Steven R Corsi
Biography
EDUCATION
B.S. in Physics, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 1986
M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin, 1989
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
- Impact of aircraft and pavement deicers on aquatic ecosystems
- Evaluation of the effectiveness of airport deicer management systems
- Assessment of anthropogenic impact on stream water quality
- Aquatic toxicity evaluation
- Recreational water quality
- Surface water investigations of waterborne pathogens
ACCREDITATIONS AND AFFILIATIONS
- State of Wisconsin Licensed Professional Hydrologist
- Society of Toxicology and Chemistry
Science and Products
Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago, IN
Water-quality “super” gages (also known as “sentry” gages) provide real-time, continuous measurements of the physical and chemical characteristics of stream water at or near selected U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. A super gage includes streamflow and water-quality instrumentation and representative stream sample collection for laboratory analysis....
Toxic Substances: Evaluation of Contaminants and their Potential Biological Effects in Great Lakes Tributaries
The objective of this project is to Identify emerging contaminants and assess impacts on Great Lakes fish and wildlife.
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Watercourse Corridor Study
Since 2000, the USGS and MMSD have been partners in the Milwaukee Area Watercourse Corridor Study. The USGS applied a multi-disciplinary approach to monitor and assess stream water quality within studies of aquatic communities, geomorphology and habitat, water and sediment, and streamflow. Results are provided to MMSD and watershed management agencies for planning and decision-making.
Using optical sensors to detect sewage contamination in the Great Lakes
In the Great Lakes, large volumes of sewage never make it to wastewater treatment plants due to illicit discharges and leaking sewer infrastructure, but contamination can be difficult to detect. This study will define the utility and practicality of using optical sensors to identify the sources and timing of sewage contamination in surface water and storm sewers in real-time field settings....
MMSD Watercourse Corridor Study: Contaminants in Water and Sediment
There are many kinds of chemical, physical, and biological contaminants contained in water and sediment, and new or “emerging” contaminants are continually being discovered. USGS investigations of contaminants in the MMSD Watercourse Corridor Study include studies of PAHs, microplastics, wastewater contamination, waterborne pathogens, as well as modeling long term trends in water quality.
Evaluating chloride trends due to road-salt use and its impacts on water quality and aquatic organisms
Chloride, a key component of road salt, is soluble, highly mobile in water, and, at high concentrations, can be toxic to aquatic vegetation and wildlife. USGS scientists have been analyzing temporal, seasonal, and environmental trends in chloride concentrations across the U.S. to determine the effects that road salt may be having on water quality and aquatic organisms.
Evaluating the impacts of aircraft deicers in runoff from General Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee, Wis.
Chemicals used to deice planes at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee may be entering nearby streams in concentrations that may be harmful to aquatic life. This project will investigate the toxicity of decing chemicals, evaluate their impact on receiving streams, and assess changes in water quality in response to the implementation of deicer management at General Mitchell...
Beach health in Wisconsin
Beach water-quality (beach health) data are collected for both coastal and inland Wisconsin beaches. These data are collected and analyzed by multiple agencies throughout Wisconsin including local health departments, universities, state agencies, and federal agencies including the USGS.
Environmental factors and risk estimation for waterborne pathogens at three Great Lakes beaches
The goals of this study were to quantify pathogen concentrations in water at three Lake Michigan beaches, identify environmental factors that influence pathogen occurrence and variability, and to estimate health risks for recreational swimmers.
Identifying chemicals and mixtures of potential biological concern detected in passive samplers from Great Lakes tributaries using high-throughput data and biological pathways
Waterborne contaminants were monitored in 69 tributaries of the Laurentian Great Lakes in 2010 and 2014 using semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS). A risk-based screening approach was used to prioritize chemicals and chemical mixtures, identify sites at greatest risk for biological impacts...
Alvarez, David; Corsi, Steven R.; DeCicco, Laura A.; Villeneuve, Daniel L.; Baldwin, Austin K. Spatial distribution of microplastics in surficial benthic sediment of Lake Michigan and Lake Erie
The spatial distribution, concentration, particle size, and polymer compositions of microplastics in Lake Michigan and Lake Erie sediment were investigated. Fibers/lines were the most abundant of the five particle types characterized. Microplastic particles were observed in all samples with mean concentrations for particles greater than 0.355 mm...
Lenaker, Peter L.; Corsi, Steven R.; Mason, Sherri A. Primary sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to streambed sediment in Great Lakes tributaries using multiple lines of evidence
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the most widespread and potentially toxic contaminants in Great Lakes (USA/Canada) tributaries. The sources of PAHs are numerous and diverse, and identifying the primary source(s) can be difficult. The present study used multiple lines of evidence to determine the likely sources of PAHs to...
Baldwin, Austin K.; Corsi, Steven R.; Oliver, Samantha; Lenaker, Peter L.; Nott, Michelle A.; Mills, Marc A.; Norris, Gary A.; Paatero, Pentti Vertical distribution of microplastics in the water column and surficial sediment from the Milwaukee River basin to Lake Michigan
Microplastic contamination was studied along a freshwater continuum from inland streams to the Milwaukee River estuary to Lake Michigan, and vertically from the water surface, water subsurface and sediment. Microplastics were detected in all 96 water samples and nine sediment samples collected. Results indicated a gradient of polymer presence with...
Lenaker, Peter L.; Baldwin, Austin K.; Corsi, Steven R.; Mason, Sherri A.; Reneau, Paul; Scott, John W Prioritizing chemicals of ecological concern in Great Lakes tributaries using high-throughput screening data and adverse outcome pathways
Chemical monitoring data were collected in surface waters from 57 Great Lakes tributaries from 2010-13 to identify chemicals of potential biological relevance and sites at which these chemicals occur. Traditional water-quality benchmarks for aquatic life based on in vivo toxicity data were available for 34 of 67 evaluated chemicals. To expand...
Corsi, Steven R.; DeCicco, Laura A.; Daniel Villeneuve; Brett Blackwell; Kellie Fay; Gerald Ankley; Baldwin, Austin K. Mixed-chemical exposure and predicted effects potential in wadeable southeastern USA streams
Complex chemical mixtures have been widely reported in larger streams but relatively little work has been done to characterize them and assess their potential effects in headwaterstreams. In 2014, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) sampled 54 Piedmont streams over ten weeks and measured 475 unique organic compounds...
Bradley, Paul M.; Journey, Celeste A.; Berninger, Jason P.; Button, Daniel T.; Clark, Jimmy M.; Corsi, Steven R.; DeCicco, Laura A.; Hopkins, Kristina G.; Huffman, Bradley J.; Nakagaki, Naomi; