Bethany Kunz, Ph.D.
Science and Products
Land Stewardship Science Team
The Land Stewardship Integrated Science Team focuses on the potential for contaminant exposures in the environment that might originate from land management activities like wildfire and dust suppression, vector control (for example: mosquitos and rodents) and invasive species (Asian carp and nuisance plants). Perceived health risks to humans and other organisms will be...
Program Scientist Receives Award for Research on the Effects of Road Dust Control Chemicals
Dr. Bethany Kunz received the 2017 Environmental Excellence Award from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for her exemplary research to advance knowledge of the effects of transportation on the natural environment.
Chemical and biological data from acute and chronic exposure to sodium nitrate and sodium sulfate for several freshwater organisms in water-only bioassays
The responses (survival, growth, and/or reproduction) of test organisms in six concentrations of toxicants in several test waters with different water quality characteristics. In addition to the individual biological data, chemical, and water quality measurements from each toxicity test are also reported. Test organisms include unionid mussels (Lampsilis siliquoidea, Villosa
Aquatic toxicity of chemical road dust suppressants to freshwater organisms
Unpaved roads make up at least 14 million kilometers of the worldwide road network. Although investigations of road runoff often are focused on paved roads, unpaved roads contribute large volumes of runoff to roadside aquatic habitats and introduce unique constituents to runoff, such as chemical dust suppressants. At least 200 products across five...
Kunz, Bethany K.; Little, Edward E.; Barandino, Vincent L.Acute and chronic toxicity of sodium nitrate and sodium sulfate to several freshwater organisms in water-only exposures
Elevated nitrate (NO3) and sulfate (SO4) in surface water are of global concern, and studies are needed to generate toxicity data to develop environmental guideline values for NO3 and SO4. The present study was designed to fill existing gaps in toxicity databases by determining the acute and/or chronic toxicity of NO3 (tested as NaNO3) to a...
Wang, Ning; Dorman, Rebecca A.; Ivey, Chris D.; Soucek, David J.; Dickinson, Amy; Kunz, Bethany K.; Steevens, Jeffery; Hammer, Edward J.; Bauer, Candice R.Benefits and limitations of installing driving surface aggregate at two federal lands sites
The worldwide network of unpaved roads is estimated to include at least 14 million km (8.7 million miles; 1). Although they are vital for local communities, these roads are expensive to maintain and may cause environmental damage through sediment and dust pollution (e.g., 2). Among aggregate-surfaced roads, locally available materials are often...
Kunz, Bethany K.; Chase, Eric H.; Bloser, Steve M.; Kestler, Maureen A.; Jutz, BrandonAmphibian monitoring in hardwood forests: Optimizing methods for contaminant‐based compensatory restorations
Amphibians such as frogs, toads, and salamanders provide important services in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and have been proposed as useful indicators of progress and success for ecological restoration projects. Limited guidance is available, however, on the costs and benefits of different amphibian monitoring techniques that might be...
Kunz, Bethany K.; Waddle, Hardin; Green, Nicholas S.Science support for evaluating natural recovery of polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations in fish from Crab Orchard Lake, Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Illinois
IntroductionCrab Orchard Lake in southern Illinois is one of the largest and most popular recreational lakes in the state. Construction of the nearly 7,000-acre reservoir in the late 1930s created employment opportunities through the Works Progress Administration, and the lake itself was intended to supply water, control flooding, and provide...
Kunz, Bethany K.; Hinck, Jo Ellen; Calfee, Robin D.; Linder, Greg L.; Little, Edward E.Use of real-time dust monitoring and surface condition to evaluate success of unpaved road treatments
No abstract available.
Kunz, Bethany K.; Green, Nicholas S.; Albers, Janice L.; Wildhaber, Mark L.; Little, Edward E.Use of real-time dust monitoring and surface condition to evaluate success of unpaved road treatments
Fugitive dust from unpaved roads creates human health hazards, degrades road surfaces, and increases the cost of road maintenance. As a result, many different chemical treatments are applied to unpaved roads in an attempt to control dust and stabilize the wearing course. However, investigations of the effectiveness of these treatments have often...
Kunz, Bethany K.; Green, Nicholas S.; Albers, Janice L.; Wildhaber, Mark L.; Little, Edward E.Incorporating evolutionary insights to improve ecotoxicology for freshwater species
Ecotoxicological studies have provided extensive insights into the lethal and sublethal effects of environmental contaminants. These insights are critical for environmental regulatory frameworks, which rely on knowledge of toxicity for developing policies to manage contaminants. While varied approaches have been applied to ecotoxicological...
Brady, Steven P.; Richardson, Jonathan L.; Kunz, Bethany K.Soil chemistry adjacent to roads treated with dust control products at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge
The health of soils along roadways is critical for maximizing habitat quality and minimizing negative ecological effects of roads. Adjacent to unpaved roads, soil chemistry may be altered by the deposition of dust, as well as by road treatment with dust suppressants or soil stabilizer products. If present in roadside soils, these product residues...
Kunz, Bethany K.Dust control products at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, Texas: environmental safety and performance
Controlling fugitive dust while protecting natural resources is a challenge faced by all managers of unpaved roads. Unfortunately, road managers choosing between dust control products often have little objective environmental information to aid their decisions. To address this information gap, the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and...
Kunz, Bethany K.; Little, Edward E.Unpaved road dust management, a successful practitioner’s handbook
This handbook provides broad programmatic aspects of unpaved road management. It is based on observations made during a national scan tour and provides useful and insightful excerpts of realworld examples and includes practical how-to instructions for determining what type of treatment may be needed for different situations. It ultimately strives...
Jones, David; Kociolek, Angela; Surdahl, Roger; Bolander, Peter; Drewes, Bruce; Duran, Matthew; Fay, Laura; Huntington, George; James, David; Milne, Clark; Nahra, Mark; Scott, Andrew; Vitale, Bob; Williams, Bethany