Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Ph.D.
Isabelle Cozzarelli is a Research Hydrologist (Scientist Emerita) with the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, VA.
Dr. Isabelle Cozzarelli retired as a Senior Research Scientist and currently serves as a Scientist Emerita affiliated with the Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center and the Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory. Isabelle uses a combined field and laboratory experimental approach to investigate biogeochemical processes in shallow groundwater and surface water environments that affect water availability. She uses a multi-disciplinary and multi-scale approach to study processes in environments stressed by anthropogenic inputs of biodegradable carbon, such as crude oil, landfill leachate, and oil and gas wastes.
Professional Experience
2020-present: Research Hydrologist, USGS, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Reston, VA, USA
2017-2020: Research Hydrologist, USGS Water Mission Area Headquarters, Reston, VA, USA
1985-2017: Research Hydrologist, USGS National Research Program, USGS, Reston, Virginia, USA
1983-1985: Research Assistant, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. University of Virginia, Environmental Sciences-Geochemistry, 1993
M.S. University of Virginia, Environmental Sciences-Geochemistry, 1986
B.S. University of Rochester, Geomechanics, 1983
Affiliations and Memberships*
2016-present: Adjunct Faculty, Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech
Honors and Awards
2024: Senior Scientist (ST), Federal Government
2023: Friend of Water-Rock Interaction & Applied Isotope Geochemistry Award, International Association of Geochemistry
2017: USGS Meritorious Service Award
2005: Elected GSA Fellow
2005: USGS Superior Service Award
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 117
Evidence of coupled carbon and iron cycling at a hydrocarbon-contaminated site from time lapse magnetic susceptibility Evidence of coupled carbon and iron cycling at a hydrocarbon-contaminated site from time lapse magnetic susceptibility
Conventional characterization and monitoring of hydrocarbon (HC) pollution is often expensive and time-consuming. Magnetic susceptibility (MS) has been proposed as an inexpensive, long-term monitoring proxy of the degradation of HC. We acquired repeated down hole MS logging data in boreholes at a HC-contaminated field research site in Bemidji, MN, USA. The MS data were analyzed in...
Authors
Anders Lund, Lee Slater, Estella Atekwana, Dimitrios Ntarlagiannis, Isabelle Cozzarelli, Barbara Bekins
Shifts in microbial community structure and function in surface waters impacted by unconventional oil and gas wastewater revealed by metagenomics Shifts in microbial community structure and function in surface waters impacted by unconventional oil and gas wastewater revealed by metagenomics
Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) production produces large quantities of wastewater with complex geochemistry and largely uncharacterized impacts on surface waters. In this study, we assessed shifts in microbial community structure and function in sediments and waters upstream and downstream from a UOG wastewater disposal facility. To do this, quantitative PCR for 16S rRNA and antibiotic...
Authors
N.L. Fahrenfeld, Hannah Reyes, Alessia Eramo, Denise Akob, Adam Mumford, Isabelle Cozzarelli
Environmental signatures and effects of an oil and gas wastewater spill in the Williston Basin, North Dakota Environmental signatures and effects of an oil and gas wastewater spill in the Williston Basin, North Dakota
Wastewaters from oil and gas development pose largely unknown risks to environmental resources. In January 2015, 11.4 M L (million liters) of wastewater (300 g/L TDS) from oil production in the Williston Basin was reported to have leaked from a pipeline, spilling into Blacktail Creek, North Dakota. Geochemical and biological samples were collected in February and June 2015 to identify...
Authors
Isabelle Cozzarelli, Katherine Skalak, D.B. Kent, Mark Engle, Adam Benthem, Adam Mumford, Karl Haase, Aida Farag, David Harper, S. Nagel, Luke R. Iwanowicz, William Orem, Denise Akob, Jeanne Jaeschke, Joel Galloway, Matthias Kohler, Deborah L. Stoliker, Glenn D. Jolly
Preliminary results from exploratory sampling of wells for the California oil, gas, and groundwater program, 2014–15 Preliminary results from exploratory sampling of wells for the California oil, gas, and groundwater program, 2014–15
Introduction In 2014 and 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) sampled water wells in the Los Angeles Basin and southern San Joaquin Valley, California, and oil wells in the San Joaquin Valley for analysis of multiple chemical, isotopic, and groundwater-age tracers. The purpose of this reconnaissance sampling was to evaluate the utility of tracers for assessing the effects of oil and...
