Andrea Foster, Ph.D.
Andrea is a Research Geologist with the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center in Menlo Park, CA and came to the USGS, Menlo Park in 1999
Andrea attended high school in Bloomington, Indiana and Frankfort, Kentucky, graduating in 1988. She was a matriculated geology major at Howard University (Washington, DC) and Indiana University (Bloomington), obtaining her BS Geology from the latter institution in 1992.
PRESENT ASSIGNMENTS
- Investigating the relationship between arsenic solid-phase speciation and arsenic relative bioaccessibility and bioavailability
- Improving EPA's chromate extraction method though spectroscopic quantification of solid-phase chromate
- Identifying solid-phase species of chromium and the potential for redox transformations of Cr in the vicinity of Hinkley, CA
- Investigation of gallium and rare earth element speciation in acid-sulfate alteration haloes of mineral deposits
- Development of micro-Raman spectroscopic methods for in-situ measurement of dissolved and solid-phase toxic elements and micro-mineralogical ID
PAST ASSIGNMENTS
- Toxicity of tellurium and other scarce, technologically-important trace elements in aquatic invertebrates
- Spectroscopic studies of tellurium mineralogy to support studies of tellurium in mine wastes
- Arsenic solid-phase speciation at the Lava Cap Mine Superfund Site, Nevada City, CA
- Arsenic solid-phase speciation in surface and aquifer sediments from Bangladesh
- Feasibililty studies for passive bioreactor using Leptothrix, a ferric-hydroxide precipitating bacterium
- Microbial community diversity in mining-impacted intertidal zones of Prince William Sound, AK.
- Toxicity of water in intertidal zones impacted by mining of VMS deposits, Prince William Sound, AK
- Composition and diversity of mercury
Professional Experience
2010 - Soft X-ray Summer School, Stanford University
2006 - Multivariate Analysis of Hydrological, Biological, and Chemical Data (ID 3045), USGS, Denver, CO. (5 days)
2000 - Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy: Better Understanding and Usage of the SEM for Lab Work, USGS, Menlo Park (2 days)
1999 - Assisted use/training in TEM/AEM at the National Center for Electron Microscopy, Berkeley, CA (2 days)
1999 - Synchrotron-based powder XRD short course, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (1 day)
1998 - Geomicrobiological Research in Norm Pace’s microbiology lab, Berkeley, CA (3 months)
1998 - Microbial Diversity Course, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA (8 weeks)
Education and Certifications
1992-1999 Stanford University, Ph.D., Geological and Environmental Sciences
1990-1992 Indiana University, B.S., Geology, (with Honors); Mathematics minor
1988-1990 Howard University, Geology major
Science and Products
Macro and Micro Analytical Methods Development
The Macro and Micro Analytical Methods Development Project (MMAMD) provides access to the expertise of highly experienced research scientists and state of the art analytical instrumentation to develop new and unique analytical capabilities to solve complex problems beyond routine analysis.
Geochemical and mineralogical data for mine waste from Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine, Lake County, California
This data release presents geochemical and mineralogical data from mine waste at Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine (SBMM). This work is performed in cooperation with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to characterize sources of contamination at the SBMM cleanup site. A total of 23 samples were collected: 15 samples were collected by USGS from various waste piles (14 composites from the top 0-5cm
Phytostabilization in Polymetallic Tailings using Compost and Endophyte Additions
Mining wastes can pose environmental hazards. These hazards can be mitigated by promoting the growth of native plants that can stabilize the mine wastes and potentially toxic elements in situ (i.e., phytostabilization). We grew a widespread perennial grass species (Bouteloua curtipendula) in dolomite amended polymetallic tailings from a historic mine in southeastern Arizona (USA). We applied a com
Abiotic sorption of glucose, glutamic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, and oxalic acid onto amorphous aluminum hydroxide, feldspar, ferrihydrite, and kaolinite
Abiotic sorption experiments were conducted with four carbon substrates (glucose, glutamic acid, oxalic acid, para-hydroxybenzoic acid) on four clay minerals (kaolinite, feldspar, ferrihydrite, amorphous aluminum hydroxide) after sterilization by gamma irradiation. The adsorption isotherms were carried across a range of substrate carbon concentrations (0, 20, 100, and 500 mg carbon per L) and pH c
Grass Growth in Mining Wastes with Compost and Endophyte Additions
