Melissa Lombard is a Research Hydrologist in the New England Water Science Center.
In the broadest sense, Melissa's work is at the intersection of humans and the environment. Her research interests include connecting environmental geochemistry with human and ecosystem health and using machine learning models as a tool to understand, estimate, and predict contaminant occurrence and water availability and use. Much of her work has focused on building and using models as a tool for understanding and predicting trace element occurrence in groundwater. She enjoys collaborating with epidemiologists and public health scientists to link the occurrence of these elements to human health outcomes. Other research interests include the impacts of climate change on water quality, water availability, and human health, and the environmental health effects from the reuse of materials from unconventional oil and gas development. Her previous professional experience includes running analytical instruments in clean labs, overseeing groundwater sampling activities at contaminated sites, and collecting atmospheric mercury samples. Previous research has included examining the potential human health effects from exposure to biodiesel and petroleum diesel emissions, the occurrence of mercury in rainwater, and the occurrence of pesticides and herbicides in groundwater. She has also worked with K-12 science educators and taught college level courses in geology and environmental science.
Science and Products
Coproduced Science Linking Environmental and Public-Health Data to Evaluate Drinking Water Arsenic Exposure on Birth Outcomes
Preliminary Research into the Causes of Iron Fouling in Water at Roadway Construction Sites
Towards Understanding the Impact of Drought on the Arsenic Hazard for the Private Domestic Well Population in the United States
Linking environmental and public health data to evaluate health effects of arsenic exposure from domestic and public supply wells
Science and Products
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Coproduced Science Linking Environmental and Public-Health Data to Evaluate Drinking Water Arsenic Exposure on Birth Outcomes
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists teamed up with public-health epidemiologists to probe for associations between arsenic in drinking water and human-birth outcomes. They reported a modest inverse relation between birth weight and arsenic exposure. Findings indicate that future research efforts using individual-level exposure data such as measured arsenic concentrations in tap water could...Preliminary Research into the Causes of Iron Fouling in Water at Roadway Construction Sites
The USGS and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation are conducting preliminary research into the causes of iron fouling in water at roadway construction sites where blasted bedrock is used as on-site fill material.Towards Understanding the Impact of Drought on the Arsenic Hazard for the Private Domestic Well Population in the United States
The USGS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are examining the potential effects of droughts on the arsenic hazard in private well water across the Nation.Linking environmental and public health data to evaluate health effects of arsenic exposure from domestic and public supply wells
Everyone needs clean drinking water in order to thrive. The US EPA and public water purveyors in the US work together in adherence with the Safe Drinking Water Act to make water safe for public consumption. The recent media coverage of lead in public drinking water supplies in Flint, Michigan, and schools in many cities with aging infrastructure throughout the US has raised public awareness of dri - Data
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*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