Dr. Dave Alvarez is a Supervisory Research Chemist at the Columbia Environmental Research Center.
His focus is on the development of innovative methodologies for passive sampler design and complex mixture analysis of various environmental matrices. Research is conducted on emerging and historic contaminants; assessment of the exposure of aquatic and terrestrial organisms and humans to anthropogenic chemicals; and identification of chemicals and their potential sources. The link between chemical occurrence and biological effects are investigated using passive samplers as surrogate biological organisms and screening sampler extracts with in vitro and in vivo tests for estrogenicity, acute toxicity, reproductive and developmental abnormalities. The research is designed to expand the understanding of the roles of physicochemical parameters and environmental factors on the uptake mechanisms of passive samplers. Through our experience and expertise, this research group is recognized as an international leader in the field of passive sampling technologies.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Environmental/Analytical Chemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999
B.S. Chemistry, Missouri Western State College, 1995
Affiliations and Memberships*
2005-present Member, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
1993-present Member, American Chemical Society Environmental Division
1992-present Member, American Chemical Society
Science and Products
Passive Sampling Using SPMDs and POCIS
Advanced PFAS Measurement Methods
Framework Developed to Evaluate the Practicality of Effects-Directed Analyses to Identify Endocrine Active Chemicals in Complex Environmental Sample Mixtures
Framework Developed to Evaluate the Practicality of Effects-Directed Analyses to Identify Endocrine Active Chemicals in Complex Environmental Sample Mixtures
Framework Developed to Evaluate the Practicality of Effects-Directed Analyses to Identify Endocrine Active Chemicals in Complex Environmental Sample Mixtures
Areas of Concern: Niagara River
Track down survey of PCBs in three tributaries to the Niagara River Area of Concern (AOC)
Facilities and Equipment
Passive Sampling Using SPMDs and POCIS
Passive and Field Sampling
Environmental Chemistry Branch Structure
Quality Assurance and Quality Control
Analytical Capabilities
Pesticides and pesticide transformation product data from passive samplers deployed in 15 Great Lakes tributaries, 2016
Reconnaissance of chemicals of potential biological concern in tributaries of the Great Lakes using passive samplers in 2010 and 2014
Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) data from instream water and sediment passive samplers, stream bank sediment, and catch basin sediment in the Clinton River Area of Concern, Michigan, USA, 2019
Legacy and emerging contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay watershed as measured using passive samplers - 2005 to 2013
Supplemental Continuous Temperature Data, Temperature Profile Data, SPMD Environmental Concentration Data and SPMD Quality-control Data for the Assessment of Hydrocarbon Concentrations in Southern Lake Powell (2016-2017)
Chronic toxicity of 4-Nonylphenol to two unionid mussels in water-only exposures-metadata
Baseline aquatic contamination and endocrine status in a resident fish of Biscayne National Park
Supporting Data: Complex Mixtures of Pesticides in Midwest U.S. Streams Indicated by POCIS Time-Integrating Samplers
Prioritizing pesticides of potential concern and identifying potential mixture effects in Great Lakes tributaries using passive samplers
Identifying chemicals and mixtures of potential biological concern detected in passive samplers from Great Lakes tributaries using high-throughput data and biological pathways
Physical and chemical stressors on algal, invertebrate, and fish communities in 14 Milwaukee area streams, 2004–2013
Movement of synthetic organic compounds in the food web after the introduction of invasive quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) in Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, USA
Wastewater-based epidemiology pilot study to examine drug use in the Western United States
Urban stream syndrome and contaminant uptake in salamanders of Central Texas
Ecological status of aquatic communities in selected streams in the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District planning area of Wisconsin, 2004–13
Factors affecting sampling strategies for design of an effects‐directed analysis for endocrine‐active chemicals
Evaluation of legacy and emerging organic chemicals using passive sampling devices on the North Branch Au Sable River near Lovells, Michigan, June 2018
Petroleum hydrocarbons in semipermeable membrane devices deployed in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Florida keys following the Deepwater Horizon incident
Assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in southern Lake Powell, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona and Utah, 2016–17
Multiple approaches to surface water quality assessment provide insight for small streams experiencing oil and natural gas development
Science and Products
- Science
Passive Sampling Using SPMDs and POCIS
The application of passive sampling technologies for the monitoring of legacy and emerging organic chemicals in the environment is becoming widely accepted worldwide.Filter Total Items: 16Advanced PFAS Measurement Methods
Environmental Health Program scientists, in collaboration with other USGS scientists, are developing complementary field and laboratory methods and capabilities to detect and quantify a range of target and nontarget per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and indicator compounds at low levels (parts per trillion) in a variety of environmental matrices. The PFAS Integrated Science Team is...Framework Developed to Evaluate the Practicality of Effects-Directed Analyses to Identify Endocrine Active Chemicals in Complex Environmental Sample Mixtures
An effects-directed analyses (EDA) framework for endocrine active chemicals was developed to help decision makers quickly evaluate the efficacy and practicality of an EDA approach in waste and surface waters and how adjustments could be made to increase its success.Framework Developed to Evaluate the Practicality of Effects-Directed Analyses to Identify Endocrine Active Chemicals in Complex Environmental Sample Mixtures
An effects-directed analyses (EDA) framework for endocrine active chemicals was developed to help decision makers quickly evaluate the efficacy and practicality of an EDA approach in waste and surface waters and how adjustments could be made to increase its success.Framework Developed to Evaluate the Practicality of Effects-Directed Analyses to Identify Endocrine Active Chemicals in Complex Environmental Sample Mixtures