Phytostabilization reduces the mobility of inorganic contaminants by establishing or enhancing plant growth. For small, remote, or abandoned mines, phytostabilization may reduce potential environmental hazards—provided plants can establish and grow. We grew a widespread perennial grass, Bouteloua curtipendula, in mining wastes with and without soil (compost, lime) and microbial amendments (endophy
Batch sorption data, respired CO2, extractable DOC, and Raman spectra collected from an incubation with microbial necromass on feldspar or amorphous aluminum hydroxide
These datasets are from an incubation experiment with a combination of two minerals (feldspar or amorphous aluminum hydroxide), one living species of bacteria (Escherichia coli), and one added form of C (Arthrobacter crystallopoietes necromass). We characterized the sorptive properties of the minerals with batch sorption experiments using four low molecular weight C substrates (glucose, oxalic aci
Laboratory data from testing parameters of EPA Method 3060A on Soils Contaminated with Chromium Ore Processing Residue 2013-2016
It has been shown that EPA Method 3060A does not adequately extract Cr(VI) from solids containing chromium ore processing residue (COPR). We systematically tested modifications to prescribed parameters of EPA 3060A towards improving extraction efficiency of Cr(VI) from NIST SRM 2701, a standard COPR-contaminated soil from New Jersey (NJ). The alkaline extraction fluid leached Al, Si, and B from th
Filter Total Items: 30
A combined compost, dolomite, and endophyte addition is more effective than single amendments for improving phytorestoration of metal contaminated mine tailings
Background and aimsRe-vegetation of mining-impacted landscapes reduces transport of toxic elements while improving soil fertility. This study evaluated whether the planting of a native perennial grass with a consortium of diazotrophic microbial endophytes and municipal waste compost—alone and in combination—enhanced plant growth while stabilizing metal(loids) in dolomite-amended tailings from a hi
Authors
Courtney Creamer, Mary-Catherine Leewis, Martina Kracmarova, Jakub Papík, Sean Kacur, John Freeman, Ondrej Uhlik, Andrea L. Foster
Compost, plants and endophytes versus metal contamination: Choice of a restoration strategy steers the microbiome in polymetallic mine waste
Finding solutions for the remediation and restoration of abandoned mining areas is of great environmental importance as they pose a risk to ecosystem health. In this study, our aim was to determine how remediation strategies with (i) compost amendment, (ii) planting a metal-tolerant grass Bouteloua curtipendula, and (iii) its inoculation with beneficial endophytes influenced the microbiome of meta
Authors
Martina Kracmarova, Jakub Papik, Ondrej Uhlik, John Freeman, Andrea L. Foster, Mary-Catherine Leewis, Courtney Creamer
Chromium in minerals and selected aquifer materials
Between 1952 and 1964, hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), was released into groundwater from a Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) compressor station in Hinkley, California, in the western Mojave Desert 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. In 2015, the extent of anthropogenic Cr(VI) in groundwater in Hinkley and Water Valleys was uncertain, but some Cr(VI) in groundwater may be naturally o
Authors
Krishangi D. Groover, John A. Izbicki, William Benzel, Jean Morrison, Andrea L. Foster
Sequestration and reoxidation of chromium in experimental microcosms
Groundwater containing hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), downgradient from the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Hinkley compressor station in the Mojave Desert, 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California, is undergoing bioremediation using added ethanol as a reductant in a volume of the aquifer defined as the in situ reactive zone (IRZ). This treatment reduces Cr(VI) to trivalent chromium, Cr
Authors
Laurence G. Miller, Callum E. Bobb, Andrea L. Foster, Emily G. Wright, Stacy C. Bennett, Krishangi D. Groover, John A. Izbicki
Microbial endophytes and compost improve plant growth in two contrasting types of hard rock mining waste
The re-vegetation of mining wastes with native plants is a comparatively low-cost solution for mine reclamation. However, re-vegetation fails when extreme pH values, low organic matter, or high concentrations of phytotoxic elements inhibit plant establishment and growth. Our aim was to determine whether the combined addition of municipal waste compost and diazotrophic endophytes (i.e., microorgani
Authors
Courtney Creamer, Mary-Catherine Leewis, Francesca C. Governali, John Freeman, Floyd Gray, Emily G. Wright, Andrea L. Foster
Mineralogy dictates the initial mechanism of microbial necromass association
Soil organic matter (SOM) improves soil fertility and mitigates disturbance related to climate and land use change. Microbial necromass (the accumulated cellular residues of microorganisms) comprises the majority of soil C, yet the formation and persistence of necromass in relation to mineralogy is poorly understood. We tested whether soil minerals had different microbial necromass association mec
