Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Peter C Van Metre (Former Employee)

Science and Products

link

Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat, PAHs, and Environmental Health

Sealcoat is the black, viscous liquid applied to many asphalt parking lots, driveways, and playgrounds in North America to protect and enhance the appearance of the underlying asphalt. Coal-tar-based pavement sealcoat is a potent source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in urban and suburban areas and a potential concern for human health and aquatic life.
By
Water Resources
link

Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat, PAHs, and Environmental Health

Sealcoat is the black, viscous liquid applied to many asphalt parking lots, driveways, and playgrounds in North America to protect and enhance the appearance of the underlying asphalt. Coal-tar-based pavement sealcoat is a potent source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in urban and suburban areas and a potential concern for human health and aquatic life.
Learn More
link
Lake core

Water-Quality Trends From Lake Cores

Sediment cores let us look back in time at the contaminant history of a watershed. Learn about what lake and reservoir sediment cores tell us about trends in metals, organochlorine pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and other sediment-related contaminants.
By
Water Resources
link

Water-Quality Trends From Lake Cores

Sediment cores let us look back in time at the contaminant history of a watershed. Learn about what lake and reservoir sediment cores tell us about trends in metals, organochlorine pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and other sediment-related contaminants.
Learn More
link
Measuring volatilization

USGS Research: PAHs and Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat

Coal-tar-based pavement sealant is a potent source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as documented by the USGS and other researchers.Coal-tar-based sealcoat products typically are 20 to 35% coal tar or coal-tar pitch—these materials are known human carcinogens that contain high concentrations of PAHs and related chemicals. Coal-tar-based pavement sealcoat typically contains 35,000 to 200...
By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center
link

USGS Research: PAHs and Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat

Coal-tar-based pavement sealant is a potent source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as documented by the USGS and other researchers.Coal-tar-based sealcoat products typically are 20 to 35% coal tar or coal-tar pitch—these materials are known human carcinogens that contain high concentrations of PAHs and related chemicals. Coal-tar-based pavement sealcoat typically contains 35,000 to 200...
Learn More

Data set for an ecological risk assessment of Firpronil compounds in US streams

The phenylpyrazole insecticide fipronil and its degradates are a potential surface-water contaminant and toxicant to nontarget species such as aquatic macroinvertebrates. To better understand how fipronil, fipronil sulfide, fipronil sulfone, desulfinyl fipronil, and fipronil amide affect aquatic communities, a 30-day mesocosm experiment was run. Rock trays were colonized with natural benthic commu
By
Colorado Water Science Center

Dissolved Pesticides in Weekly Water Samples from the NAWQA Regional Stream Quality Assessments (2013-2017)

Dissolved pesticides were measured in weekly water samples from 482 wadeable streams in five regions of the United States during 2013-2017, as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA). One study was conducted each year, starting with the Midwest (2013), followed by the Southeast Piedmont (2014), Pacific Northwest (2015), Northeast (2016), and Central Ca
By
Oregon Water Science Center

Concentrations of pesticides associated with streambed sediment and biofilm in California streams, 2017

Hydrophobic (sediment-associated) pesticides were measured in sediment samples collected from 82 wadeable streams and in biofilm in 54 of those streams in the Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains ecoregion.115 current-use and 3 legacy pesticides were measured in stream sediment; 93 of the current-use pesticides and the same 3 legacy pesticides were measured in biofilm. On average 4 t
By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Concentrations of pesticides associated with streambed sediment and biofilm in California streams, 2017

Hydrophobic (sediment-associated) pesticides were measured in sediment samples collected from 82 wadeable streams and in biofilm in 54 of those streams in the Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains ecoregion.115 current-use and 3 legacy pesticides were measured in stream sediment; 93 of the current-use pesticides and the same 3 legacy pesticides were measured in biofilm. On average 4 t

By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Urban sediment and fallout radionuclide input characteristics of Dead Run watershed in Catonsville, Maryland for 2017-2018 (ver. 1.1, March 2020)

This metadata record documents two comma delimited tables that contain information on fallout radionuclides and urban sediments within Dead Run watershed in Catonsville, Baltimore County, Maryland. Measurements include radiological activity for rainwater and sediment samples, sediment particle size information, suspended sediment concentration measurements, elemental composition of sediments, and
By
Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center

Pesticides in Daily and Weekly Water Samples from the NAWQA Midwest and Southeast Stream Quality Assessments (2013-2014)

