Dana W Kolpin
Dana Kolpin is a Research Hydrologist, with the Central Midwest Water Science Center in Iowa City, Iowa. Dana started his career with the USGS in 1984. His research interests include the fate, transport, and effects of environmental contaminants (e.g. pesticides, human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, hormones, etc.) in the environment.
Dana was the project lead of the USGS Toxic Program’s CECs in the Environment Project for its entire history (1998 – 2017). He is now project lead of the USGS Toxic Program’s newly formed Food Project (i.e. understanding the potential for health risks from contaminant exposures associated with production, manufacturing, use, and consumption of food, beverage, and feedstock products). He has published over 200 papers and reports on environmental contaminants. His paper "Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, 1999-2000: A national reconnaissance" was a seminal paper on the occurrence of CECs in water resources, and was the first national-scale study of such compounds conducted in the United States. This paper has become the most heavily cited paper in Environmental Science & Technology history. He has published a diverse array of papers on the topic of environmental contaminants including research on CECs in landfills, changes in stream water chemistry and hydrology related to the closure of a wastewater treatment plant, detection of swine hepatitis E virus in streams, the transport of neonicotinoid insecticides in streams, the uptake of CECs into earthworms and into fish neural tissue, the occurrence of natural toxins (i.e. phytoestrogens and mycotoxins) in streams, and the first ever documentation of the off-field transport on nitrapyrin and herbicide safeners to streams. His most recent research interests include linking tap water quality to human health end points, investigating PFAS exposures in rural settings, determining the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment, and understanding chemical and microbial contaminants being discharged into the environment by food and feedstock processing plants.
Education and Certifications
M.S., Geology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
B.S., Geology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Science and Products
Herbicides and degradates in shallow aquifers of Illinois: Spatial and temporal trends
Widespread detection of N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide in U.S. streams: Comparison with concentrations of pesticides, personal care products, and other organic wastewater compounds
Transport of chemical and microbial compounds from known wastewater discharges: Potential for use as indicators of human fecal contamination
When synthetic chemicals degrade in the environment: What are the absolute fate, effects, and potential risks to humans and the ecosystem?
Presence and distribution of organic wastewater compounds in wastewater, surface, ground, and drinking waters, Minnesota, 2000-02
Pesticide degradates: Monitoring and occurrence
Do pharmaceuticals, pathogens, and other organic waste water compounds persist when waste water is used for recharge?
Pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants within a leachate plume downgradient of a municipal landfill
Occurrence of human pharmaceuticals in water resources of the United States: A review
Urban contribution of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants to streams during differing flow conditions
Use of qualitative and quantitative information in neural networks for assessing agricultural chemical contamination of domestic wells
Aquifer vulnerability to pesticide pollution: Combining soil, land-use and aquifer properties with molecular descriptors
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Herbicides and degradates in shallow aquifers of Illinois: Spatial and temporal trends
During the fall of 2000, the occurrence was examined of 16 herbicides and 13 herbicide degradates in samples from 55 wells in shallow aquifers underlying grain producing regions of Illinois. Herbicide compounds with concentrations above 0.05 μg/L were detected in 56 percent of the samples. No concentrations exceeded regulatory drinking water standards. The six most frequently detected compounds weAuthorsP. C. Mills, D.W. Kolpin, E.A. Scribner, E. M. ThurmanWidespread detection of N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide in U.S. streams: Comparison with concentrations of pesticides, personal care products, and other organic wastewater compounds
One of the most frequently detected organic chemicals in a nationwide study concerning the effects of wastewater on stream water quality conducted in the year 2000 was the widely used insect repellant N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET). It was detected at levels of 0.02 μg/L or greater in 73% of the stream sites sampled, with the selection of sampling sites being biased toward streams thought to be suAuthorsMark W. Sandstrom, D.W. Kolpin, E. M. Thurman, S.D. ZauggTransport of chemical and microbial compounds from known wastewater discharges: Potential for use as indicators of human fecal contamination
The quality of drinking and recreational water is currently (2005) determined using indicator bacteria. However, the culture tests used to analyze for these bacteria require a long time to complete and do not discriminate between human and animal fecal material sources. One complementary approach is to use chemicals found in human wastewater, which would have the advantages of (1) potentially shorAuthorsS.T. Glassmeyer, E. T. Furlong, D.W. Kolpin, J.D. Cahill, S.D. Zaugg, S.L. Werner, M. T. Meyer, D.D. KryakWhen synthetic chemicals degrade in the environment: What are the absolute fate, effects, and potential risks to humans and the ecosystem?