An effects-directed analyses (EDA) framework for endocrine active chemicals was developed to help decision makers quickly evaluate the efficacy and practicality of an EDA approach in waste and surface waters and how adjustments could be made to increase its success.Areas of Concern: Niagara River
USGS scientists participated in several projects supporting work in the Niagara River Area of Concern including: 1) Evaluating toxicity in Benthos Sediment, 2) Tracking PCB Sources in the AOC, and Identifying Source Areas Contributing to Contaminants Found in Fish Tissue.Track down survey of PCBs in three tributaries to the Niagara River Area of Concern (AOC)
Background Industrial discharges of toxic and bio-accumulating compounds to the Niagara River and its tributaries have occurred over many decades. High concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been found in samples of fish tissue from many locations, including three tributaries to the Niagara River: Tonawanda Creek, Two mile Creek, and Rattlesnake Creek (study reaches listed in TablFacilities and Equipment
Laboratories The Environmental Chemistry Branch has a modern laboratory facility with dedicated spaces for sample preparation, inorganic and organic analyses. Steps to minimize background contamination and to protect sample integrity have been incorporated into the laboratory design.Passive Sampling Using SPMDs and POCIS
The application of passive sampling technologies for the monitoring of legacy and emerging organic chemicals in the environment is becoming widely accepted worldwide.Passive and Field Sampling
CERC scientists in the Environmental Chemistry Branch are pioneers in the development of passive sampling techniques. Samplers available include: SPMDs (hydrophobic organics in water and air), POCIS (hydrophilic organics in water), stabilized liquid membrane devices (SLMDs), peepers, and diffusion gradients in thin films (DGT). We also have experience modifying existing technologies for specific...Environmental Chemistry Branch Structure
The Environmental Chemistry Branch is made up of four research sections working collectively towards the common goal of providing information on the role of chemicals in the environment.Quality Assurance and Quality Control
The Environmental Chemistry Branch uses a robust set of Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) approaches to ensure that data are of known and documented quality. Standard criteria can be adjusted to meet individual project requirements and quality assurance project plans (QAPPs).Analytical Capabilities
The Environmental Chemistry Branch has a modern laboratory facility with dedicated spaces for sample preparation, inorganic and organic analyses. - Data
Pesticides and pesticide transformation product data from passive samplers deployed in 15 Great Lakes tributaries, 2016
This dataset includes pesticides and pesticide transformation products in 15 tributaries of the Great Lakes. Pesticides were monitored using polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) to estimate concentrations in water following standard protocols (Alvarez, 2010) in June and July 2016. POCIS extracts were analyzed for 225 chemicals (USGS National Water Quality Laboratory schedule 5437, SReconnaissance of chemicals of potential biological concern in tributaries of the Great Lakes using passive samplers in 2010 and 2014
This data set is a compilation of data from two sampling efforts (2010 and 2014), focused on determining the presence and distribution of organic contaminants throughout the United States portion of the Great Lakes watershed. Water-borne contaminants were monitored in 69 tributaries of the Great Lakes using semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs), and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POPolychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) data from instream water and sediment passive samplers, stream bank sediment, and catch basin sediment in the Clinton River Area of Concern, Michigan, USA, 2019
Two types of passive samplers for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) analysis were deployed in the Clinton River Area of Concern in 2019: semipermeable membrane devices for water and in-stream sediment samplers. Samplers were deployed in July 2019 and retrieved in August 2019. Additionally, bank sediment samples for PCB analysis were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in August 2019 and caLegacy and emerging contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay watershed as measured using passive samplers - 2005 to 2013
Legacy and emerging contaminants were measured in streams and rivers in the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia of the Chesapeake Bay watershed between 2005 and 2013. Passive sampling devices, SPMDs and POCIS, were used to sample these waterbodies, providing a time-integrated concentration of contaminants that are potentially bioavailable to nSupplemental Continuous Temperature Data, Temperature Profile Data, SPMD Environmental Concentration Data and SPMD Quality-control Data for the Assessment of Hydrocarbon Concentrations in Southern Lake Powell (2016-2017)
This data release contains five datasets that were used in a Scientific Investigations Report to be published in 2018. These datasets are continuous temperature data, temperature profiles data, SPMD environmental concentration data in picograms per liter of water, SPMD environmental concentration data in nanograms per SPMD, and SPMD quality-control concentration data. SPMD Environmental ConcentraChronic toxicity of 4-Nonylphenol to two unionid mussels in water-only exposures-metadata
Chronic (28-d) toxicity of 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) to two commonly tested species of mussels: fatmucket (Lampsilis siliquoidea) and rainbow mussel (Villosa iris).Baseline aquatic contamination and endocrine status in a resident fish of Biscayne National Park
Surface water, sediment, and fish from Biscayne Bay, coastal wetlands adjacent to Biscayne Bay, and canals discharging into Biscayne Bay were sampled for determination of baseline contamination in Biscayne National Park. The number of contaminants detected in canal waters was greater during the wet season relative to the dry season, a relation not evident in Biscayne Bay or wetland waters. EstrogeSupporting 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
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 71
