Science and Products
Ecological consequences of neonicotinoid mixtures in streams
Sediment sources and sealed-pavement area drive polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and metal occurrence in urban streams
New-generation pesticides are prevalent in California's Central Coast streams
Multiple in-stream stressors degrade biological assemblages in five U.S. regions
Is there an urban pesticide signature? Urban streams in five U.S. regions share common dissolved-phase pesticides but differ in predicted aquatic toxicity
Inclusion of pesticide transformation products is key to estimating pesticide exposures and effects in small U.S. streams
Multi-region assessment of chemical mixture exposures and predicted cumulative effects in USA wadeable urban/agriculture-gradient streams
Chemical-contaminant mixtures are widely reported in large stream reaches in urban/agriculture-developed watersheds, but mixture compositions and aggregate biological effects are less well understood in corresponding smaller headwaters, which comprise most of stream length, riparian connectivity, and spatial biodiversity. During 2014–2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measured 389 unique orga
Editorial: Advances in hydrology and the water environment in the karst critical zone under the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities
Common insecticide disrupts aquatic communities: A mesocosm-to-field ecological risk assessment of fipronil and its degradates in U.S. streams
Biofilms provide new insight into pesticide occurrence in streams and links to aquatic ecological communities
Pavement alters delivery of sediment and fallout radionuclides to urbanstreams
Legacy and current‐use contaminants in sediments alter macroinvertebrate communities in southeastern US Streams
USGS Streamgaging Network
Urban Land Use and Water Quality
NWQP Water-Quality Topics
Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat, PAHs, and Environmental Health
Water-Quality Quick Links
National Water-Quality Project Sampling Methods
Water-Quality Trends
Sediment-Associated Contaminants
USGS Research: PAHs and Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat
Webinar: Karst, Critters, and Climate Change: A Multidisciplinary Evaluation of Karst Species Vulnerability to Climate Change
Evaluating the Impacts of Climate Extremes on Karst Hydrology and Species Vulnerability
Mapped sealed and unsealed pavement and concentrations of metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and radionuclides for soils, pavement dust, and stream sediment for 10 urban watersheds
Data set for a mesocosm to field assessment of the ecological risks associated with neonicotinoids in US streams
Pesticide and transformation product concentrations and risk quotients in U.S. headwater streams
Contributing zones of the San Antonio, Barton Springs, and Northern segments of the Edwards Aquifer
Data set for an ecological risk assessment of Firpronil compounds in US streams
Concentrations of pesticides associated with streambed sediment and biofilm in California streams, 2017
Concentrations of pesticides associated with streambed sediment and biofilm in California streams, 2017
Hydrophobic (sediment-associated) pesticides were measured in sediment samples collected from 82 wadeable streams and in biofilm in 54 of those streams in the Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains ecoregion.115 current-use and 3 legacy pesticides were measured in stream sediment; 93 of the current-use pesticides and the same 3 legacy pesticides were measured in biofilm. On average 4 t
Sediment chemistry and sediment toxicity in wadable streams across the Midwestern United States, 2013
Supporting Data: Complex Mixtures of Pesticides in Midwest U.S. Streams Indicated by POCIS Time-Integrating Samplers
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Ecological consequences of neonicotinoid mixtures in streams
Neonicotinoid mixtures are common in streams worldwide, but corresponding ecological responses are poorly understood. We combined experimental and observational studies to narrow this knowledge gap. The mesocosm experiment determined that concentrations of the neonicotinoids imidacloprid and clothianidin (range of exposures, 0 to 11.9 μg/liter) above the hazard concentration for 5% of species (0.0AuthorsTravis S. Schmidt, Janet L. Miller, Barbara Mahler, Peter C. Van Metre, Lisa H. Nowell, Mark W. Sandstrom, Daren Carlisle, Patrick W. Moran, Paul BradleySediment sources and sealed-pavement area drive polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and metal occurrence in urban streams
Metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are common pollutants in urban streambed sediment, yet their occurrence is highly variable and difficult to predict. To investigate sources of PAHs and metals to streambed sediment, we sampled pavement dust, soil, and streambed sediment in 10 urban watersheds in three regions of the United States and applied a fallout-radionuclide-based sediment-sAuthorsPeter C. Van Metre, Barbara Mahler, Sharon L. Qi, Allen Gellis, Christopher C. Fuller, Travis S. SchmidtNew-generation pesticides are prevalent in California's Central Coast streams
