Publications

Germanium is a hard, brittle semimetal that first came into use over a half-century ago as a semiconductor material in radar units and in the first transistor ever made. Most germanium is recovered as a byproduct of zinc smelting, but it has also been recovered at some copper smelters and from the fly ash of coal-burning industrial power plants.

Ground-water-quality data collected as part of 12 U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment studies during 1996-2001 were analyzed to (1) document arsenic occurrence in four types of gla-cial deposits that occur in large areas of the Midwest, (2) identify hydrogeologic or geochemical factors asso-ciated with elevated arsenic concentrations, and (3) search for clues as to...

A general treatment of petroleum and PAHs including presentations on composition and characteristics, sources, environmental fate, and effects on plants, invertebrates, fish, reptiles and amphibians, birds, and mammals. A revision of the 1995 book chapter of the same title.

Predation by bobcats (Lynx rufus) has been the greatest cause of mortality of whooping cranes (Grus americana) in the reintroduced population in Florida. This study investigated whether the behavior of juvenile cranes during captive rearing and shortly after release can be used to predict their chances of survival once released in the wild. This study also examined differences in...

The beak, or bill, of the bird is a complicated structure. The avian skull is described as having some reptilian features; this includes a quadrate bone that articulates with the articular bone of the lower jaw.

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

For the past decade, there has been growing concern about worldwide declines in amphibian populations,1,2 and a general phenomenon of declining populations was recognized in the mid-1990's. Subsequent research has validated this concern.3,4 These population declines have been defined either as decreases in numbers of individuals in an area or, preferably because of greater reliability, a...

The accident at the Chernobyl, Ukraine, nuclear reactor on 26 April 1986 released large amounts of radiocesium and other radionuclides into the environment, contaminating much of the northern hemisphere, especially Europe. In the vicinity of Chernobyl, at least 30 people died, more than 115,000 others were evacuated, and consumption of milk and other foods was banned because of...

Recovery of ionic and metallic gold (Au) from a wide variety of solutions by selected species of bacteria, yeasts, fungi, algae, and higher plants is documented. Gold accumulations were up to 7.0 g/kg dry weight (DW) in various species of bacteria, 25.0 g/kg DW in freshwater algae, 84.0 g/kg DW in peat, and 100.0 g/kg DW in dried fungus mixed with keratinous material. Mechanisms of...

In the industrialized world, silicon is as ubiquitous in the objects people use every day as it is in nature. The second most abundant element in Earth’s crust and more than 25 percent of the crust by weight, silicon is one of the most useful elements to humans.

Streamflow and water-quality measurements were made on the Ottawa River and selected tributaries between 1999 to 2002. Ten sets of streamflow measurements were made at an index station on the Auglaize River at Fort Jennings (station 04186500) and at 19 other sites along the Ottawa River and selected tributaries. These data were collected to relate daily mean streamflow at the Auglaize...