Abbene, I.J, Culver, S.J., Corbett, D.R., Buzas, M.A., and Tully, L.S., 2006, Distribution of foraminifera in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, over the past century: Journal of Foraminiferal Research, 36, pg135-151.
Irene J Fisher
Biography
Irene began her career with the USGS as a Volunteer for Science. She held a student trainee position while attending college and was hired shortly after graduation as a hydrologist. Research interests include groundwater quality, nitrogen cycling, and coastal and estuarine systems. Irene currently manages water-quality projects in Long Island, N.Y., with a special interest in contaminants of emerging concern. Current programs include the occurrence and persistence of wastewater-derived contaminants, current and legacy-use pesticides, and per- and polyfluoroaklyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater. Her research interests and capabilities have led her to work with other USGS scientists on diverse project work including isotope forensics, groundwater age dating, stream-quality assessments, environmental health impacts of Hurricane Sandy, and National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) programs.
Education:
- M.S., East Carolina University, Department of Geological Sciences; research emphasis in estuarine/coastal geology, isotope geochemistry, foraminiferal assemblages, and radionuclides
- B.A., State University of New York-College at Geneseo, Major: Geological Sciences
Recent Presentations/Abstracts:
- 2019, Occurence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in shallow groundwater, Long Island, New York (abs): 26th Conference on Geology of Long Island and Metropolitan New York, April 13, 2019, Stony Brook NY [https://www.geo.sunysb.edu/lig/Conferences/abstracts19/abstracts%202019/Fisher.pdf]
- 2019, Occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in shallow groundwater, Long Island, New York: National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC), 11th National Monitoring Conference, Denver, Colorado. March 25-29, 2019
- 2018, Multi-year monitoring for nutrients and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) from onsite wastewater disposal systems in groundwater at Fire Island National Seashore, NY (abs): Fire Island National Seashore, 11th Biennel Science Conference, Fire Island, April 27-28, 2018
Science and Products
Date published: May 24, 2019
Status: Active Groundwater-Quality of Nassau County, Long Island, New York
Problem Statement There are over 1.3 million residents in Nassau County that rely on groundwater as their sole source of potable drinking water. The mixed land uses (residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and recreational) of Nassau County contribute point and non-point sources of aquifer contamination. Nassau County water purveyors currently operate supply wells screened in the...
Contacts: Irene J Fisher
Date published: May 14, 2018
Status: Active Hydrologic Monitoring in the Central Pine Barrens
The Long Island Central Pine Barrens (CPB) is a large, preserved region of pristine ecological habitat located in eastern parts of Suffolk County, Long Island, NY. The 106,500-acre CPB encompasses portions of the Towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead, and Southampton, and is a core part of the larger Long Island Pine Barrens Maritime Reserve (fig. 1). The CPB overlies portions of Long Island’s...
Contacts: Irene J Fisher
Date published: October 24, 2017
Status: Active Sentinel Monitoring of Groundwater for Contaminants of Emerging Concern to Provide Advanced Warning for Supply Wells on Long Island, New York
Problem The groundwater supply of Nassau and Suffolk Counties is prone to contamination from past and current land uses, including practices related to agriculture, industry, and residential development, because the soils and underlying sediments are generally composed of sandy, permeable materials that allow contaminants to move readily from the land surface into the groundwater below. Of...
Contacts: Irene J Fisher, Christopher E Schubert
Date published: July 27, 2016
Status: Active Sentinel Monitoring for New and Legacy Pesticides in the Shallow Groundwater of Long Island
Problem The shallow groundwater of Nassau and Suffolk Counties is prone to contamination from current land-use, including agricultural, residential, and recreational. The aquifer system of Long Island is highly susceptible to human-derived contamination, in particular, because the soils and underlying sediments are generally composed of sandy, permeable materials that allow contaminants to...
