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Melinda L Erickson, PhD, PE

Dr. Melinda (Mindy) Erickson is a supervisory research hydrologist in the USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center - Minnesota office. She is also an adjunct associate professor and Fellow at the University of Minnesota (Fellow, Institute on the Environment. Faculty member Department of Soil, Water, and Climate; Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering; and Water Resources Science).

I am the Team Leader for the Center’s Groundwater Characterization Team, and I am a groundwater contaminant subject matter expert on several national and international interdisciplinary project teams. I have been working in the hydrogeology field since 1993, starting first in environmental consulting and then moving into groundwater-related research in 1998. I was a research scientist for the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency before moving to the federal government with USGS in 2009. My favorite research topic is occurrence, geochemistry, and mobilization of arsenic in natural groundwater systems. Developing models for the behavior of arsenic in the natural environment is elusive due to its complex associations with other metals and minerals, and the interplay of redox, pH, biogeochemistry, and hydrogeology. Even after 20 years of arsenic research, I continue to be fascinated.

Professional Experience

  • U.S. Geological Survey, Research Hydrologist (2009 - present)

  • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Environmental Research Scientist (2006 – 2009)

  • Minnesota Department of Transportation, Senior Research Analyst/GIS Specialist (2005 – 2006)

  • Minnesota Department of Health, Hydrologist (1998 – 2000)

  • Remediation Technologies, Inc. (RETEC), Project Manager/Project Engineer (1993 – 1997)

Education and Certifications

  • PhD, Water Resources Science, University of Minnesota, 2005

  • MS, Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota, 1992

  • BS, Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, 1990

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • Groundwater journal, Associate Editor (2020 - present)

  • University of Minnesota, Fellow - Institute on the Environment (2020 - present)

  • University of Minnesota, Adjunct Associate Professor -  Departments of Soil, Water and Climate (2017 - present); Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering; Water Resources Science (2007 - present)

  • Minnesota Groundwater Association, elected President term (2010 - 2012)

  • Minnesota Groundwater Association, Member (1992 - present)

Abstracts and Presentations

  • Erickson, ML. 2021. “Arsenic in Minnesota groundwater: What can we do about it?” Invited presentation to the Minnesota Legislative Subcommittee on Water Policy, November 22, 2021.

  • Erickson, ML. 2021. What have we learned from 60,000 arsenic measurements in new wells? A lot!  Invited presentation at Minnesota Groundwater Association Spring Conference, April 27, 2021.

  • Erickson, ML. 2020. Drinking Water Quality Across the Glacial Aquifer System, Northern US: Measured and Modeled Concentrations of Arsenic and Manganese. Invited presentation at the MN chapter of AIPG monthly meeting. January 7, 2020, St. Paul, MN.

  • Erickson, ML, SM Elliott, CJ Brown, PE Stackelberg, KM Ransom, 2019. Modeling and mapping high arsenic and manganese concentrations in the glacial aquifer system, northern USA: Using machine learning methods to predict water quality conditions in an extensive, stratigraphically complex, unconsolidated drinking water aquifer system. Invited presentation at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meet

  • Erickson, ML, HR Malenda, EC Berquist, JD Ayotte. 2018. Geochemical evolution of groundwater after drinking water well installation: effects on arsenic mobilization. Invited presentation at the Geological Society of America annual meeting, November 4-7, 2018. Indianapolis, IN.

  • Erickson, ML. 2018. Arsenic and manganese in glacial aquifers: Results for Minnesota and plans for coast-to-coast modeling and mapping, Invited presentation to the Iowa Association of Water Agencies, January 18, 2018, Ankeny, IA.

Science and Products

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Filter Total Items: 28

Arsenic concentrations after drinking water well installation: Time-varying effects on arsenic mobilization

Chronic exposure to geogenic arsenic via drinking water is a worldwide health concern. However, effects of well installation and operation on arsenic concentrations and mobilization are not well understood. This knowledge gap impacts both reliable detection of arsenic in drinking water and effective public health recommendations to reduce exposure to arsenic. This study examines changes in arsenic
Authors
Melinda L. Erickson, Helen F. Malenda, Emily C. Berquist, Joseph D. Ayotte
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center

How or when samples are collected affects measured arsenic concentration in new drinking water wells

Naturally occurring arsenic can adversely affect water quality in geologically diverse aquifers throughout the world. Chronic exposure to arsenic via drinking water is a human health concern due to risks for certain cancers, skin abnormalities, peripheral neuropathy, and other negative health effects. Statewide in Minnesota, USA, 11% of samples from new drinking water wells have arsenic concentrat
Authors
Melinda L. Erickson, Helen F. Malenda, Emily C. Berquist
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Concentrations of pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants in groundwater downgradient from large on-site wastewater discharges

Large subsurface treatment systems (LSTS) and rapid infiltration basins (RIB) are preferred onsite wastewater treatments compared to direct discharge of treated wastewater to streams and adjacent facilities. Discharge of these wastewater treatments may result in contaminant loading to aquifers that also serve as drinking water sources downgradient from the discharge site. Until recently, few studi
Authors
Sarah M. Elliott, Melinda L. Erickson, Aliesha L. Krall, Byron A. Adams
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Wastewater indicators, hormones, sterols, antibiotics, and pharmaceuticals in soil at an agricultural field irrigated with domestic septage, central Minnesota, September 2014