Authors
Courtney Creamer, Andrea L. Foster, Corey Lawrence, Jack McFarland, Marjorie S. Schulz, Mark Waldrop
Mineralogical characterization of weathered outcrops as a tool for constraining water chemistry predictions during project planning
Weathered samples from naturally exposed outcrops of troctolite associated with a magmatic
Ni-Cu sulphide deposit were characterized by synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence mapping
(µ-XRF) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), as well as by lab-based X-ray diffraction, electron
microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and wet chemical methods. Metal mobility in weathered samples
was assessed using
Authors
Tamara Diedrich, Paul Fix, Andrea L. Foster
Modifications to EPA Method 3060A to Improve Extraction of Cr(VI) from Chromium Ore Processing Residue-Contaminated Soils
It has been shown that EPA Method 3060A does not adequately extract Cr(VI) from chromium ore processing residue (COPR). We modified various parameters of EPA 3060A toward understanding the transformation of COPR minerals in the alkaline extraction and improving extraction of Cr(VI) from NIST SRM 2701, a standard COPR-contaminated soil. Aluminum and Si were the major elements dissolved from NIST 27
Authors
Christopher T. Mills, Carleton R. Bern, Ruth E. Wolf, Andrea L. Foster, Jean Morrison, William Benzel
Copper speciation in variably toxic sediments at the Ely Copper Mine, Vermont, United States
At the Ely Copper Mine Superfund site, Cu concentrations exceed background values in both streamwater (160–1200 times) and sediments (15–79 times). Previously, these sediment samples were incubated with laboratory test organisms, and they exhibited variable toxicity for different stream sites. In this study we combined bulk- and microscale techniques to determine Cu speciation and distribution in
Authors
Bryn E. Kimball, Andrea L. Foster, Robert R. Seal, Nadine M. Piatak, Samuel M. Webb, Jane M. Hammarstrom
Contrasting distributions of groundwater arsenic and uranium in the western Hetao basin, Inner Mongolia: Implication for origins and fate controls
Although As concentrations have been investigated in shallow groundwater from the Hetao basin, China, less is known about U and As distributions in deep groundwater, which would help to better understand their origins and fate controls. Two hundred and ninety-nine groundwater samples, 122 sediment samples, and 14 rock samples were taken from the northwest portion of the Hetao basin, and analyzed f
Authors
Huaming Guo, Yongfeng Jia, Richard B. Wanty, Yuxiao Jiang, Weiguang Zhao, Wei Xiu, Jiaxing Shen, Yuan Li, Yongsheng Cao, Yang Wu, Di Zhang, Chao Wei, Yilong Zhang, Wengeng Cao, Andrea L. Foster
Arsenic speciation in solids using X-ray absorption spectroscopy
Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is an in situ, minimally-destructive, element-specific, molecular-scale structural probe that has been employed to study the chemical forms (species) of arsenic (As) in solid and aqueous phases (including rocks, soils, sediment, synthetic compounds, and numerous types of biota including humans) for more than 20 years. Although several excellent
Authors
Andrea L. Foster, Chris S. Kim
Arsenic species in weathering mine tailings and biogenic solids at the Lava Cap Mine Superfund Site, Nevada City, CA
Background
A realistic estimation of the health risk of human exposure to solid-phase arsenic (As) derived from historic mining operations is a major challenge to redevelopment of California's famed "Mother Lode" region. Arsenic, a known carcinogen, occurs in multiple solid forms that vary in bioaccessibility. X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (XAFS) was used to identify and quantify th
Authors
Andrea L. Foster, Roger P. Ashley, James J. Rytuba
Science and Products
- Science
Macro and Micro Analytical Methods Development
The Macro and Micro Analytical Methods Development Project (MMAMD) provides access to the expertise of highly experienced research scientists and state of the art analytical instrumentation to develop new and unique analytical capabilities to solve complex problems beyond routine analysis. - Data
Geochemical and mineralogical data for mine waste from Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine, Lake County, California
This data release presents geochemical and mineralogical data from mine waste at Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine (SBMM). This work is performed in cooperation with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to characterize sources of contamination at the SBMM cleanup site. A total of 23 samples were collected: 15 samples were collected by USGS from various waste piles (14 composites from the top 0-5cmPhytostabilization in Polymetallic Tailings using Compost and Endophyte Additions