Date published: March 18, 2016
Status: Active Assessing Occurrence and Persistence of Emerging Contaminants in Groundwater
Problem : Occurrence and persistence of emerging contaminants in groundwater flow in Suffolk County, New York Objectives: This project will monitor groundwater from selected SCWA supply wells for compounds indicative of anthropogenic sources, which are of increasing public concern. Approach: Groundwater-flow information, well-construction details, and distance from treated wastewater (...
Contacts: Irene J Fisher, Shawn C Fisher
Date published: September 21, 2015
Status: Active Human- and Ecological-Health Concerns Related to Transport and Persistence of Contaminants on Shinnecock Nation Tribal Lands
Problem Tribal Lands of the Shinnecock Nation Tribal community were inundated during Hurricane Sandy’s storm tide, resulting in detrimental effects on the Tribal Land’s natural resources. The existing science being used to inform decisions on remediation is biased toward activities are necessarily focused on the immediate aftermath of storms An assessment of the sources of...
Contacts: Irene J Fisher
Date published: September 2, 2015
Status: Active Effects of acid rain on the ecological health of Long Island’s forests and ponds
BACKGROUND Air emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels in electrical power plants, building heating systems and vehicles are the major source of gaseous sulfur (SOx) and nitrogen (NOx) oxides in the atmosphere. These oxides dissolve in atmospheric moisture forming ions which are deposited by rain, snowfall and dust particles as acidic deposition. Acidic deposition releases soluble...
Contacts: Gregory B Lawrence, Irene J Fisher
Date published: August 27, 2015
Status: Active Water-Quality Assessments of Principal Aquifers
Background A major focus of the NAWQA Program in its second decade (2002-2013) is on regional- and national-scale assessments of groundwater-quality status and trends in principal aquifers. The U.S. Geological Survey Office of Groundwater has identified 62 principal aquifers in the U.S. ( U.S. Geological Survey, 2003 ). About 1/3 of the Nation's principal aquifers are the focus of water-...
Contacts: Irene J Fisher
Date published: August 27, 2015
Status: Active Long Island-New Jersey (LINJ) Coastal Drainages Study -- Land Use Study (NY)
Background The Long Island-New Jersey (LINJ) coastal drainages NAWQA study is one of the 1994 set and is coordinated from our West Trenton, NJ office. Tasks for the first two years, 1994-95, included staffing, developing a liaison process, analyzing existing data, and designing a data collection program that started in 1996. These planning activities lead to the study design for 3 years of...
Contacts: Irene J Fisher, Jeffrey Fischer
Date published: August 12, 2015
Status: Active Trends in Nitrate Concentrations in Public Water-Supply Wells, Suffolk County, New York, 1982-2008
Introduction High nitrate concentrations are a common concern among many purveyors, including the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA), the largest supplier of water to residents in Suffolk County. Typically, the amount of nitrate in groundwater is related to land use, where the greatest concentrations are observed in agricultural regions. In many areas, the nitrate concentration has...
Contacts: Irene J Fisher
Date published: August 12, 2015
Status: Active Monitoring of Waterways for Mosquito Insecticides, Suffolk County, New York
Introduction Mosquitoes are the principle vector of the West Nile Virus (WNV) which causes infections in humans and animals and has emerged as a public health threat throughout Long Island, NY. The WNV was first detected among birds and mosquitoes by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services (SCDHS) in 2000. In response to the public health concern, the USGS in cooperation with the SC...
Date published: August 12, 2015
Status: Active Hydrologic-Data Collection in the Five Boroughs of New York City
Problem Previous hydrologic studies have indicated that there may be sufficient water resources underlying Queens, Kings, Richmond, New York, and Bronx Counties for use as a supplemental water supply in times of drought or other emergency. An extensive ground-water and surface-water monitoring program is necessary to provide a comprehensive hydrologic data set for use in ongoing and future...