Pesticides are widely recognized as important biological stressors in streams, especially in heavily developed urban and agricultural areas like the Central California Coast region. We assessed occurrence and potential toxicity of pesticides in small streams in the region using two analytical methods: a broad-spectrum (223 compounds) method in use since 2012 and a newly developed method for 30 addAuthorsMark W. Sandstrom, Lisa H. Nowell, Barbara Mahler, Peter C. Van MetreMultiple in-stream stressors degrade biological assemblages in five U.S. regions
Biological assemblages in streams are affected by a wide variety of physical and chemical stressors associated with land-use development, yet the importance of combinations of different types of stressors is not well known. From 2013 to 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey completed multi-stressor/multi-assemblage stream ecological assessments in five regions of the United States (434 streams total).AuthorsIan R. Waite, Peter C. Van Metre, Patrick W. Moran, Christopher P. Konrad, Lisa H. Nowell, Michael R. Meador, Mark D. Munn, Travis S. Schmidt, Allen Gellis, Daren Carlisle, Paul M. Bradley, Barbara MahlerByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Washington Water Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science CenterIs there an urban pesticide signature? Urban streams in five U.S. regions share common dissolved-phase pesticides but differ in predicted aquatic toxicity
Pesticides occur in urban streams globally, but the relation of occurrence to urbanization can be obscured by regional differences. In studies of five regions of the United States, we investigated the effect of region and urbanization on the occurrence and potential toxicity of dissolved pesticide mixtures. We analyzed 225 pesticide compounds in weekly discrete water samples collected during 6–12AuthorsLisa H. Nowell, Patrick W. Moran, Laura M. Bexfield, Barbara Mahler, Peter C. Van Metre, Paul Bradley, Travis S. Schmidt, Daniel T. Button, Sharon L. QiByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, New Mexico Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Washington Water Science CenterInclusion of pesticide transformation products is key to estimating pesticide exposures and effects in small U.S. streams
Improved analytical methods can quantify hundreds of pesticide transformation products (TPs), but understanding of TP occurrence and potential toxicity in aquatic ecosystems remains limited. We quantified 108 parent pesticides and 116 TPs in more than 3 700 samples from 442 small streams in mostly urban basins across five major regions of the United States. TPs were detected nearly as frequently aAuthorsBarbara Mahler, Lisa H. Nowell, Mark W. Sandstrom, Paul Bradley, Kristin Romanok, Christopher Konrad, Peter Van MetreByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Washington Water Science Center, National Water Quality LaboratoryMulti-region assessment of chemical mixture exposures and predicted cumulative effects in USA wadeable urban/agriculture-gradient streams
Chemical-contaminant mixtures are widely reported in large stream reaches in urban/agriculture-developed watersheds, but mixture compositions and aggregate biological effects are less well understood in corresponding smaller headwaters, which comprise most of stream length, riparian connectivity, and spatial biodiversity. During 2014–2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measured 389 unique orga
AuthorsPaul Bradley, Celeste A. Journey, Kristin Romanok, Sara Breitmeyer, Daniel T. Button, Daren M. Carlisle, Bradley Huffman, Barbara Mahler, Lisa H. Nowell, Sharon L. Qi, Kelly Smalling, Ian R. Waite, Peter C. Van MetreByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)Editorial: Advances in hydrology and the water environment in the karst critical zone under the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities
No abstract available.AuthorsBarbara Mahler, Jiang Yongjun, Junbing Pu, Jonathan MartinCommon insecticide disrupts aquatic communities: A mesocosm-to-field ecological risk assessment of fipronil and its degradates in U.S. streams
Insecticides in streams are increasingly a global concern, yet information on safe concentrations for aquatic ecosystems is sparse. In a 30-day mesocosm experiment exposing native benthic aquatic invertebrates to the common insecticide fipronil and four degradates, fipronil compounds caused altered emergence and trophic cascades. Effect concentrations eliciting a 50% response (EC50) were developedAuthorsJanet L. Miller, Travis S. Schmidt, Peter C. Van Metre, Barbara Mahler, Mark W. Sandstrom, Lisa H. Nowell, Daren Carlisle, Patrick W. MoranBiofilms provide new insight into pesticide occurrence in streams and links to aquatic ecological communities