Authors
Peter McMahon, Justin Kulongoski, Michael Wright, Michael Land, Matthew Landon, Isabelle Cozzarelli, Avner Vengosh, George Aiken
Endocrine disrupting activities of surface water associated with a West Virginia oil and gas industry wastewater disposal site Endocrine disrupting activities of surface water associated with a West Virginia oil and gas industry wastewater disposal site
Currently, >95% of end disposal of hydraulic fracturing wastewater from unconventional oil and gas operations in the US occurs via injection wells. Key data gaps exist in understanding the potential impact of underground injection on surface water quality and environmental health. The goal of this study was to assess endocrine disrupting activity in surface water at a West Virginia...
Authors
Christopher D. Kassotis, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Denise Akob, Isabelle Cozzarelli, Adam Mumford, William Orem, Susan C. Nagel
Wastewater disposal from unconventional oil and gas development degrades stream quality at a West Virginia injection facility Wastewater disposal from unconventional oil and gas development degrades stream quality at a West Virginia injection facility
The development of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) resources has rapidly increased in recent years; however, the environmental impacts and risks are poorly understood. A single well can generate millions of liters of wastewater, representing a mixture of formation brine and injected hydraulic fracturing fluids. One of the most common methods for wastewater disposal is underground...
Authors
Denise Akob, Adam Mumford, William Orem, Mark Engle, Julia Klinges, Douglas Kent, Isabelle Cozzarelli
Municipal solid waste landfills harbor distinct microbiomes Municipal solid waste landfills harbor distinct microbiomes
Landfills are the final repository for most of the discarded material from human society and its “built environments.” Microorganisms subsequently degrade this discarded material in the landfill, releasing gases (largely CH4 and CO2) and a complex mixture of soluble chemical compounds in leachate. Characterization of “landfill microbiomes” and their comparison across several landfills...
Authors
Blake Stamps, Christopher Lyles, Joseph Suflita, Jason Masoner, Isabelle Cozzarelli, Dana Kolpin, Bradley Stevenson
Crude oil metabolites in groundwater at two spill sites Crude oil metabolites in groundwater at two spill sites
Two groundwater plumes in north central Minnesota with residual crude oil sources have 20 to 50 mg/L of nonvolatile dissolved organic carbon (NVDOC). These values are over 10 times higher than benzene and two to three times higher than Diesel Range Organics in the same wells. On the basis of previous work, most of the NVDOC consists of partial transformation products from the crude oil...
Authors
Barbara Bekins, Isabelle Cozzarelli, Melinda L. Erickson, Ross Steenson, Kevin Thorn
Reactive transport modeling of geochemical controls on secondary water quality impacts at a crude oil spill site near Bemidji, MN Reactive transport modeling of geochemical controls on secondary water quality impacts at a crude oil spill site near Bemidji, MN
Anaerobic biodegradation of organic amendments and contaminants in aquifers can trigger secondary water quality impacts that impair groundwater resources. Reactive transport models help elucidate how diverse geochemical reactions control the spatiotemporal evolution of these impacts. Using extensive monitoring data from a crude oil spill site near Bemidji, Minnesota (USA), we implemented...
Authors
Gene-Hua Ng, Barbara Bekins, Isabelle Cozzarelli, Mary Baedecker, Philip Bennett, Richard Amos, William Herkelrath
Landfill leachate as a mirror of today's disposable society: Pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern in final leachate from landfills in the conterminous United States Landfill leachate as a mirror of today's disposable society: Pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern in final leachate from landfills in the conterminous United States
Final leachates (leachate after storage or treatment processes) from 22 landfills in 12 states were analyzed for 190 pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), which were detected in every sample, with the number of CECs ranging from 1 to 58 (median = 22). In total, 101 different CECs were detected in leachate samples, including 43 prescription pharmaceuticals, 22...
Authors
Jason Masoner, Dana Kolpin, Edward Furlong, Isabelle Cozzarelli, James Gray
Rates of As and trace-element mobilization caused by Fe reduction in mixed BTEX–ethanol experimental plumes Rates of As and trace-element mobilization caused by Fe reduction in mixed BTEX–ethanol experimental plumes
Biodegradation of organic matter, including petroleum-based fuels and biofuels, can create undesired secondary water-quality effects. Trace elements, especially arsenic (As), have strong adsorption affinities for Fe(III) (oxyhydr)-oxides and can be released to groundwater during Fe-reducing biodegradation. We investigated the mobilization of naturally occurring As, cobalt (Co), chromium...