Contacts: Irene J Fisher
Date published: October 15, 2021
2020 Hydrologic Data Summary for the Central Pine Barrens Region, Suffolk County, New York
This U.S. Geological Survey data release provides surface-water quality, streamflow, and groundwater-elevation data collected within the Central Pine Barrens (CPB) Region of Suffolk County, New York, from October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020.
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: October 5, 2021
PFAS, pesticide, and pharmaceutical concentrations in the Bronx River, New York, 2019
This U.S. Geological Survey Data Release provides surface-water and bed sediment quality data at the Bronx River, New York, 2019. The data were collected with support from the Urban Waters Federal Partnership (UWFP) and others.
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: September 29, 2020
2019 Hydrologic Data Summary for the Central Pine Barrens Region, Suffolk County, New York
This U.S. Geological Survey data release provides surface-water quality, streamflow, and groundwater-elevation data collected within the Central Pine Barrens (CPB) Region of Suffolk County, New York. The data were collected in cooperation with the Central Pine Barrens Commission and the Town of Brookhaven as part of a five-year comprehensive water-resources monitoring program. Water qu
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: August 25, 2020
Pesticides, nutrients, and inorganics in shallow groundwater, Long Island, NY, 2016-2018
Groundwater samples collected between 2016 and 2018 from 56 shallow (<40 m depth) monitoring wells in Long Island, N.Y., were collected in support of the Long Island Pesticide Pollution Prevention Strategy. Each well was sampled at least once and analyzed for over 200 pesticides and pesticide degradates as part of this study. Results presented here also include field and inorganic analy
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: January 1, 2019
Occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, Long Island and New York City, New York
State and local county health departments have detected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater downgradient of airports and military and firefighting training areas in Long Island, New York. However, the occurrence and spatial distribution of PFAS throughout the surficial aquifer is not well established. Shallow groundwater samples were collected in 2018 from two observ
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: January 1, 2019
2018 Hydrologic Data Summary for the Central Pine Barrens Region, Suffolk County, New York
This document provides a summary of surface water-quality, streamflow, and groundwater data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) within the Central Pine Barrens (CPB) Region of Suffolk County, New York. The data were collected in cooperation with the Central Pine Barrens Commission and the Town of Brookhaven under a five-year comprehensive water resources monitoring progra
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: January 1, 2018
Bacteria, nutrients, and contaminants of emerging concern in shallow groundwater of nearshore environments, Suffolk County, New York, 2013
Onsite wastewater disposal systems (OWDS) in coastal regions of Long Island, New York, contribute bacteria, nutrients, and organic wastewater-associated compounds (including pharmaceuticals, personal care and domestic use products referred to here as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs)) to downgradient shallow groundwater in nearshore settings. Many of the densely popula
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Year Published: 2020
Pesticides and their degradates in groundwater reflect past use and current management strategies, Long Island, New York, USA
Long Island, New York, has a mix of urban/suburban to agricultural/horticultural land use and nearly 3 million residents that rely on a sole-source aquifer for drinking water. The analysis of shallow groundwater (<40 m below land surface) collected from 54 monitoring wells across Long Island detected 53 pesticides or pesticide degradates....
Fisher, Irene; Phillips, Patrick J.; Bayraktar, Banu; Chen, Shirley; McCarthy, Brendan A.; Sandstrom, Mark W.
Year Published: 2016
The impact of onsite wastewater disposal systems on groundwater in areas inundated by Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey
Coastal onsite wastewater disposal systems (OWDS) were inundated by Hurricane Sandy's storm tide. This study compares the shallow groundwater quality (nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and hormones) downgradient of OWDS before and after Hurricane Sandy, where available, and establishes a baseline for wastewater influence on groundwater in coastal...
Fisher, Irene; Phillips, Patrick J.; Colella, Kaitlyn; Fisher, Shawn C.; Tagliaferri, Tristen N.; Foreman, William T. ; Furlong, Edward T.