Streambed sediment is commonly analyzed to assess occurrence of hydrophobic pesticides and risks to aquatic communities. However, stream biofilms also have the potential to accumulate pesticides and may be consumed by aquatic organisms. To better characterize risks to aquatic life, the U.S. Geological Survey Regional Stream Quality Assessment measured 93 current-use and 3 legacy pesticides in bedAuthorsBarbara Mahler, Travis S. Schmidt, Lisa H. Nowell, Sharon L. Qi, Peter C. Van Metre, Michelle Hladik, Daren M. Carlisle, Mark D. Munn, Jason MayPavement alters delivery of sediment and fallout radionuclides to urbanstreams
Sediment from urban impervious surfaces has the potential to be an important vector for contaminants, particularly where stormwater culverts and other buried channels draining large impervious areas exit from underground pipes into open channels. To better understand urban sediment sources and their relation to fallout radionuclides, we collected samples of rainfall, urban sediment (pavement sedimAuthorsAllen Gellis, Christopher C. Fuller, Peter C. Van Metre, Barbara Mahler, C. Welty, Andrew Miller, Lucas A Nibert, Zachary Clifton, Jeremy Malen, J.T. KemperLegacy and current‐use contaminants in sediments alter macroinvertebrate communities in southeastern US Streams
Sediment contamination of freshwater streams in urban areas is a recognized and growing concern. As a part of a comprehensive regional stream‐quality assessment, stream‐bed sediment was sampled from streams spanning a gradient of urban intensity in the Piedmont ecoregion of the southeastern United States. We evaluated relations between a broad suite of sediment contaminants (metals, current‐use peAuthorsPatrick W. Moran, Nile E. Kemble, Ian R. Waite, Barbara Mahler, Lisa H. Nowell, Peter C. Van Metre - Science
USGS Streamgaging Network
The USGS Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program supports the collection and (or) delivery of both streamflow and water-level information at approximately 8,500 sites and water-level information alone for more than 1,700 additional sites. The data are served online—most in near realtime—to meet many diverse needs.Urban Land Use and Water Quality
Wherever you live, there’s a creek or stream near you. The eighty percent of Americans who live in metropolitan areas are often unaware of the network of urban creeks—many teeming with life—that weaves through our cities and town. Nowhere are the environmental changes associated with urban development more evident than in urban streams.NWQP Water-Quality Topics
From chloride to corrosivity, from pesticides to PAHs, find the most recent National Water Quality Program (NWQP) science on these topics and effects on surface water, groundwater, and ecology. Informative web pages provide an overview and links to related web pages, publications, maps, news, and data.Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat, PAHs, and Environmental Health
Sealcoat is the black, viscous liquid applied to many asphalt parking lots, driveways, and playgrounds in North America to protect and enhance the appearance of the underlying asphalt. Coal-tar-based pavement sealcoat is a potent source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in urban and suburban areas and a potential concern for human health and aquatic life.Water-Quality Quick Links
Looking for data? Maps? Use the links below to quickly access some of the most frequently visited USGS web pages on water quality.National Water-Quality Project Sampling Methods
USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) studies require analyses of stream and bed-sediment samples for major ions, nutrients, sediments, and organic contaminants that are consistent across time and space. Procedures have been designed specifically to produce information that is comparable among studies in different parts of the Nation.Water-Quality Trends
Is water quality getting better or worse? Answering this deceptively simple question has been a fundamental objective of the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Project’s research. Learn about trends in contaminants in the nation’s streams and rivers, trends in contaminants that collect in the bed sediment of streams and lakes, and changes in the quality of the nation’s groundwater.Sediment-Associated Contaminants
Stream, river, and lake bed sediment are reservoirs for many contaminants. These contaminants include some “legacy” contaminants, like DDT, PCBs, and chlordane, and chemicals currently in use, like the insecticide bifenthrin and many flame retardants. Learn about techniques used to study sediment-associated contaminants and their importance to aquatic biota.USGS Research: PAHs and Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat
Coal-tar-based pavement sealant is a potent source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as documented by the USGS and other researchers.Coal-tar-based sealcoat products typically are 20 to 35% coal tar or coal-tar pitch—these materials are known human carcinogens that contain high concentrations of PAHs and related chemicals. Coal-tar-based pavement sealcoat typically contains 35,000 to 200...Webinar: Karst, Critters, and Climate Change: A Multidisciplinary Evaluation of Karst Species Vulnerability to Climate Change
