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
Impacts of waste from concentrated animal feeding operations on water quality
Research plan and preliminary results: A field research site for emerging contaminants in Iowa
Urban contributions of glyphosate and its degradate AMPA to streams in the United States
A multi-disciplinary approach to the removal of emerging contaminants in municipal wastewater treatment plans in New York State, 2003-2004
Summary of significant results from studies of triazine herbicides and their degradation products in surface water, ground water, and precipitation in the midwestern United States during the 1990s
Current topics in agricultural hydrology and water quality: Introduction
Studies examine contaminants: Pharmaceuticals, hormones and other organic wastewater contaminants in ground water resources
Environmental exposure modeling and monitoring of human pharmaceutical concentrations in the environment
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
Herbicides and degradates in shallow aquifers of Illinois: Spatial and temporal trends
Glyphosate, other herbicides, and transformation products in Midwestern streams, 2002
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Impacts of waste from concentrated animal feeding operations on water quality
Waste from agricultural livestock operations has been a long-standing concern with respect to contamination of water resources, particularly in terms of nutrient pollution. However, the recent growth of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) presents a greater risk to water quality because of both the increased volume of waste and to contaminants that may be present (e.g., antibiotics andAuthorsJ. Burkholder, B. Libra, P. Weyer, S. Heathcote, D. Kolpin, P.S. Thorne, M. WichmanResearch plan and preliminary results: A field research site for emerging contaminants in Iowa
Research has recently documented the prevalence of a wide variety of pharmaceuticals and other emerging contaminants (ECs) in streams across the United States. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been found to be an important source and collection point of ECs to streams as many ECs are incompletely removed during treatment. To investigate the complex in-stream processes (e.g., dilution, sorpAuthorsDouglas J. Schnoebelen, Dana W. Kolpin, Larry B. Barber, Edward T. Furlong, Michael Meyer, M. SkopecUrban contributions of glyphosate and its degradate AMPA to streams in the United States
Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world, being routinely applied to control weeds in both agricultural and urban settings. Microbial degradation of glyphosate produces aminomethyl phosphonic acid (AMPA). The high polarity and water-solubility of glyphosate and AMPA has, until recently, made their analysis in water samples problematic. Thus, compared to other herbicides (e.g. atraAuthorsD.W. Kolpin, E. M. Thurman, E.A. Lee, M. T. Meyer, E. T. Furlong, S.T. GlassmeyerA multi-disciplinary approach to the removal of emerging contaminants in municipal wastewater treatment plans in New York State, 2003-2004
Across the United States, there is a rapidly growing awareness of the occurrence and the toxicological impacts of natural and synthetic trace compounds in the environment. These trace compounds, referred to as emerging contaminants (ECs), are reported to cause a range of negative impacts in the environment, such as adverse effects on biota in receiving streams and interference with the normal funcAuthorsPatrick J. Philips, Beverley Stinson, Steven D. Zaugg, Edward T. Furlong, Dana W. Kolpin, Kathleen Esposito, B. Bodniewicz, R. Pape, J. AndersonSummary of significant results from studies of triazine herbicides and their degradation products in surface water, ground water, and precipitation in the midwestern United States during the 1990s
Nonpoint-source contamination of water resources from triazine herbicides has been a major water-quality issue during the 1990s in the United States. To address this issue, studies of surface water, ground water, and precipitation have been carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Midwestern United States. Reconnaissance studies of 147 streams were conducted to determine the geographic andAuthorsElisabeth A. Scribner, E. M. Thurman, Donald A. Goolsby, Michael T. Meyer, William A. Battaglin, Dana W. KolpinCurrent topics in agricultural hydrology and water quality: Introduction
No abstract available.AuthorsJ.D. Williams, D.W. KolpinStudies examine contaminants: Pharmaceuticals, hormones and other organic wastewater contaminants in ground water resources
Ground water provides approximately 40 percent of the nation’s public water supply, and the total percentage of withdrawals for irrigation has increased from 23 percent in 1950 to 42 percent in 2000. Ground water also is a major contributor to flow in many streams and rivers in the United States and has a substantial influence on river and wetland habitats for plants and animals. Organic wastewateAuthorsKimberlee K. Barnes, Dana W. Kolpin, Edward T. Furlong, Steven D. Zaugg, Michael T. Meyer, Larry B. Barber, Michael J. FocazioEnvironmental exposure modeling and monitoring of human pharmaceutical concentrations in the environment
Human pharmaceuticals are receiving increased attention as environmental contaminants. This is due to their biological activity and the number of monitoring programs focusing on analysis of these compounds in various environmental media and compartments. Risk assessments are needed to understand the implications of reported concentrations; a fundamental part of the risk assessment is an assessmentAuthorsD.J. Versteeg, A. C. Alder, V. L. Cunningham, D.W. Kolpin, R. Murray-Smith, T. TernesWidespread 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. KryakHerbicides 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. ThurmanGlyphosate, other herbicides, and transformation products in Midwestern streams, 2002
The use of glyphosate has increased rapidly, and there is limited understanding of its environmental fate. The objective of this study was to document the occurrence of glyphosate and the transformation product aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in Midwestern streams and to compare their occurrence with that of more commonly measured herbicides such as acetochlor, atrazine, and metolachlor. WaterAuthorsWilliam A. Battaglin, Dana W. Kolpin, Elisabeth A. Scribner, Kathryn M. Kuivila, Mark W. Sandstrom - News