Mining wastes can pose environmental hazards. These hazards can be mitigated by promoting the growth of native plants that can stabilize the mine wastes and potentially toxic elements in situ (i.e., phytostabilization). We grew a widespread perennial grass species (Bouteloua curtipendula) in dolomite amended polymetallic tailings from a historic mine in southeastern Arizona (USA). We applied a comAbiotic sorption of glucose, glutamic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, and oxalic acid onto amorphous aluminum hydroxide, feldspar, ferrihydrite, and kaolinite
Abiotic sorption experiments were conducted with four carbon substrates (glucose, glutamic acid, oxalic acid, para-hydroxybenzoic acid) on four clay minerals (kaolinite, feldspar, ferrihydrite, amorphous aluminum hydroxide) after sterilization by gamma irradiation. The adsorption isotherms were carried across a range of substrate carbon concentrations (0, 20, 100, and 500 mg carbon per L) and pH cGrass Growth in Mining Wastes with Compost and Endophyte Additions
Phytostabilization reduces the mobility of inorganic contaminants by establishing or enhancing plant growth. For small, remote, or abandoned mines, phytostabilization may reduce potential environmental hazards—provided plants can establish and grow. We grew a widespread perennial grass, Bouteloua curtipendula, in mining wastes with and without soil (compost, lime) and microbial amendments (endophyBatch sorption data, respired CO2, extractable DOC, and Raman spectra collected from an incubation with microbial necromass on feldspar or amorphous aluminum hydroxide
These datasets are from an incubation experiment with a combination of two minerals (feldspar or amorphous aluminum hydroxide), one living species of bacteria (Escherichia coli), and one added form of C (Arthrobacter crystallopoietes necromass). We characterized the sorptive properties of the minerals with batch sorption experiments using four low molecular weight C substrates (glucose, oxalic aciLaboratory data from testing parameters of EPA Method 3060A on Soils Contaminated with Chromium Ore Processing Residue 2013-2016
It has been shown that EPA Method 3060A does not adequately extract Cr(VI) from solids containing chromium ore processing residue (COPR). We systematically tested modifications to prescribed parameters of EPA 3060A towards improving extraction efficiency of Cr(VI) from NIST SRM 2701, a standard COPR-contaminated soil from New Jersey (NJ). The alkaline extraction fluid leached Al, Si, and B from th - Publications
Filter Total Items: 30
A combined compost, dolomite, and endophyte addition is more effective than single amendments for improving phytorestoration of metal contaminated mine tailings
Background and aimsRe-vegetation of mining-impacted landscapes reduces transport of toxic elements while improving soil fertility. This study evaluated whether the planting of a native perennial grass with a consortium of diazotrophic microbial endophytes and municipal waste compost—alone and in combination—enhanced plant growth while stabilizing metal(loids) in dolomite-amended tailings from a hiAuthorsCourtney Creamer, Mary-Catherine Leewis, Martina Kracmarova, Jakub Papík, Sean Kacur, John Freeman, Ondrej Uhlik, Andrea L. FosterCompost, plants and endophytes versus metal contamination: Choice of a restoration strategy steers the microbiome in polymetallic mine waste
Finding solutions for the remediation and restoration of abandoned mining areas is of great environmental importance as they pose a risk to ecosystem health. In this study, our aim was to determine how remediation strategies with (i) compost amendment, (ii) planting a metal-tolerant grass Bouteloua curtipendula, and (iii) its inoculation with beneficial endophytes influenced the microbiome of metaAuthorsMartina Kracmarova, Jakub Papik, Ondrej Uhlik, John Freeman, Andrea L. Foster, Mary-Catherine Leewis, Courtney CreamerChromium in minerals and selected aquifer materials
Between 1952 and 1964, hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), was released into groundwater from a Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) compressor station in Hinkley, California, in the western Mojave Desert 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. In 2015, the extent of anthropogenic Cr(VI) in groundwater in Hinkley and Water Valleys was uncertain, but some Cr(VI) in groundwater may be naturally oAuthorsKrishangi D. Groover, John A. Izbicki, William Benzel, Jean Morrison, Andrea L. FosterSequestration and reoxidation of chromium in experimental microcosms
Groundwater containing hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), downgradient from the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Hinkley compressor station in the Mojave Desert, 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California, is undergoing bioremediation using added ethanol as a reductant in a volume of the aquifer defined as the in situ reactive zone (IRZ). This treatment reduces Cr(VI) to trivalent chromium, CrAuthorsLaurence G. Miller, Callum E. Bobb, Andrea L. Foster, Emily G. Wright, Stacy C. Bennett, Krishangi D. Groover, John A. IzbickiMicrobial endophytes and compost improve plant growth in two contrasting types of hard rock mining waste