View this webinar to learn how scientists are exploring the vulnerability of karst species to climate change.Evaluating the Impacts of Climate Extremes on Karst Hydrology and Species Vulnerability
Karst aquifers—formed when the movement of water dissolves bedrock—are critical groundwater resources in North America. Water moving through these aquifers carves out magnificent caves, sinkholes, and other formations. These formations are home to high concentrations of rare and endangered species, but the hydrological conditions that support these species can change rapidly. Managing these ecosys... - Data
Mapped sealed and unsealed pavement and concentrations of metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and radionuclides for soils, pavement dust, and stream sediment for 10 urban watersheds
These data represent a one-time synoptic survey of sampled soils, pavement dust, and stream sediment in 10 urban watersheds in three regions of the United States (Pacific Northwest, northeast, and southeast) to evaluate sources of sediment and two groups of common urban contaminants: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals. Analyses of samples from six of the watersheds included falloutData set for a mesocosm to field assessment of the ecological risks associated with neonicotinoids in US streams
Neonicotinoids, a widely used class of insecticide, have been found in surface waters globally. They pose a risk to non-target species found in aquatic environments such as aquatic macroinvertebrates. To better understand the effects of the neonicotinoids imidacloprid, clothianidin and their mixtures on aquatic communities we ran a 30 day mesocosm test. Rock trays were colonized with natural benthPesticide and transformation product concentrations and risk quotients in U.S. headwater streams
This dataset includes a subset of previously released pesticide data (Morace and others, 2020) from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) project and the corresponding hazard index results calculated using the R package toxEval, which are relevant to Mahler and others, 2020. Pesticide and transformation productContributing zones of the San Antonio, Barton Springs, and Northern segments of the Edwards Aquifer
The Edwards aquifer is a karst aquifer system that is a primary water source for a large part of central Texas including the city of San Antonio, Texas. These vector geospatial data represent the geographic extent of the contributing zones for the Northern, Barton Springs, and San Antonio segments of the Edwards aquifer. The contributing zone is defined as the drainage area of the Edwards PlateauData set for an ecological risk assessment of Firpronil compounds in US streams
The phenylpyrazole insecticide fipronil and its degradates are a potential surface-water contaminant and toxicant to nontarget species such as aquatic macroinvertebrates. To better understand how fipronil, fipronil sulfide, fipronil sulfone, desulfinyl fipronil, and fipronil amide affect aquatic communities, a 30-day mesocosm experiment was run. Rock trays were colonized with natural benthic commuConcentrations of pesticides associated with streambed sediment and biofilm in California streams, 2017
Hydrophobic (sediment-associated) pesticides were measured in sediment samples collected from 82 wadeable streams and in biofilm in 54 of those streams in the Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains ecoregion.115 current-use and 3 legacy pesticides were measured in stream sediment; 93 of the current-use pesticides and the same 3 legacy pesticides were measured in biofilm. On average 4 tConcentrations of pesticides associated with streambed sediment and biofilm in California streams, 2017
Hydrophobic (sediment-associated) pesticides were measured in sediment samples collected from 82 wadeable streams and in biofilm in 54 of those streams in the Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains ecoregion.115 current-use and 3 legacy pesticides were measured in stream sediment; 93 of the current-use pesticides and the same 3 legacy pesticides were measured in biofilm. On average 4 t
Sediment chemistry and sediment toxicity in wadable streams across the Midwestern United States, 2013
These data present chemistry and toxicity results from freshwater stream sediments collected from 99 wadable stream sites across eleven states in the Midwestern U.S. as one component of a larger USGS study in the summer of 2013. This data presents a selected suite of chemistry collected at these sites (PAHs, Organochlorines, PCBs, Trace Elements, and current use pesticides) used in calculating a PSupporting Data: Complex Mixtures of Pesticides in Midwest U.S. Streams Indicated by POCIS Time-Integrating Samplers
The Midwest United States is an intensely agricultural region where pesticides in streams pose risks to aquatic biota, but temporal variability in pesticide concentrations makes characterization of their exposure to organisms challenging. To compensate for the effects of temporal variability, we deployed polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) in 100 small streams across the Midwest fo - Multimedia
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