Hi, I'm Joe Duris. I'm interested in trace organic compounds in water, understanding their fate and transport, and their interactions with stream and aquifer ecosystems. Have any questions, feel free to contact me.
Throughout my time at the USGS I have been actively involved in many facets of water-quality monitoring and research. I have worked with several national and regional USGS programs including the Toxics Substances Hydrology program (Toxics), the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA), the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), and most recently the Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) Program in the Delaware River Basin. Most of my work throughout my career has focused on evaluating the occurrence, fate, and transport of fecally-derived pathogens and their relation to trace organic compounds (PFAS, wastewater compounds, pharmaceuticals, hormones, pesticides). In addition, I have worked on issues of nutrient enrichment and Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in inland lakes and the Great Lakes, and on monitoring nutrient and sediment flux using surrogate regression models.
My current research includes:
- Evaluation of the distribution, fate, transport, and mass-balance of Per-and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) at multiple spatial scales and refining and testing field techniques for proper sampling of PFAS in surface water.
- Evaluation of suspended sediment and nutrient flux in real-time using surrogate regression models by rating in-stream measurements with parameters of interest.
- Exploring the connection between blending untreated human sewage and acid mine drainage on the microbial ecology of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in streams.
- Data management, data visualization, and evaluating new monitoring technologies.
I started my USGS career at the Michigan Water Science Center, in Lansing, before moving to the Pennsylvania Water Science Center in 2016.
Education and Certifications
Master of Science in Biology with a focus on Environmental Microbiology, Western Michigan University, 2002
Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science and Chemistry, Western Michigan University, 1998
Science and Products
Susquehanna River and Basin
Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Pennsylvania Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network
Hydrologic and Water Quality Studies of PFAS in Pennsylvania
Sediment and Stream Health - Pennsylvania
Harmful Algal Blooms in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Statewide Surface Water-Quality Monitoring Network - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl Substances Sampling Preparation
Water Quality Monitoring - Pennsylvania
Science and Products
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- Science
Susquehanna River and Basin
In Pennsylvania, the USGS's water-resources roots date back to the late 1800's, with the initiation of streamflow gaging on the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers and assessments of groundwater resources near Philadelphia. The USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center continues to provide scientific information about the water resources of the Susquehanna River Basin, in cooperation with regional and...Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
USGS provides monitoring, analysis, modeling and research on streams and water quality to better understand the fate and transport of nutrients and sediment to the Susquehanna and other rivers, and their tributaries, and eventually to the Chesapeake Bay. Additional research focuses on emerging contaminants and other stressors that effect human and aquatic life in the watershed and estuary.Pennsylvania Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network
USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, samples 28 wells biannually to monitor ambient groundwater quality conditions throughout Pennsylvania.Hydrologic and Water Quality Studies of PFAS in Pennsylvania
USGS is working with federal, state, and local partners to monitor and evaluate perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Pennsylvania's groundwater and surface waters.Sediment and Stream Health - Pennsylvania
Sediment in streams, from land surface erosion in watersheds, is an important factor in determining the quality of Pennsylvania's surface waters and of downstream water bodies such as the Delaware Estuary and Chesapeake Bay. The USGS has a long-standing tradition of measuring suspended-sediment concentrations and estimating loads. Recent technological advances allow real-time estimates of...Harmful Algal Blooms in Pennsylvania
The U.S. Geological Survey is collaborating with State and local partners to develop models that provide real-time estimates of Escherichia coli (E. coli) (for pathogens) and (or) microcystin (for freshwater cyanotoxins) levels at Great Lakes beaches and drinking-water intakes.Pennsylvania Statewide Surface Water-Quality Monitoring Network - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl Substances Sampling Preparation
In partnership with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Susquehanna River Basin Commission, rigorous and innovative PFAS sampling techniques were created for low-level detections.Water Quality Monitoring - Pennsylvania
Water-Quality Monitoring - Data
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