Year Published: 2016
Regional variability in bed-sediment concentrations of wastewater compounds, hormones and PAHs for portions of coastal New York and New Jersey impacted by hurricane Sandy
Bed sediment samples from 79 coastal New York and New Jersey, USA sites were analyzed for 75 compounds including wastewater associated contaminants, PAHs, and other organic compounds to assess the post-Hurricane Sandy distribution of organic contaminants among six regions. These results provide the first assessment of wastewater compounds,...
Phillips, Patrick J.; Gibson, Cathy A; Fisher, Shawn C.; Fisher, Irene; Reilly, Timothy J.; Smalling, Kelly L. ; Romanok, Kristin M. ; Foreman, William T. ; ReVello, Rhiannon C.; Focazio, Michael J.; Jones, Daniel K.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources, , Ecosystems, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, Hurricane Sandy
View Citation
Phillips, P.J., Gibson, C.A., Fisher, S.C., Fisher, I.J., Reilly, T.J., Smalling, K.L., Romanok, K.M., Foreman, W.T., ReVello, R.C., Focazio, M.J., and Jones, D.K., 2016, Regional variability in bed-sediment concentrations of wastewater compounds, hormone and PAHs for portions of coastal New York and New Jersey impacted by Hurricane Sandy: Marine Pollution Bulletin, v. 107, no. 2, pp. 489–498, doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.04.050.
Year Published: 2016
Urban hydrology—Science capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey
Urbanization affects streamflow characteristics, coastal flooding, and groundwater recharge. Increasing impervious areas, streamflow diversions, and groundwater pumpage are some of the ways that the natural water cycle is affected by urbanization. Assessment of the relations among these factors and changes in land use helps water-resource managers...
Bell, Joseph M.; Simonson, Amy E.; Fisher, Irene J.Attribution: Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Water Resources
View Citation
U.S. Geological Survey, 2016, Urban hydrology—Science capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2016–3023, 2 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20163023.
Year Published: 2015
Chemical and ancillary data associated with bed sediment, young of year Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) tissue, and mussel (Mytilus edulis and Geukensia demissa) tissue collected after Hurricane Sandy in bays and estuaries of New Jersey and New York, 2013–14
This report describes the methods and data associated with a reconnaissance study of young of year bluefish and mussel tissue samples as well as bed sediment collected as bluefish habitat indicators during August 2013–April 2014 in New Jersey and New York following Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. This study was funded by the Disaster Relief...
Smalling, Kelly L.; Deshpande, Ashok D.; Blazer, Vicki; Galbraith, Heather S.; Dockum, Bruce W.; Romanok, Kristin M.; Colella, Kaitlyn; Deetz, Anna C.; Fisher, Irene J.; Imbrigiotta, Thomas E.; Sharack, Beth; Summer, Lisa; Timmons, DeMond; Trainor, John J.; Wieczorek, Daniel; Samson, Jennifer; Reilly, Timothy J.; Focazio, Michael J.Attribution: New Jersey Water Science Center, Water Resources, , Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, Hurricane Sandy
View Citation
Smalling, K.L., Deshpande, A.D., Blazer, V.S., Galbraith, H., Dockum, B.W., Romanok, K.M., Colella, K., Deetz, A.C., Fisher, I.J., Imbrigiotta, T.E., Sharack, B., Sumner, L, Timmons, D., Trainor, J., Wieczorek, D, Samson, J., Reilly, T.J., and Focazio, M.J., 2015, Chemical and ancillary data associated with bed sediment, young of year bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) tissue, and mussel (Mytilus edulis and Geukensia demissa) tissue collected after Hurricane Sandy in bays and estuaries of New Jersey and New York, 2013–14: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 956, 18 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ds956.
Year Published: 2015
Estuarine bed-sediment-quality data collected in New Jersey and New York after Hurricane Sandy, 2013
This report describes a reconnaissance study of estuarine bed-sediment quality conducted June–October 2013 in New Jersey and New York after Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 to assess the extent of contamination and the potential long-term human and ecological impacts of the storm. The study, funded through the Disaster Relief Appropriations...
