James Pontolillo
I am currently the Reston Supervisory Physical Scientist for the Project Laboratories Branch (PLB) in the Laboratory & Analytical Services Division (LASD) of the USGS Water Resources Mission Area (WMA).
I assist the Branch Chief with a wide variety of administrative, human resources and supervisory tasks to ensure the smooth and consistent functioning of the PLB which is spread across three centers nationwide. I participate in administrative and leadership meetings to produce work plans and coordinate operations between the LASD and the Earth Systems Processes Division (ESPD). I supervise PLB scientists co-located with me in Reston. I also regularly provide advice on work-related topics to LASD/ESPD Reston personnel and serve as a local liaison between the divisions. I continue to serve as the facilities manager for all Reston WMA lab space.
Professional Experience
October 2017 - Present: Supervisory Physical Scientist (USGS Project Laboratories Branch, Reston, VA; Supervisor: Dana Erickson).
June 2017 - September 2017: Assistant Branch Chief (USGS National Research Program, Eastern Branch, Reston, VA; Supervisor: Pierre Glynn).
October 1995 – May 2017: Physical Scientist (USGS National Research Program, Organic Geochemistry Lab, Reston, VA; Supervisor: Robert P. Eganhouse).
December 1988 – October 1995: Physical Science Technician (USGS Branch of Coal Geology, Coal Petrology Lab, Reston, VA; Supervisor: Ronald W. Stanton).
Education and Certifications
1981–1986 Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado
B.S. Major in Metallurgical Engineering and Mineral Processing
(Advisors: Rex W. Bull and David J. Spottiswood)
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 19
Reductive dechlorination rates of 4,4′-DDE (1-chloro-4-[2,2-dichloro-1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethenyl]benzene) in sediments of the Palos Verdes Shelf, CA
Wastes from the world's largest manufacturer of DDT (1-chloro-4-[2,2,2-trichloro-1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]benzene) were released into the Los Angeles County municipal sewer system from 1947 to 1971. Following primary treatment, the effluent was discharged through a submarine outfall system whereupon a portion of the DDT and associated degradation products were deposited in sediments of the Palos Ve
Authors
Robert P. Eganhouse, Christopher R. Sherwood, James Pontolillo, Brian Edwards, Patrick J. Dickhudt
DDT and related compounds in pore water of shallow sediments on the Palos Verdes Shelf, California, USA
For nearly two and a half decades following World War II, production wastes from the world's largest manufacturer of technical DDT (1-chloro-4-[2,2,2-trichloro-1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]benzene) were discharged into sewers of Los Angeles County. Following treatment, the wastes were released via a submarine outfall system to nearshore coastal waters where a portion accumulated in shallow sediments of
Authors
Robert P. Eganhouse, Erica L. DiFilippo, James Pontolillo, William H. Orem, Paul C. Hackley, Brian Edwards
Final data report for factors controlling DDE dechlorination rates on the Palos Verdes Shelf: A field and laboratory investigation
This data report provides a compilation of information developed over the last 6+ years by a
multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research team. The overall goal of this work has been to
identify the biological, chemical, and physical factors that control rates of reductive
dechlorination of DDE and DDMU in sediments of the Palos Verdes Shelf (PVS). More specific
questions and objectives are de
Authors
Robert P. Eganhouse, James Pontolillo, William H. Orem, Daniel M. Webster, Paul C. Hackley, Brian D. Edwards, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Patrick Dickhudt, Christopher R. Sherwood, Martin Reinhard, Sujie Qin, Jennifer Dougherty, Gary Hopkins, Ian Marshall, Alfred Spormann