These datasets are one component of the multistressor studies conducted in Midwest streams in 2013 (MSQA) and in Southeast streams in 2014 (SESQA) by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Project. High-frequency small-volume autosamplers were deployed at 7 sites each in MSQA and SESQA that collected daily and weekly composite water samples, which were analyzed for 225 pestic
By
Oregon Water Science Center

Linking the Agricultural Landscape of the Midwest to Stream Health with Structural Equation Modeling: Model Input Data

Biological, chemical, physical habitat, riparian, and land-use data collected from the Midwest streams by the National Water Quality Project Regional Stream Quality Team. Data were used to develop structural equation models for the purpose of understanding how networks of potential stressors influence stream ecological health. For more information about the Midwest Regional Stream Quality Assessme
By
National Water Quality Program

Geospatial database of the study boundary, sampled sites, watersheds, and riparian zones for U.S. Geological Survey Southeast Stream Quality Assessment

In 2015, the second of several Regional Stream Quality Assessments (RSQA) was done in the southeastern United States. The Southeast Stream Quality Assessment (SESQA) was a study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project. One of the objectives of the RSQA, and thus the SESQA, is to characterize the relationships between water-quality stressors and stream
By
Water Resources, National Water Quality Program

Concentrations of glyphosate and atrazine compounds in 100 Midwest United States streams in 2013

Glyphosate and atrazine are the most intensively used herbicides in the United States. Temporal patterns in glyphosate and atrazine concentrations were measured weekly by the USGS during the 2013 growing season in 100 small streams in the Midwestern United States. Concentrations also were measured every 2 days at a subset of 8 of the sites, all located in Missouri. Glyphosate was detected more fr
By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Supporting Data: Complex Mixtures of Pesticides in Midwest U.S. Streams Indicated by POCIS Time-Integrating Samplers

The Midwest United States is an intensely agricultural region where pesticides in streams pose risks to aquatic biota, but temporal variability in pesticide concentrations makes characterization of their exposure to organisms challenging. To compensate for the effects of temporal variability, we deployed polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) in 100 small streams across the Midwest fo
By
National Water Quality Program
Filter Total Items: 81

Ecological consequences of neonicotinoid mixtures in streams

Neonicotinoid mixtures are common in streams worldwide, but corresponding ecological responses are poorly understood. We combined experimental and observational studies to narrow this knowledge gap. The mesocosm experiment determined that concentrations of the neonicotinoids imidacloprid and clothianidin (range of exposures, 0 to 11.9 μg/liter) above the hazard concentration for 5% of species (0.0
By
Ecosystems, Water Resources, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

Sediment sources and sealed-pavement area drive polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and metal occurrence in urban streams

Metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are common pollutants in urban streambed sediment, yet their occurrence is highly variable and difficult to predict. To investigate sources of PAHs and metals to streambed sediment, we sampled pavement dust, soil, and streambed sediment in 10 urban watersheds in three regions of the United States and applied a fallout-radionuclide-based sediment-s
By
Water Resources, National Water Quality Program, Colorado Water Science Center, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center

New-generation pesticides are prevalent in California's Central Coast streams

Pesticides are widely recognized as important biological stressors in streams, especially in heavily developed urban and agricultural areas like the Central California Coast region. We assessed occurrence and potential toxicity of pesticides in small streams in the region using two analytical methods: a broad-spectrum (223 compounds) method in use since 2012 and a newly developed method for 30 add
By
Water Resources, California Water Science Center, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Multiple in-stream stressors degrade biological assemblages in five U.S. regions

Biological assemblages in streams are affected by a wide variety of physical and chemical stressors associated with land-use development, yet the importance of combinations of different types of stressors is not well known. From 2013 to 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey completed multi-stressor/multi-assemblage stream ecological assessments in five regions of the United States (434 streams total).
By
Ecosystems, Water Resources, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Washington Water Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

Is there an urban pesticide signature? Urban streams in five U.S. regions share common dissolved-phase pesticides but differ in predicted aquatic toxicity

Pesticides occur in urban streams globally, but the relation of occurrence to urbanization can be obscured by regional differences. In studies of five regions of the United States, we investigated the effect of region and urbanization on the occurrence and potential toxicity of dissolved pesticide mixtures. We analyzed 225 pesticide compounds in weekly discrete water samples collected during 6–12
By
Ecosystems, Water Resources, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Michigan-Ohio Water Science Center, California Water Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, New Mexico Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Washington Water Science Center

Inclusion of pesticide transformation products is key to estimating pesticide exposures and effects in small U.S. streams