Authors
Brady Ziegler, Jennifer McGuire, Isabelle Cozzarelli
Organic and inorganic composition and microbiology of produced waters from Pennsylvania shale gas wells Organic and inorganic composition and microbiology of produced waters from Pennsylvania shale gas wells
Hydraulically fractured shales are becoming an increasingly important source of natural gas production in the United States. This process has been known to create up to 420 gallons of produced water (PW) per day, but the volume varies depending on the formation, and the characteristics of individual hydraulic fracture. PW from hydraulic fracturing of shales are comprised of injected...
Authors
Denise Akob, Isabelle Cozzarelli, Darren Dunlap, Elisabeth Rowan, Michelle Lorah
Filter Total Items: 13
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 21
Filter Total Items: 34
No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 117
Evidence of coupled carbon and iron cycling at a hydrocarbon-contaminated site from time lapse magnetic susceptibility Evidence of coupled carbon and iron cycling at a hydrocarbon-contaminated site from time lapse magnetic susceptibility
Conventional characterization and monitoring of hydrocarbon (HC) pollution is often expensive and time-consuming. Magnetic susceptibility (MS) has been proposed as an inexpensive, long-term monitoring proxy of the degradation of HC. We acquired repeated down hole MS logging data in boreholes at a HC-contaminated field research site in Bemidji, MN, USA. The MS data were analyzed in...
Authors
Anders Lund, Lee Slater, Estella Atekwana, Dimitrios Ntarlagiannis, Isabelle Cozzarelli, Barbara Bekins
Shifts in microbial community structure and function in surface waters impacted by unconventional oil and gas wastewater revealed by metagenomics Shifts in microbial community structure and function in surface waters impacted by unconventional oil and gas wastewater revealed by metagenomics
Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) production produces large quantities of wastewater with complex geochemistry and largely uncharacterized impacts on surface waters. In this study, we assessed shifts in microbial community structure and function in sediments and waters upstream and downstream from a UOG wastewater disposal facility. To do this, quantitative PCR for 16S rRNA and antibiotic...
Authors
N.L. Fahrenfeld, Hannah Reyes, Alessia Eramo, Denise Akob, Adam Mumford, Isabelle Cozzarelli
Environmental signatures and effects of an oil and gas wastewater spill in the Williston Basin, North Dakota Environmental signatures and effects of an oil and gas wastewater spill in the Williston Basin, North Dakota
Wastewaters from oil and gas development pose largely unknown risks to environmental resources. In January 2015, 11.4 M L (million liters) of wastewater (300 g/L TDS) from oil production in the Williston Basin was reported to have leaked from a pipeline, spilling into Blacktail Creek, North Dakota. Geochemical and biological samples were collected in February and June 2015 to identify...
Authors
Isabelle Cozzarelli, Katherine Skalak, D.B. Kent, Mark Engle, Adam Benthem, Adam Mumford, Karl Haase, Aida Farag, David Harper, S. Nagel, Luke R. Iwanowicz, William Orem, Denise Akob, Jeanne Jaeschke, Joel Galloway, Matthias Kohler, Deborah L. Stoliker, Glenn D. Jolly
Preliminary results from exploratory sampling of wells for the California oil, gas, and groundwater program, 2014–15 Preliminary results from exploratory sampling of wells for the California oil, gas, and groundwater program, 2014–15
Introduction In 2014 and 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) sampled water wells in the Los Angeles Basin and southern San Joaquin Valley, California, and oil wells in the San Joaquin Valley for analysis of multiple chemical, isotopic, and groundwater-age tracers. The purpose of this reconnaissance sampling was to evaluate the utility of tracers for assessing the effects of oil and...
Authors
Peter McMahon, Justin Kulongoski, Michael Wright, Michael Land, Matthew Landon, Isabelle Cozzarelli, Avner Vengosh, George Aiken
Endocrine disrupting activities of surface water associated with a West Virginia oil and gas industry wastewater disposal site Endocrine disrupting activities of surface water associated with a West Virginia oil and gas industry wastewater disposal site
Currently, >95% of end disposal of hydraulic fracturing wastewater from unconventional oil and gas operations in the US occurs via injection wells. Key data gaps exist in understanding the potential impact of underground injection on surface water quality and environmental health. The goal of this study was to assess endocrine disrupting activity in surface water at a West Virginia...
