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
A National Assessment of Pesticide, PFAS, Microplastic, and Antibiotic Resistance Gene Exposures in White-Tailed Deer
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Exposure and Effects Research at Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC)
Unique Approach to Measure Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Uptake in Fish, Mussels, and Passive Samplers
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
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in soil, sediment, vegetation, and water samples collected from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge during Summer 2019
Uptake of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances by Fish, Mussel, and Passive Samplers in Mobile Laboratory Exposures using Groundwater from a Contamination Plume at a Historical Fire Training Area, Cape Cod, Massachusetts - Chemical and Biological Data from
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and pharmaceutical compound data from passive and sediment samples from 62 Great Lakes tributary sites collected in 2018
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
PCB source assessment in the lower Clinton River, Clinton River Area of Concern, Mount Clemens, Michigan
Uptake of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances by fish, mussel, and passive samplers in mobile laboratory exposures using groundwater from a contamination plume at a historical fire training area, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Vegetative buffer strips show limited effectiveness for reducing antibiotic transport in surface runoff
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
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: 19A National Assessment of Pesticide, PFAS, Microplastic, and Antibiotic Resistance Gene Exposures in White-Tailed Deer
Research has documented exposures and consequential environmental health effects of pesticides, PFAS, microplastics, and antibiotic resistance genes in environmental biota. Little is known, however, regarding such effects in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Exposure and Effects Research at Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC)
The Columbia Environmental Research Center’s Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) team conducts research focusing on the occurrence, fate, and toxicity of PFAS compounds in aquatic and terrestrial systems. Laboratory capabilities include dedicated analytical instrumentation and experimental facilities to allow USGS scientists to analyze a wide range of sample types including water, sediment...Unique Approach to Measure Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Uptake in Fish, Mussels, and Passive Samplers
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) uptake and bioconcentration by fish and mussels ─ housed in mobile laboratories at a legacy fire-training area contaminated by aqueous film-forming foams ─ varied by species, sex, and compound. PFAS in passive samplers deployed at the same time mimicked uptake by fish but not mussels indicating that passive samplers might prove useful as screening tools...Advanced 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... - Data
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in soil, sediment, vegetation, and water samples collected from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge during Summer 2019
This data set documents results of analysis of samples collected from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge during Summer 2019. Data tables include: 1. The numeric and alphanumeric identifiers for samples collected for this study and the dates these samples were collected; 2. Results data containing concentration values of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds in sediment, soil, and vUptake of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances by Fish, Mussel, and Passive Samplers in Mobile Laboratory Exposures using Groundwater from a Contamination Plume at a Historical Fire Training Area, Cape Cod, Massachusetts - Chemical and Biological Data from
This data release presents chemical and biological results from an investigation of the uptake of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from groundwater contaminated by fire training activities on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Exposure experiments were conducted from August 29 to September 21, 2018 using groundwater from a relatively uncontaminated reference site and a fire training area contaminaPer- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and pharmaceutical compound data from passive and sediment samples from 62 Great Lakes tributary sites collected in 2018
This dataset includes per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and pharmaceuticals monitored at 62 sampling sites in tributaries of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Chemicals were evaluated in a sediment sample (PFAS only) and water concentrations were estimated using polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS). Sediment samples were collected from the 62 sites in June and July 2018, which werPesticides 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: 74
PCB source assessment in the lower Clinton River, Clinton River Area of Concern, Mount Clemens, Michigan
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), some of the earliest “forever chemicals,” were used for decades in the United States before 1979 when PCB manufacturing was banned. High PCB concentrations were found recently in the lower Clinton River in the Great Lakes drainage. To determine the possible existence, location, and significance of a current source of PCBs, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) deployeAuthorsBarbara C. Scudder Eikenberry, Hayley Olds, Owen M. Stefaniak, David A. AlvarezUptake of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances by fish, mussel, and passive samplers in mobile laboratory exposures using groundwater from a contamination plume at a historical fire training area, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Aqueous film-forming foams historically were used during fire training activities on Joint Base Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and created an extensive per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) groundwater contamination plume. The potential for PFAS bioconcentration from exposure to the contaminated groundwater, which discharges to surface water bodies, was assessed with mobile-laboratory experiments uAuthorsLarry Barber, Heidi M. Pickard, David Alvarez, Jitka Becanova, Steffanie H. Keefe, Denis R. LeBlanc, Rainer Lohmann, Jeffery A. Steevens, Alan M. VajdaVegetative buffer strips show limited effectiveness for reducing antibiotic transport in surface runoff
Vegetative buffer strips (VBS) have been demonstrated to effectively reduce loads of sediment, nutrients, and herbicides in surface runoff, but their effectiveness for reducing veterinary antibiotic (VA) loads in runoff has not been well documented. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of VBS vegetation and width on surface runoff loads of the VAs sulfamethazine (SMZ) andAuthorsAdam H. Moody, Robert N. Lerch, Keith W. Goyne, Stephen H. Anderson, David Mendoza-Cózatl, David AlvarezPrioritizing 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 (TQsAuthorsLuke C. Loken, Steven R. Corsi, David Alvarez, Gerald T. Ankley, Austin K. Baldwin, Bradley D. Blackwell, Laura A. DeCicco, Michelle A. Nott, Samantha K. Oliver, Daniel L. VilleneuveIdentifying 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 thoseAuthorsDavid Alvarez, Steven R. Corsi, Laura A. DeCicco, Daniel L. Villeneuve, Austin K. BaldwinPhysical 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,AuthorsBarbara C. Scudder Eikenberry, Michelle A. Nott, Jana S. Stewart, Daniel J. Sullivan, David A. Alvarez, Amanda H. Bell, Faith A. FitzpatrickMovement 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 betweAuthorsSteven L. Goodbred, Michael R. Rosen, Reynaldo Patiño, David Alvarez, Kathy R. Echols, Kerensa King, John UmekWastewater-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 dAuthorsNicholas Bishop, Tammy Jones-Lepp, Miranda Margetts, Jordan Sykes, David Alvarez, Deborah KeilUrban 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. TheAuthorsPeter H. Diaz, Erik L. Orsak, Floyd W. Weckerly, Mike A. Montagne, David AlvarezEcological 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 tyAuthorsBarbara C. Scudder Eikenberry, Michelle A. Nott, Jana S. Stewart, Daniel J. Sullivan, David A. Alvarez, Amanda H. Bell, Faith A. FitzpatrickFactors 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 anAuthorsJennifer Brennan, Robert W. Gale, David Alvarez, Jason P. Berninger, Jessica Kristin Leet, Yan Li, Tyler Wagner, Donald E. TillittEvaluation 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 prAuthorsAngela K. Brennan, David A. Alvarez
*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