Improved analytical methods can quantify hundreds of pesticide transformation products (TPs), but understanding of TP occurrence and potential toxicity in aquatic ecosystems remains limited. We quantified 108 parent pesticides and 116 TPs in more than 3 700 samples from 442 small streams in mostly urban basins across five major regions of the United States. TPs were detected nearly as frequently a
By
Ecosystems, Water Resources, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Oklahoma Water Science Center, California Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Washington Water Science Center, National Water Quality Laboratory

Multi-region assessment of chemical mixture exposures and predicted cumulative effects in USA wadeable urban/agriculture-gradient streams

Chemical-contaminant mixtures are widely reported in large stream reaches in urban/agriculture-developed watersheds, but mixture compositions and aggregate biological effects are less well understood in corresponding smaller headwaters, which comprise most of stream length, riparian connectivity, and spatial biodiversity. During 2014–2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measured 389 unique orga

By
Ecosystems, Water Resources, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Prioritizing river basins for intensive monitoring and assessment by the US Geological Survey

The US Geological Survey (USGS) is currently (2020) integrating its water science programs to better address the nation’s greatest water resource challenges now and into the future. This integration will rely, in part, on data from 10 or more intensively monitored river basins from across the USA. A team of USGS scientists was convened to develop a systematic, quantitative approach to prioritize c
By
Water Resources

Design and methods of the California stream quality assessment (CSQA), 2017

During 2017, as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Project, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted the California Stream Quality Assessment to investigate the quality of streams in the Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains ecoregion, United States. The goal of the California Stream Quality Assessment study was to assess the health of wadeable streams in the region by characte
By
Water Resources, California Water Science Center

Biofilms provide new insight into pesticide occurrence in streams and links to aquatic ecological communities

Streambed sediment is commonly analyzed to assess occurrence of hydrophobic pesticides and risks to aquatic communities. However, stream biofilms also have the potential to accumulate pesticides and may be consumed by aquatic organisms. To better characterize risks to aquatic life, the U.S. Geological Survey Regional Stream Quality Assessment measured 93 current-use and 3 legacy pesticides in bed
By
Water Resources

Pavement alters delivery of sediment and fallout radionuclides to urbanstreams

Sediment from urban impervious surfaces has the potential to be an important vector for contaminants, particularly where stormwater culverts and other buried channels draining large impervious areas exit from underground pipes into open channels. To better understand urban sediment sources and their relation to fallout radionuclides, we collected samples of rainfall, urban sediment (pavement sedim

Legacy and current‐use contaminants in sediments alter macroinvertebrate communities in southeastern US Streams

Sediment contamination of freshwater streams in urban areas is a recognized and growing concern. As a part of a comprehensive regional stream‐quality assessment, stream‐bed sediment was sampled from streams spanning a gradient of urban intensity in the Piedmont ecoregion of the southeastern United States. We evaluated relations between a broad suite of sediment contaminants (metals, current‐use pe
By
Water Resources, Ecosystems, California Water Science Center, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Washington Water Science Center
link

Urban growth in the southeastern U.S. potentially threatens health of small streams

Projected impacts include widespread loss of fish and invertebrate species in the region

Read Article
link

Aquatic Critters Can Tell Us a Lot About How to Improve Stream Health

A trio of recently released studies shows how fish, macroinvertebrates, and algae are affected by chemical and physical stressors

Read Article
link

Rainfall Following Drought Linked to Historic Nitrate Levels in Some Midwest Streams in 2013

Highest concentrations found in Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois. 

Read Article
Filter Total Items: 35
Stormwater flows from a graffiti-decorated outfall into urban Sausal Creek
link
Nasturtiums hang down over a graffiti-decorated culvert conveying Sausal Creek
link
Hydro-tech in front of graffiti defacing a wall channelizing a stream
link
Straightened urban stream flows by street through commercial area
link
A mud-covered tire and algae in an urban creek
link
Water flows from a stormwater outfall
link
Salmonids are inventoried during the ecosurveys done for the Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA)
link
Columbia River flows by highway in Portland, OR, with Mt. Hood in background
link
Sunfish
link
Midwest stream through row crop
link
Midwest stream through row crop
link
Midwest stream through row crop
link
Midwest stream through row crop
link
Wisconsin CAFO
link
Center pivot irrigation
link
Installing a microsampler in a flooded creek
link
CERC fish & frog RSQA sampling
link
Missouri barn stormy summer skies
link
Missouri wet weather flooded cornfield
link
Fish and frog collection Missouri
link
Coal-tar sealcoated basketball court
link

Science and Products