent sulfamethoxazole (SMX) on the growth, nitrate reduction activity, and bacterial composition of an enrichment culture prepared with groundwater from a pristine zone of a sandy drinking-water aquifer on Cape Cod, MA, were assessed by laboratory incubations. When the enrichments were grown under...
Authors
Jennifer C. Underwood, Ronald W. Harvey, David W. Metge, Deborah A. Repert, Laura K. Baumgartner, Richard L. Smith, Timberly M. Roane, Larry B. Barber

Simulating the potential effects of climate change in two Colorado basins and at two Colorado ski areas Simulating the potential effects of climate change in two Colorado basins and at two Colorado ski areas

The mountainous areas of Colorado are used for tourism and recreation, and they provide water storage and supply for municipalities, industries, and agriculture. Recent studies suggest that water supply and tourist industries such as skiing are at risk from climate change. In this study, a distributed-parameter watershed model, the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS), is used to...
Authors
William Battaglin, Lauren E. Hay, Steve Markstrom

Demasculinization of male fish by wastewater treatment plant effluent Demasculinization of male fish by wastewater treatment plant effluent

Adult male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) were exposed to effluent from the City of Boulder, Colorado wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) under controlled conditions in the field to determine if the effluent induced reproductive disruption in fish. Gonadal intersex and other evidence of reproductive disruption were previously identified in white suckers (Catostomus commersoni) in...
Authors
A.M. Vajda, Larry B. Barber, James L. Gray, E.M. Lopez, A.M. Bolden, H.L. Schoenfuss, D.O. Norris

Global patterns of phytoplankton dynamics in coastal ecosystems Global patterns of phytoplankton dynamics in coastal ecosystems

Scientific Committee on Ocean Research Working Group 137 Meeting; Hangzhou, China, 17-21 October 2010; Phytoplankton biomass and community structure have undergone dramatic changes in coastal ecosystems over the past several decades in response to climate variability and human disturbance. These changes have short- and long-term impacts on global carbon and nutrient cycling, food web...
Authors
H. Paerl, Kedong Yin, J. Cloern, James E. Cloern

Mercury export from the Yukon River Basin and potential response to a changing climate Mercury export from the Yukon River Basin and potential response to a changing climate

We measured mercury (Hg) concentrations and calculated export and yield from the Yukon River Basin (YRB) to quantify Hg flux from a large, permafrost-dominated, high-latitude watershed. Exports of Hg averaged 4400 kg Hg yr-1. The average annual yield for the YRB during the study period was 5.17 μg m-2 yr-1, which is 3–32 times more than Hg yields reported for 8 other major northern...
Authors
Paul F. Schuster, Robert G. Striegl, George R. Aiken, David P. Krabbenhoft, John F. DeWild, Kenna D. Butler, Ben Kamark, Mark Dornblaser

Effects of biologically-active chemical mixtures on fish in a wastewater-impacted urban stream Effects of biologically-active chemical mixtures on fish in a wastewater-impacted urban stream

Stream flow in urban aquatic ecosystems often is maintained by water-reclamation plant (WRP) effluents that contain mixtures of natural and anthropogenic chemicals that persist through the treatment processes. In effluent-impactedstreams, aquatic organisms such as fish are continuously exposed to biologically-activechemicals throughout their life cycles. The North Shore Channel of the...
Authors
Larry B. Barber, Gregory K. Brown, Todd G. Nettesheim, Elizabeth W. Murphy, Stephen E. Bartell, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
Was this page helpful?