Treated domestic septage can be used to irrigate agricultural fields as a disposal method or as a means to reuse water. Because traditional on-site treatment systems are not designed to remove wastewater indicators, hormones, sterols, antibiotics, and pharmaceuticals, land application of septage potentially results in soil contamination. Soils were collected and analyzed from four sites in a centr
Authors
Sarah M. Elliott, Melinda L. Erickson, Aliesha L. Krall, Byron A. Adams
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Predicting geogenic arsenic in drinking water wells in glacial aquifers, north-central USA: Accounting for depth-dependent features

Chronic exposure to arsenic (As) via drinking groundwater is a human health concern worldwide. Probabilities of elevated geogenic As concentrations in groundwater were predicted in complex, glacial aquifers in Minnesota, north‐central USA, a region that commonly has elevated As concentrations in well water. Maps of elevated As hazard were created for depths typical of drinking water supply and wit
Authors
Melinda L. Erickson, Sarah M. Elliott, Catherine Christenson, Aliesha L. Krall
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Detecting sulfamethoxazole and carbamazepine in groundwater: Is ELISA a reliable screening tool?

In recent years, numerous studies have reported the prevalence of organic micropollutants in natural waters. There is an increasing interest in assessing the occurrence and transport of these contaminants in groundwater because a large number of people in the United States rely on groundwater for their drinking water. However, commonly used mass-spectrometry-based analytical methods are expensive
Authors
Aliesha L. Krall, Sarah M. Elliott, Melinda L. Erickson, Byron A. Adams
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Solid-phase arsenic speciation in aquifer sediments: A micro-X-ray absorption spectroscopy approach for quantifying trace-level speciation

e of this research is to identify the solid-phase sources and geochemical mechanisms of release of As in aquifers of the Des Moines Lobe glacial advance. The overarching concept is that conditions present at the aquifer-aquitard interfaces promote a suite of geochemical reactions leading to mineral alteration and release of As to groundwater. A microprobe X-ray absorption spectroscopy (lXAS) appro
Authors
Sarah L. Nicholas, Melinda L. Erickson, Laurel G. Woodruff, Alan R. Knaeble, Matthew A. Marcus, Joshua K. Lynch, Brandy M. Toner
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Simulation and assessment of groundwater flow and groundwater and surface-water exchanges in lakes of the northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, Minnesota, 2003 through 2013: Chapter B of Water levels and groundwater and surface-water exchanges in lakes

Water levels during 2003 through 2013 were less than mean water levels for the period 1925–2013 for several lakes in the northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area in Minnesota. Previous periods of low lake-water levels generally were correlated with periods with less than mean precipitation. Increases in groundwater withdrawals and land-use changes have brought into question whether or not recent (2
Authors
Perry M. Jones, Jason L. Roth, Jared J. Trost, Catherine A. Christenson, Aliesha L. Diekoff, Melinda L. Erickson
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Statistical analysis of lake levels and field study of groundwater and surface-water exchanges in the northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, Minnesota, 2002 through 2015: Chapter A of Water levels and groundwater and surface-water exchanges in lakes

Water levels declined from 2003 to 2011 in many lakes in Ramsey and Washington Counties in the northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, Minnesota; however, water levels in other northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area lakes increased during the same period. Groundwater and surface-water exchanges can be important in determining lake levels where these exchanges are an important component of the wa
Authors
Perry M. Jones, Jared J. Trost, Aliesha L. Diekoff, Donald O. Rosenberry, Eric A. White, Melinda L. Erickson, Daniel L. Morel, Jessica M. Heck
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Water levels and groundwater and surface-water exchanges in lakes of the northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, Minnesota, 2002 through 2015

OverviewThis study assessed lake-water levels and regional and local groundwater and surface-water exchanges near northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area lakes applying three approaches: statistical analysis, field study, and groundwater-flow modeling.  Statistical analyses of lake levels were completed to assess the effect of physical setting and climate on lake-level fluctuations of selected lak
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

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. Monitoring
Authors
Barbara A. Bekins, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Melinda L. Erickson, Ross Steenson, Kevin A. Thorn
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory

Arsenic cycling in hydrocarbon plumes: secondary effects of natural attenuation

Monitored natural attenuation is widely applied as a remediation strategy at hydrocarbon spill sites. Natural attenuation relies on biodegradation of hydrocarbons coupled with reduction of electron acceptors, including solid phase ferric iron (Fe(III)). Because arsenic (As) adsorbs to Fe-hydroxides, a potential secondary effect of natural attenuation of hydrocarbons coupled with Fe(III) reduction
Authors
Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Madeline E. Schreiber, Melinda L. Erickson, Brady A. Ziegler
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory

Non-USGS Publications**

Erickson, M.L. and R.J. Barnes (2005) Well Characteristics Influencing Arsenic Concentrations in Ground Water. Water Research (39:16) pp 4029-4039
Erickson, M.L. and R.J. Barnes. (2005). Glacial Sediment Causing Regional-Scale Elevated Arsenic in Drinking Water. Ground Water 43(6) pp 796-805.
Erickson, M.L. and R.J. Barnes. (2006). Arsenic Concentration Variability in Public Water System Wells in Minnesota, USA. Applied Geochemistry. (21:2) pp 305–317
Erickson, M.L. (2005) Arsenic in Upper Midwest Ground Water: Occurrence and Geochemical Mobilization Mechanisms. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Science and Products

*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