Determination of nonylphenol isomers in landfill leachate and municipal wastewater using steam distillation extraction coupled with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry
4-Nonylphenols (4-NPs) are known endocrine disruptors and by-products of the microbial degradation of nonylphenol polyethoxylate surfactants. One of the challenges to understanding the toxic effects of nonylphenols is the large number of isomers that may exist in environmental samples. In order to attribute toxic effects to specific compounds, a method is needed for the separation and quantitation
Authors
Caixiang Zhang, Robert P. Eganhouse, James Pontolillo, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Yanxin Wang
Isomer-specific determination of 4-nonylphenols using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry
Technical nonylphenol (tNP), used for industrial production of nonylphenol polyethoxylate surfactants, is a complex mixture of C3−10-phenols. The major components, 4-nonylphenols, are weak endocrine disruptors whose estrogenicities vary according to the structure of the branched nonyl group. Thus, accurate risk assessment requires isomer-specific determination of 4-NPs. Comprehensive two-dimension
Authors
R.P. Eganhouse, J. Pontolillo, R.B. Gaines, G.S. Frysinger, F.L.P. Gabriel, H.-P.E. Kohler, W. Giger, L. B. Barber
Assessment of 1-chloro-4-[2,2-dichloro-1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethenyl]benzene (DDE) transformation rates on the Palos Verdes Shelf, CA
In 1953, the world's largest producer of DDT, Montrose Chemical Corporation, began to discharge process wastes into sewers of the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (LACSD), California. By 1971, when the sewer connection was terminated, approximately 1,500-2,000 metric tons of DDT had been introduced to the LACSD treatment plant in Carson, CA. After treatment, effluent from this plant was rel
Authors
Robert P. Eganhouse, James Pontolillo
Susceptibility of synthetic long-chain alkylbenzenes to degradation in reducing marine sediments
Long-chain alkylbenzenes (LCABs) synthesized for production of alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactants have been used as molecular markers of anthropogenic waste for 25 years. Synthetic LCABs comprise two classes, the tetrapropylene-based alkylbenzenes (TABs) and the linear alkylbenzenes (LABs). LABs supplanted TABs in the mid-1960s because of improved biodegradability of their sulfonated analogs. Use
Authors
Robert P. Eganhouse, James Pontolillo
DDE in sediments of the Palos Verdes shelf, California: In situ transformation rates and geochemical fate
From 1947 to 1971 the world's largest manufacturer of DDT discharged process wastes into the sewers of Los Angeles County. Roughly 870-1450 t of DDT were released to the ocean off Palos Verdes, CA, a portion of which (???100 t) resides in sediments on the continental shelf and slope. The most abundant DDT compound in the sediments, p,p???-DDE, is degrading by reductive dechlorination, butthe rate
Authors
R.P. Eganhouse, J. Pontolillo
Proceedings of the twentieth annual meeting of the Society for Organic Petrology
The Society for Organic Petrology (TSOP; pronounced "Tee'-sop") was established in 1984 to consolidate and foster the organizational activities of scientists and engineers involved with coal petrology, kerogen petrology, organic geochemistry, and related disciplines. The following report, "Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of The Society for Organic Petrology" (ISSN 1060-7250), features
Assessing the reliability of physico-chemical property data (Kow, Sw) for hydrophobic organic compounds: DDT and DDE as a case study
No abstract available.