Prioritizing pesticides of potential concern and identifying potential mixture effects in Great Lakes tributaries using passive samplers
To help meet the objectives of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative with regard to increasing knowledge about toxic substances, 223 pesticides and pesticide transformation products were monitored in 15 Great Lakes tributaries using polar organic chemical integrative samplers. A screening-level assessment of their potential for biological effects was conducted by computing toxicity quotients (TQsIdentifying chemicals and mixtures of potential biological concern detected in passive samplers from Great Lakes tributaries using high-throughput data and biological pathways
Waterborne contaminants were monitored in 69 tributaries of the Laurentian Great Lakes in 2010 and 2014 using semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS). A risk-based screening approach was used to prioritize chemicals and chemical mixtures, identify sites at greatest risk for biological impacts, and identify potential hazards to monitor at thosePhysical and chemical stressors on algal, invertebrate, and fish communities in 14 Milwaukee area streams, 2004–2013
In 2004, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began sampling 14 wadable streams in urban or urbanizing watersheds near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The overall goal of the study is to assess the health of the aquatic communities in the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District planning area to inform current and future watershed management. In addition to collection of biological data on aquatic communities,Movement of synthetic organic compounds in the food web after the introduction of invasive quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) in Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, USA
Introductions of dreissenid mussels in North America have been a significant concern over the last few decades. This study assessed the distribution of synthetic organic compounds (SOCs) in the food web of Lake Mead, Nevada/Arizona, USA and how this distribution was influenced by the introduction of invasive quagga mussels. A clear spatial gradient of SOC concentrations in water was observed betweWastewater-based epidemiology pilot study to examine drug use in the Western United States
The extent of prescription and illicit drug abuse in geographically isolated rural and micropolitan communities in the intermountain western United States (US) has not been well tracked. The goal of this pilot study was to accurately measure drug dose consumption rates (DCR) between two select populations, normalize the data and compare the DCRs to similar communities. To learn about patterns of dUrban stream syndrome and contaminant uptake in salamanders of Central Texas
We studied the ecological health of springs experiencing varying levels of urban development to assess impacts to rare endemic salamanders (Eurycea spp.) of Central Texas. We evaluated measures of invertebrate species richness, water quality, and contaminant uptake by salamanders to determine how springs and their inhabitants were being affected by urban growth and changing land-use patterns. TheEcological status of aquatic communities in selected streams in the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District planning area of Wisconsin, 2004–13
A total of 14 wadable streams in urban or urbanizing watersheds near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were sampled in 2004, 2007, 2010, and 2013 to assess the ecological status of aquatic communities (biota), including benthic algae and invertebrates, and fish. To assess temporal variation, additional community sampling was also done at a subset of three sites in 2011 and 2012. Relative abundances of each tyFactors affecting sampling strategies for design of an effects‐directed analysis for endocrine‐active chemicals
Effects‐directed analysis (EDA) is an important tool for identifying unknown bioactive components in a complex mixture. Such an analysis of endocrine‐active chemicals (EACs) from water sources has promising regulatory implications but also unique logistical challenges. We propose a conceptual EDA (framework) based on a critical review of EDA literature and concentrations of common EACs in waste anEvaluation of legacy and emerging organic chemicals using passive sampling devices on the North Branch Au Sable River near Lovells, Michigan, June 2018
The North Branch Au Sable River, located in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan near Lovells, Michigan, has historically been known for its brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and its status as a blue ribbon trout stream; however, within the past few decades, there has been a decline in fish population. The objectives of this study were to assess if concentrations of organic chemicals were prPetroleum hydrocarbons in semipermeable membrane devices deployed in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Florida keys following the Deepwater Horizon incident
The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill from April to July of 2010 contaminated Gulf of Mexico waters through release of an estimated 4.1 × 106 barrels of oil. Beginning in June of 2010, semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were deployed near areas with sensitive marine habitats (Alabama Alps and Western Shelf) potentially exposed to that oil. Elevated TPAH50 concentrations, flux rates and similarAssessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in southern Lake Powell, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona and Utah, 2016–17
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination related to boat use is one of the most important water-quality issues affecting Lake Powell. High concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water are common around marinas and other areas with extensive motorboat activity because of releases of uncombusted or partially combusted oil and gasoline from boat engines. The fate of these compoundMultiple approaches to surface water quality assessment provide insight for small streams experiencing oil and natural gas development
Historic, current, and future oil and natural gas development can affect water quality in streams flowing through developed areas. We compared small stream drainages in a semi-arid landscape with varying amounts of disturbance from oil and natural gas development to examine potential effects of this development on surface water quality. We used physical, chemical, and biological approaches to asse
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government