The re-vegetation of mining wastes with native plants is a comparatively low-cost solution for mine reclamation. However, re-vegetation fails when extreme pH values, low organic matter, or high concentrations of phytotoxic elements inhibit plant establishment and growth. Our aim was to determine whether the combined addition of municipal waste compost and diazotrophic endophytes (i.e., microorganiAuthorsCourtney Creamer, Mary-Catherine Leewis, Francesca C. Governali, John Freeman, Floyd Gray, Emily G. Wright, Andrea L. FosterMineralogy dictates the initial mechanism of microbial necromass association
Soil organic matter (SOM) improves soil fertility and mitigates disturbance related to climate and land use change. Microbial necromass (the accumulated cellular residues of microorganisms) comprises the majority of soil C, yet the formation and persistence of necromass in relation to mineralogy is poorly understood. We tested whether soil minerals had different microbial necromass association mecAuthorsCourtney Creamer, Andrea L. Foster, Corey Lawrence, Jack McFarland, Marjorie S. Schulz, Mark WaldropMineralogical characterization of weathered outcrops as a tool for constraining water chemistry predictions during project planning
Weathered samples from naturally exposed outcrops of troctolite associated with a magmatic Ni-Cu sulphide deposit were characterized by synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence mapping (µ-XRF) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), as well as by lab-based X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and wet chemical methods. Metal mobility in weathered samples was assessed usingAuthorsTamara Diedrich, Paul Fix, Andrea L. FosterModifications to EPA Method 3060A to Improve Extraction of Cr(VI) from Chromium Ore Processing Residue-Contaminated Soils
It has been shown that EPA Method 3060A does not adequately extract Cr(VI) from chromium ore processing residue (COPR). We modified various parameters of EPA 3060A toward understanding the transformation of COPR minerals in the alkaline extraction and improving extraction of Cr(VI) from NIST SRM 2701, a standard COPR-contaminated soil. Aluminum and Si were the major elements dissolved from NIST 27AuthorsChristopher T. Mills, Carleton R. Bern, Ruth E. Wolf, Andrea L. Foster, Jean Morrison, William BenzelCopper speciation in variably toxic sediments at the Ely Copper Mine, Vermont, United States
At the Ely Copper Mine Superfund site, Cu concentrations exceed background values in both streamwater (160–1200 times) and sediments (15–79 times). Previously, these sediment samples were incubated with laboratory test organisms, and they exhibited variable toxicity for different stream sites. In this study we combined bulk- and microscale techniques to determine Cu speciation and distribution inAuthorsBryn E. Kimball, Andrea L. Foster, Robert R. Seal, Nadine M. Piatak, Samuel M. Webb, Jane M. HammarstromContrasting distributions of groundwater arsenic and uranium in the western Hetao basin, Inner Mongolia: Implication for origins and fate controls
Although As concentrations have been investigated in shallow groundwater from the Hetao basin, China, less is known about U and As distributions in deep groundwater, which would help to better understand their origins and fate controls. Two hundred and ninety-nine groundwater samples, 122 sediment samples, and 14 rock samples were taken from the northwest portion of the Hetao basin, and analyzed fAuthorsHuaming Guo, Yongfeng Jia, Richard B. Wanty, Yuxiao Jiang, Weiguang Zhao, Wei Xiu, Jiaxing Shen, Yuan Li, Yongsheng Cao, Yang Wu, Di Zhang, Chao Wei, Yilong Zhang, Wengeng Cao, Andrea L. FosterArsenic speciation in solids using X-ray absorption spectroscopy
Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is an in situ, minimally-destructive, element-specific, molecular-scale structural probe that has been employed to study the chemical forms (species) of arsenic (As) in solid and aqueous phases (including rocks, soils, sediment, synthetic compounds, and numerous types of biota including humans) for more than 20 years. Although several excellentAuthorsAndrea L. Foster, Chris S. KimArsenic species in weathering mine tailings and biogenic solids at the Lava Cap Mine Superfund Site, Nevada City, CA
Background A realistic estimation of the health risk of human exposure to solid-phase arsenic (As) derived from historic mining operations is a major challenge to redevelopment of California's famed "Mother Lode" region. Arsenic, a known carcinogen, occurs in multiple solid forms that vary in bioaccessibility. X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (XAFS) was used to identify and quantify thAuthorsAndrea L. Foster, Roger P. Ashley, James J. Rytuba