Authors
Robert P. Eganhouse, James Pontolillo
The search for reliable aqueous solubility (Sw) and octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) data for hydrophobic organic compounds; DDT and DDE as a case study
The accurate determination of an organic contaminant’s physico-chemical properties is essential for predicting its environmental impact and fate. Approximately 700 publications (1944–2001) were reviewed and all known aqueous solubilities (Sw) and octanol-water partition coefficients (Kow) for the organochlorine pesticide, DDT, and its persistent metabolite, DDE were compiled and examined. Two prob
Authors
James Pontolillo, R.P. Eganhouse
Diagenetic fate of organic contaminants on the Palos Verdes Shelf, California
Municipal wastes discharged through deepwater submarine outfalls since 1937 have contaminated sediments of the Palos Verdes Shelf. A site approximately 6–8 km downcurrent from the outfall system was chosen for a study of the diagenetic fate of organic contaminants in the waste-impacted sediments. Concentrations of three classes of hydrophobic organic contaminants (DDT+metabolites, polychlorinated
Authors
R.P. Eganhouse, J. Pontolillo, T.J. Leiker
DDT and related compounds in pore water of shallow sediments on the Palos Verdes Shelf, CA
For nearly two and a half decades following World War II, production wastes from the worlds largest manufacturer of technical DDT were discharged into sewers of Los Angeles County. Following treatment, the wastes were released via a submarine outfall system to nearshore coastal waters where a portion accumulated in shallow sediments of the Palos Verdes Shelf (PVS). An investigation of the pore-wat
Reductive dechlorination rate data for 4,4'-DDE in sediments of the Palos Verdes Shelf, CA (1981-2010)
Wastes from the worlds largest manufacturer of DDT were released into the Los Angeles County municipal sewer system from 1947 to 1971. Following primary treatment, the effluent was discharged from a submarine outfall system whereupon a portion of the DDT and associated degradation products were deposited in sediments of the Palos Verdes Shelf (PVS). Parent DDT is present only in trace amounts in t
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 19
Reductive dechlorination rates of 4,4′-DDE (1-chloro-4-[2,2-dichloro-1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethenyl]benzene) in sediments of the Palos Verdes Shelf, CA
Wastes from the world's largest manufacturer of DDT (1-chloro-4-[2,2,2-trichloro-1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]benzene) were released into the Los Angeles County municipal sewer system from 1947 to 1971. Following primary treatment, the effluent was discharged through a submarine outfall system whereupon a portion of the DDT and associated degradation products were deposited in sediments of the Palos VeAuthorsRobert P. Eganhouse, Christopher R. Sherwood, James Pontolillo, Brian Edwards, Patrick J. DickhudtDDT and related compounds in pore water of shallow sediments on the Palos Verdes Shelf, California, USA
For nearly two and a half decades following World War II, production wastes from the world's largest manufacturer of technical DDT (1-chloro-4-[2,2,2-trichloro-1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]benzene) were discharged into sewers of Los Angeles County. Following treatment, the wastes were released via a submarine outfall system to nearshore coastal waters where a portion accumulated in shallow sediments ofAuthorsRobert P. Eganhouse, Erica L. DiFilippo, James Pontolillo, William H. Orem, Paul C. Hackley, Brian EdwardsFinal data report for factors controlling DDE dechlorination rates on the Palos Verdes Shelf: A field and laboratory investigation
This data report provides a compilation of information developed over the last 6+ years by a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research team. The overall goal of this work has been to identify the biological, chemical, and physical factors that control rates of reductive dechlorination of DDE and DDMU in sediments of the Palos Verdes Shelf (PVS). More specific questions and objectives are deAuthorsRobert P. Eganhouse, James Pontolillo, William H. Orem, Daniel M. Webster, Paul C. Hackley, Brian D. Edwards, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Patrick Dickhudt, Christopher R. Sherwood, Martin Reinhard, Sujie Qin, Jennifer Dougherty, Gary Hopkins, Ian Marshall, Alfred SpormannDetermination of nonylphenol isomers in landfill leachate and municipal wastewater using steam distillation extraction coupled with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry
4-Nonylphenols (4-NPs) are known endocrine disruptors and by-products of the microbial degradation of nonylphenol polyethoxylate surfactants. One of the challenges to understanding the toxic effects of nonylphenols is the large number of isomers that may exist in environmental samples. In order to attribute toxic effects to specific compounds, a method is needed for the separation and quantitationAuthorsCaixiang Zhang, Robert P. Eganhouse, James Pontolillo, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Yanxin WangIsomer-specific determination of 4-nonylphenols using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry
Technical nonylphenol (tNP), used for industrial production of nonylphenol polyethoxylate surfactants, is a complex mixture of C3−10-phenols. The major components, 4-nonylphenols, are weak endocrine disruptors whose estrogenicities vary according to the structure of the branched nonyl group. Thus, accurate risk assessment requires isomer-specific determination of 4-NPs. Comprehensive two-dimensionAuthorsR.P. Eganhouse, J. Pontolillo, R.B. Gaines, G.S. Frysinger, F.L.P. Gabriel, H.-P.E. Kohler, W. Giger, L. B. BarberAssessment of 1-chloro-4-[2,2-dichloro-1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethenyl]benzene (DDE) transformation rates on the Palos Verdes Shelf, CA
In 1953, the world's largest producer of DDT, Montrose Chemical Corporation, began to discharge process wastes into sewers of the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (LACSD), California. By 1971, when the sewer connection was terminated, approximately 1,500-2,000 metric tons of DDT had been introduced to the LACSD treatment plant in Carson, CA. After treatment, effluent from this plant was relAuthorsRobert P. Eganhouse, James PontolilloSusceptibility of synthetic long-chain alkylbenzenes to degradation in reducing marine sediments
Long-chain alkylbenzenes (LCABs) synthesized for production of alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactants have been used as molecular markers of anthropogenic waste for 25 years. Synthetic LCABs comprise two classes, the tetrapropylene-based alkylbenzenes (TABs) and the linear alkylbenzenes (LABs). LABs supplanted TABs in the mid-1960s because of improved biodegradability of their sulfonated analogs. UseAuthorsRobert P. Eganhouse, James PontolilloDDE in sediments of the Palos Verdes shelf, California: In situ transformation rates and geochemical fate
From 1947 to 1971 the world's largest manufacturer of DDT discharged process wastes into the sewers of Los Angeles County. Roughly 870-1450 t of DDT were released to the ocean off Palos Verdes, CA, a portion of which (???100 t) resides in sediments on the continental shelf and slope. The most abundant DDT compound in the sediments, p,p???-DDE, is degrading by reductive dechlorination, butthe rateAuthorsR.P. Eganhouse, J. PontolilloProceedings of the twentieth annual meeting of the Society for Organic Petrology
The Society for Organic Petrology (TSOP; pronounced "Tee'-sop") was established in 1984 to consolidate and foster the organizational activities of scientists and engineers involved with coal petrology, kerogen petrology, organic geochemistry, and related disciplines. The following report, "Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of The Society for Organic Petrology" (ISSN 1060-7250), featuresAssessing the reliability of physico-chemical property data (Kow, Sw) for hydrophobic organic compounds: DDT and DDE as a case study
No abstract available.AuthorsRobert P. Eganhouse, James PontolilloThe search for reliable aqueous solubility (Sw) and octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) data for hydrophobic organic compounds; DDT and DDE as a case study
The accurate determination of an organic contaminant’s physico-chemical properties is essential for predicting its environmental impact and fate. Approximately 700 publications (1944–2001) were reviewed and all known aqueous solubilities (Sw) and octanol-water partition coefficients (Kow) for the organochlorine pesticide, DDT, and its persistent metabolite, DDE were compiled and examined. Two probAuthorsJames Pontolillo, R.P. EganhouseDiagenetic fate of organic contaminants on the Palos Verdes Shelf, California
Municipal wastes discharged through deepwater submarine outfalls since 1937 have contaminated sediments of the Palos Verdes Shelf. A site approximately 6–8 km downcurrent from the outfall system was chosen for a study of the diagenetic fate of organic contaminants in the waste-impacted sediments. Concentrations of three classes of hydrophobic organic contaminants (DDT+metabolites, polychlorinatedAuthorsR.P. Eganhouse, J. Pontolillo, T.J. Leiker - Data
DDT and related compounds in pore water of shallow sediments on the Palos Verdes Shelf, CA
For nearly two and a half decades following World War II, production wastes from the worlds largest manufacturer of technical DDT were discharged into sewers of Los Angeles County. Following treatment, the wastes were released via a submarine outfall system to nearshore coastal waters where a portion accumulated in shallow sediments of the Palos Verdes Shelf (PVS). An investigation of the pore-watReductive dechlorination rate data for 4,4'-DDE in sediments of the Palos Verdes Shelf, CA (1981-2010)
Wastes from the worlds largest manufacturer of DDT were released into the Los Angeles County municipal sewer system from 1947 to 1971. Following primary treatment, the effluent was discharged from a submarine outfall system whereupon a portion of the DDT and associated degradation products were deposited in sediments of the Palos Verdes Shelf (PVS). Parent DDT is present only in trace amounts in t