Authors
Christopher D. Kassotis, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Denise Akob, Isabelle Cozzarelli, Adam Mumford, William Orem, Susan C. Nagel
Wastewater disposal from unconventional oil and gas development degrades stream quality at a West Virginia injection facility Wastewater disposal from unconventional oil and gas development degrades stream quality at a West Virginia injection facility
The development of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) resources has rapidly increased in recent years; however, the environmental impacts and risks are poorly understood. A single well can generate millions of liters of wastewater, representing a mixture of formation brine and injected hydraulic fracturing fluids. One of the most common methods for wastewater disposal is underground...
Authors
Denise Akob, Adam Mumford, William Orem, Mark Engle, Julia Klinges, Douglas Kent, Isabelle Cozzarelli
Municipal solid waste landfills harbor distinct microbiomes Municipal solid waste landfills harbor distinct microbiomes
Landfills are the final repository for most of the discarded material from human society and its “built environments.” Microorganisms subsequently degrade this discarded material in the landfill, releasing gases (largely CH4 and CO2) and a complex mixture of soluble chemical compounds in leachate. Characterization of “landfill microbiomes” and their comparison across several landfills...
Authors
Blake Stamps, Christopher Lyles, Joseph Suflita, Jason Masoner, Isabelle Cozzarelli, Dana Kolpin, Bradley Stevenson
Crude oil metabolites in groundwater at two spill sites Crude oil metabolites in groundwater at two spill sites
Two groundwater plumes in north central Minnesota with residual crude oil sources have 20 to 50 mg/L of nonvolatile dissolved organic carbon (NVDOC). These values are over 10 times higher than benzene and two to three times higher than Diesel Range Organics in the same wells. On the basis of previous work, most of the NVDOC consists of partial transformation products from the crude oil...
Authors
Barbara Bekins, Isabelle Cozzarelli, Melinda L. Erickson, Ross Steenson, Kevin Thorn
Reactive transport modeling of geochemical controls on secondary water quality impacts at a crude oil spill site near Bemidji, MN Reactive transport modeling of geochemical controls on secondary water quality impacts at a crude oil spill site near Bemidji, MN
Anaerobic biodegradation of organic amendments and contaminants in aquifers can trigger secondary water quality impacts that impair groundwater resources. Reactive transport models help elucidate how diverse geochemical reactions control the spatiotemporal evolution of these impacts. Using extensive monitoring data from a crude oil spill site near Bemidji, Minnesota (USA), we implemented...
Authors
Gene-Hua Ng, Barbara Bekins, Isabelle Cozzarelli, Mary Baedecker, Philip Bennett, Richard Amos, William Herkelrath
Landfill leachate as a mirror of today's disposable society: Pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern in final leachate from landfills in the conterminous United States Landfill leachate as a mirror of today's disposable society: Pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern in final leachate from landfills in the conterminous United States
Final leachates (leachate after storage or treatment processes) from 22 landfills in 12 states were analyzed for 190 pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), which were detected in every sample, with the number of CECs ranging from 1 to 58 (median = 22). In total, 101 different CECs were detected in leachate samples, including 43 prescription pharmaceuticals, 22...
Authors
Jason Masoner, Dana Kolpin, Edward Furlong, Isabelle Cozzarelli, James Gray
Rates of As and trace-element mobilization caused by Fe reduction in mixed BTEX–ethanol experimental plumes Rates of As and trace-element mobilization caused by Fe reduction in mixed BTEX–ethanol experimental plumes
Biodegradation of organic matter, including petroleum-based fuels and biofuels, can create undesired secondary water-quality effects. Trace elements, especially arsenic (As), have strong adsorption affinities for Fe(III) (oxyhydr)-oxides and can be released to groundwater during Fe-reducing biodegradation. We investigated the mobilization of naturally occurring As, cobalt (Co), chromium...
Authors
Brady Ziegler, Jennifer McGuire, Isabelle Cozzarelli
Organic and inorganic composition and microbiology of produced waters from Pennsylvania shale gas wells Organic and inorganic composition and microbiology of produced waters from Pennsylvania shale gas wells
Hydraulically fractured shales are becoming an increasingly important source of natural gas production in the United States. This process has been known to create up to 420 gallons of produced water (PW) per day, but the volume varies depending on the formation, and the characteristics of individual hydraulic fracture. PW from hydraulic fracturing of shales are comprised of injected...
Authors
Denise Akob, Isabelle Cozzarelli, Darren Dunlap, Elisabeth Rowan, Michelle Lorah
Filter Total Items: 13
*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