Various processes degrade synthetic chemicals—pesticides, pharmaceuticals, biocides, and industrials—in the environment (1, 2). Consequently, the environment may be exposed to a mixture of the parent compounds and any resulting degradation products (degradates). Recent advances in analytical methodology and greater access to analytical standards have advanced degradates research (3, 4). SpecificalAuthorsAlistair Boxall, C. Sinclair, Kathrin Fenner, Dana W. Kolpin, S. MaundPresence and distribution of organic wastewater compounds in wastewater, surface, ground, and drinking waters, Minnesota, 2000-02
Selected organic wastewater compounds (OWCs) such as household, industrial, and agricultural-use compounds, pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, and sterols and hormones were measured at 65 sites in Minnesota as part of a cooperative study among the Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Samples were collected in Minnesota during October 2000 tAuthorsKathy Lee, Larry B. Barber, Edward T. Furlong, Jeffery D. Cahill, Dana W. Kolpin, Michael T. Meyer, Steven D. ZauggPesticide degradates: Monitoring and occurrence
No abstract available.AuthorsD.W. Kolpin, W.A. Battaglin, M. T. Meyer, D.J. Schnoebelen, S. J. KalkhoffDo pharmaceuticals, pathogens, and other organic waste water compounds persist when waste water is used for recharge?
A proof-of-concept experiment was devised to determine if pharmaceuticals and other organic waste water compounds (OWCs), as well as pathogens, found in treated effluent could be transported through a 2.4 m soil column and, thus, potentially reach ground water under recharge conditions similar to those in arid or semiarid climates. Treated effluent was applied at the top of the 2.4 m long, 32.5 cmAuthorsGail E. Cordy, Norma L. Duran, Herman Bouwer, Robert C. Rice, Edward T. Furlong, Steven D. Zaugg, Michael T. Meyer, Larry B. Barber, Dana W. KolpinPharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants within a leachate plume downgradient of a municipal landfill
Ground water samples collected from the Norman Landfill research site in central Oklahoma were analyzed as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Toxic Substances Hydrology Program's national reconnaissance of pharmaceuticals and other organic waste water contaminants (OWCs) in ground water. Five sites, four of which are located downgradient of the landfill, were sampled in 2000 and analyzed foAuthorsKimberlee K. Barnes, Scott C. Christenson, Dana W. Kolpin, Michael J. Focazio, Edward T. Furlong, Steven D. Zaugg, Michael T. Meyer, Larry B. BarberOccurrence of human pharmaceuticals in water resources of the United States: A review
The widespread environmental presence of some pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater compounds has been documented globally (e.g. Buser et al. 1998; Ternes 1998; Stumpf et al.1999; Heberer et al. 2001; Kümmerer 2001; Ternes et al. 2001; Scheytt et al. 2001; Golet et al. 2002; Kolpin et al. 2002; Boyd et al. 2003; Metcalf et al. 2003). Recently, there have been several literature reviews andAuthorsM. J. Focazio, D.W. Kolpin, E. T. FurlongUrban contribution of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants to streams during differing flow conditions
During 2001, 76 water samples were collected upstream and downstream of select towns and cities in Iowa during high-, normal- and low-flow conditions to determine the contribution of urban centers to concentrations of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants (OWCs) in streams under varying flow conditions. The towns ranged in population from approximately 2000 to 200 000. Overall,AuthorsD.W. Kolpin, M. Skopec, M. T. Meyer, E. T. Furlong, S.D. ZauggUse of qualitative and quantitative information in neural networks for assessing agricultural chemical contamination of domestic wells
A neural network analysis of agrichemical occurrence in groundwater was conducted using data from a pilot study of 192 small-diameter drilled and driven wells and 115 dug and bored wells in Illinois, a regional reconnaissance network of 303 wells across 12 Midwestern states, and a study of 687 domestic wells across Iowa. Potential factors contributing to well contamination (e.g., depth to aquiferAuthorsA. Mishra, C. Ray, D.W. KolpinAquifer vulnerability to pesticide pollution: Combining soil, land-use and aquifer properties with molecular descriptors
This study uses an extensive survey of herbicides in groundwater across the midwest United States to predict occurrences of a range of compounds across the region from a combination of their molecular properties and the properties of the catchment of a borehole. The study covers 100 boreholes and eight pesticides. For each of the boreholes its catchment the soil, land-use and aquifer properties weAuthorsF. Worrall, D.W. Kolpin - News