Fischer, Jeffrey M.; Phillips, Patrick J.; Reilly, Timothy J.; Focazio, Michael J.; Loftin, Keith A.; Benzel, William M.; Jones, Daniel K.; Smalling, Kelly L.; Fisher, Shawn C.; Fisher, Irene J.; Iwanowicz, Luke R.; Romanok, Kristin M.; Jenkins, Darkus E.; Bowers, Luke; Boehlke, Adam; Foreman, William T.; Deetz, Anna C.; Carper, Lisa G.; Imbrigiotta, Thomas E.; Birdwell, Justin E.
Year Published: 2015
Concentrations of hormones, pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants in groundwater affected by septic systems in New England and New York
Septic-system discharges can be an important source of micropollutants (including pharmaceuticals and endocrine active compounds) to adjacent groundwater and surface water systems. Groundwater samples were collected from well networks tapping glacial till in New England (NE) and sandy surficial aquifer New York (NY) during one sampling round in...
Phillips, Patrick J.; Schubert, Christopher E.; Argue, Denise M.; Fisher, Irene J.; Furlong, Edward T.; Foreman, William T.; Gray, James L.; Chalmers, Ann T.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources, , Ecosystems, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, National Water Quality Laboratory
View Citation
Phillips, P.J., Schubert, C., Argue, D., Fisher, I., Furlong, E.T., Foreman, W., Gray, J., and Chalmers, A., 2015, Concentrations of hormones, pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants in groundwater affected by septic systems in New England and New York: Science of the Total Environment, 512-513, 43-54.
Year Published: 2010
Shallow groundwater quality in the Village of Patchogue, Suffolk County, New York
The onsite disposal of wastewater within the Patchogue River Basin-a riverine estuary that discharges into Great South Bay, Suffolk County, Long Island, N.Y. -has adversely affected water quality and aquatic habitats within both the tidal and non-tidal portions of the river. In response to increased development within the approximately 14 square...
Abbene, Irene J.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
View Citation
Shallow groundwater quality in the Village of Patchogue, Suffolk County, New York; 2010; SIR; 2010-5132; Abbene, Irene J.
Year Published: 2009
Atacama perchlorate as an agricultural contaminant in groundwater: Isotopic and chronologic evidence from Long Island, New York
Perchlorate (ClO4-) is a common groundwater constituent with both synthetic and natural sources. A potentially important source of ClO4- is past agricultural application of ClO4--bearing natural NO3- fertilizer imported from the Atacama Desert, Chile, but evidence for this has been largely circumstantial. Here we report ClO4- stable isotope data...
Bohlke, John Karl.; Hatzinger, Paul B.; Sturchio, Neil C.; Gu, Baoha; Abbene, Irene; Mroczkowski, Stanley J.
Year Published: 2005
Concentrations of Insecticides in Selected Surface Water Bodies in Suffolk County, New York, Before and After Mosquito Spraying, 2002-04
Concentrations of insecticides sprayed from truck or helicopter onto selected surface-water bodies in Suffolk County, N.Y., during the summers of 2002-04 decreased to below detection limits within 4 days after application. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Suffolk County Department of Health Services (SCDHS), sampled surface...
Abbene, Irene J.; Fisher, Shawn C.; Terracciano, Stephen A.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
View Citation
Abbene, I.J., Fisher, S.C., and Terracciano, S.A., 2005, Concentrations of Insecticides in Selected Surface Water Bodies in Suffolk County, New York, Before and After Mosquito Spraying, 2002-04: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1384, 14 p., online only.
Pre-USGS Publications
Date published: February 10, 2015
Man-made Pollutants Finding Their Way Into Groundwater Through Septic Systems
Pharmaceuticals, hormones and personal care products associated with everyday household activities are finding their way into groundwater through septic systems in New York and New England, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Attribution: Water Resources, National Water Quality Laboratory