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
Water-quantity and water-quality aspects of a 500-year flood - Nishnabotna River, southwest Iowa, June 1998
Detection of antibiotics in surface and ground water near confined animal feeding operations and wastewater-treatment plants by using radioimmunoassay and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry
Finding minimal herbicide concentrations in ground water? Try looking for their degradates
Occurrence of acetochlor and acetochlor metabolites in alluvial aquifers in Iowa
Testing water quality for pesticide pollution: U.S. Geological Survey investigations reveal widespread contamination of the nation's water resources
Agrichemicals in ground water of the midwestern USA: Relations to soil characteristics
Assessing groundwater vulnerability to agrichemical contamination in the Midwest US
Nitrate in groundwater of the midwestern United States: A regional investigation on relations to land use and soil properties
Distribution of major herbicides in ground water of the United States
Occurrence of acetanilide herbicide metabolites in tile runoff and ground
Herbicides in ground water of the Midwest: A regional study of shallow aquifers, 1991-94
Occurrence of pesticides in shallow groundwater of the United States: initial results from the National Water-Quality Assessment program
Science and Products
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Water-quantity and water-quality aspects of a 500-year flood - Nishnabotna River, southwest Iowa, June 1998
Flooding that occurred in southwest Iowa during June 15–17, 1998, was the worst flood ever recorded on the Nishnabotna River, exceeding the theoretical 500-year flood calculated from peak-flow records (1922 to present). This flood was a direct consequence of severe thunderstorm activity that caused more than 4 inches of rain to fall over a large part of the Nishnabotna River Basin. In fact, a newAuthorsDana W. Kolpin, Edward E. Fischer, Douglas J. SchnoebelenDetection of antibiotics in surface and ground water near confined animal feeding operations and wastewater-treatment plants by using radioimmunoassay and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry
[No abstract available]AuthorsM. T. Meyer, D.W. Kolpin, J.E. Bumgarner, J.L. Varns, J.V. DaughtridgeFinding minimal herbicide concentrations in ground water? Try looking for their degradates
Extensive research has been conducted regarding the occurrence of herbicides in the hydrologic system, their fate, and their effects on human health and the environment. Few studies, however, have considered herbicide transformation products (degradates). In this study of Iowa ground water, herbicide degradates were frequently detected. In fact, herbicide degradates were eight of the 10 most frequAuthorsD.W. Kolpin, E. M. Thurman, S. M. LinhartOccurrence of acetochlor and acetochlor metabolites in alluvial aquifers in Iowa
No abstract available.AuthorsStephen J. Kalkhoff, Mark E. Savoca, Eric M. Sadorf, Dana W. Kolpin, Earl M. ThurmanTesting water quality for pesticide pollution: U.S. Geological Survey investigations reveal widespread contamination of the nation's water resources
No abstract available.AuthorsRobert J. Gilliom, Jack E. Barbash, Dana W. Kolpin, Steven J. LarsonAgrichemicals in ground water of the midwestern USA: Relations to soil characteristics
A comprehensive set of soil characteristics were examined to determine the effect of soil on the transport of agrichemicals to ground water. This paper examines the relation of local soil characteristics to concentrations and occurrence of nitrate, atrazine (2-chloro-4 ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-trazine), and atrazine residue [atrazine + deethylatrazine (2-amino-4-chloro-6-isopropylamino-s-triaAuthorsM. R. Burkart, D.W. Kolpin, R.J. Jaquis, K.J. ColeAssessing groundwater vulnerability to agrichemical contamination in the Midwest US
Agrichemicals (herbicides and nitrate) are significant sources of diffuse pollution to groundwater. Indirect methods are needed to assess the potential for groundwater contamination by diffuse sources because groundwater monitoring is too costly to adequately define the geographic extent of contamination at a regional or national scale. This paper presents examples of the application of statisticaAuthorsM. R. Burkart, D.W. Kolpin, D.E. JamesNitrate in groundwater of the midwestern United States: A regional investigation on relations to land use and soil properties
The intense application of nitrogen-fertilizer to cropland in the midwestern United States has created concern about nitrate contamination of the region's aquifers. Since 1991, the US Geological Survey has used a network of 303 wells to investigate the regional distribution of nitrate in near-surface aquifers of the midwestern United States. Detailed land use and soil data were compiled within a 2AuthorsD. Kolpin, M. Burkart, D. GoolsbyDistribution of major herbicides in ground water of the United States
Information on the concentrations and spatial distributions of pesticides and their transformation products, or degradates, in the hydrologic system is essential for managing pesticide use in both agricultural and nonagricultural settings to protect water resources. This report examines the occurrence of selected herbicides and their degradates in ground water, primarily on the basis of results frAuthorsJack E. Barbash, Gail P. Thelin, Dana W. Kolpin, Robert J. GilliomOccurrence of acetanilide herbicide metabolites in tile runoff and ground
No abstract available.AuthorsE. M. Thurman, D.W. Kolpin, S. J. Kalkhoff, P. J. PhillipsHerbicides in ground water of the Midwest: A regional study of shallow aquifers, 1991-94
The intensive herbicide use associated with the 'Corn Belt' marks the Midwestern United States as a region where herbicide contamination of ground water could be a problem. To better understand the regional occurrence of herbicides in shallow aquifers of the Midwest, a sampling network of 303 wells across 12 States was developed. The results documented relatively widespread, low-level concentratioAuthorsDana W. Kolpin, J. K. Stamer, D. A. Goolsby, E. M. ThurmanOccurrence of pesticides in shallow groundwater of the United States: initial results from the National Water-Quality Assessment program
The first phase of intensive data collection for the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) was completed during 1993−1995 in 20 major hydrologic basins of the United States. Groundwater land-use studies, designed to sample recently recharged groundwater (generally within 10 years) beneath specific land-use and hydrogeologic settings, are a major component of the groundwater quality as sessmentAuthorsDana W. Kolpin, Jack E. Barbash, Robert J. Gilliom - News