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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

Zn and Cu isotopes as tracers of anthropogenic contamination in a sediment core from an urban lake Zn and Cu isotopes as tracers of anthropogenic contamination in a sediment core from an urban lake

In this work, we use stable Zn and Cu isotopes to identify the sources and timing of the deposition of these metals in a sediment core from Lake Ballinger near Seattle, Washington, USA. The base of the Lake Ballinger core predates settlement in the region, while the upper sections record the effects of atmospheric emissions from a nearby smelter and rapid urbanization of the watershed...
Authors
Anita Thapalia, David M. Borrok, Peter C. Van Metre, MaryLynn Musgrove, Edward R. Landa

Flood hydrology and methylmercury availability in Coastal Plain rivers Flood hydrology and methylmercury availability in Coastal Plain rivers

Mercury (Hg) burdens in top-predator fish differ substantially between adjacent South Carolina Coastal Plain river basins with similar wetlands coverage. In the Congaree River, floodwaters frequently originate in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont regions, where wetlands coverage and surface water dissolved methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations are low. Piedmont-driven flood events can lead to...
Authors
Paul M. Bradley, Celeste A. Journey, Francis H. Chapelle, Mark A. Lowery, Paul Conrads

A rapid method for the measurement of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride (SF5CF3), and Halon 1211 (CF2ClBr) in hydrologic tracer studies A rapid method for the measurement of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride (SF5CF3), and Halon 1211 (CF2ClBr) in hydrologic tracer studies

A rapid headspace method for the simultaneous laboratory determination of intentionally introduced hydrologic tracers, sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride (SF5CF3), Halon 1211 (CF2ClBr), and other halocarbons in water and gases is described. The high sensitivity of the procedure allows for introduction of minimal tracer mass (a few grams) into hydrologic...
Authors
Eurybiades Busenberg, Niel Plummer

Biogeochemical processes in an urban, restored wetland of San Francisco Bay, California, 2007-2009: Methods and data for plant, sediment and water parameters Biogeochemical processes in an urban, restored wetland of San Francisco Bay, California, 2007-2009: Methods and data for plant, sediment and water parameters

The restoration of 18 acres of historic tidal marsh at Crissy Field has had great success in terms of public outreach and visibility, but less success in terms of revegetated marsh sustainability. Native cordgrass (Spartina foliosa) has experienced dieback and has failed to recolonize following extended flooding events during unintended periodic closures of its inlet channel, which...
Authors
Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Jennifer L. Agee, Le H. Kieu, Evangelos Kakouros, Li H. Erikson, Kristen Ward

Microbial and geochemical investigations of dissolved organic carbon and microbial ecology of native waters from the Biscayne and Upper Floridan Aquifers Microbial and geochemical investigations of dissolved organic carbon and microbial ecology of native waters from the Biscayne and Upper Floridan Aquifers

Groundwater resources in the United States are under ever-increasing demands for potable, irrigation, and recreational uses. Additionally, aquifer systems are being used or targeted for use as storage areas for treated surface waters and (or) groundwaters via injection (for example, aquifer storage and recovery). To date, the influence that the nutrients, including carbon, in the...
Authors
John T. Lisle, Ron W. Harvey, George R. Aiken, David W. Metge

Mercury-contaminated hydraulic mining debris in San Francisco Bay Mercury-contaminated hydraulic mining debris in San Francisco Bay

The hydraulic gold-mining process used during the California Gold Rush and in many developing countries today contributes enormous amounts of sediment to rivers and streams. Commonly, accompanying this sediment are contaminants such as elemental mercury and cyanide used in the gold extraction process. We show that some of the mercurycontaminated sediment created by hydraulic gold mining...
Authors
Robin M. Bouse, Christopher C. Fuller, Samuel N. Luoma, Michelle I. Hornberger, Bruce E. Jaffe, Richard E. Smith

Improved hydrogeophysical characterization and monitoring through parallel modeling and inversion of time-domain resistivity andinduced-polarization data Improved hydrogeophysical characterization and monitoring through parallel modeling and inversion of time-domain resistivity andinduced-polarization data

Electrical geophysical methods have found wide use in the growing discipline of hydrogeophysics for characterizing the electrical properties of the subsurface and for monitoring subsurface processes in terms of the spatiotemporal changes in subsurface conductivity, chargeability, and source currents they govern. Presently, multichannel and multielectrode data collections systems can...
Authors
Timothy C. Johnson, Roelof J. Versteeg, Andy Ward, Frederick D. Day-Lewis, André Revil

Brine delineation and monitoring with electrical resistivity tomography and electromagnetic borehole logging at the Fort Knox well field near West Point, Kentucky Brine delineation and monitoring with electrical resistivity tomography and electromagnetic borehole logging at the Fort Knox well field near West Point, Kentucky

The potable water system at Fort Knox is threatened by brine contamination from improperly abandoned natural gas exploration wells. The Fort Knox well field is located near the town of West Point, Kentucky, in the flood plain of the Ohio River. At the site, unconsolidated sediments approximately 30 – 40 m thick, overlie shale and porous limestone. Brine is believed to flow vertically...
Authors
Rory Henderson, Michael D. Unthank, Douglas D. Zettwoch, John W. Lane

Comparison of XAD with other dissolved lignin isolation techniques and a compilation of analytical improvements for the analysis of lignin in aquatic settings Comparison of XAD with other dissolved lignin isolation techniques and a compilation of analytical improvements for the analysis of lignin in aquatic settings

This manuscript highlights numerous incremental improvements in dissolved lignin measurements over the nearly three decades since CuO oxidation of lignin phenols was first adapted for environmental samples. Intercomparison of the recovery efficiency of three common lignin phenol concentration and isolation techniques, namely XAD, C18with both CH3OH (C18M) and CH3CN (C18A) used...
Authors
Robert G. M. Spencer, George R. Aiken, Rachael Y. Dyda, Kenna D. Butler, Brian A. Bergamaschi, Peter J. Hernes

Three-dimensional benchmark for variable-density flow and transport simulation: matching semi-analytic stability modes for steady unstable convection in an inclined porous box Three-dimensional benchmark for variable-density flow and transport simulation: matching semi-analytic stability modes for steady unstable convection in an inclined porous box

This benchmark for three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulators of variable-density groundwater flow and solute or energy transport consists of matching simulation results with the semi-analytical solution for the transition from one steady-state convective mode to another in a porous box. Previous experimental and analytical studies of natural convective flow in an inclined porous layer...
Authors
Clifford I. Voss, Craig T. Simmons, Neville I. Robinson

Predictive modeling of transient storage and nutrient uptake: Implications for stream restoration Predictive modeling of transient storage and nutrient uptake: Implications for stream restoration

This study examined two key aspects of reactive transport modeling for stream restoration purposes: the accuracy of the nutrient spiraling and transient storage models for quantifying reach-scale nutrient uptake, and the ability to quantify transport parameters using measurements and scaling techniques in order to improve upon traditional conservative tracer fitting methods. Nitrate (NO3...
Authors
Ben L. O’Connor, Miki Hondzo, Judson W. Harvey
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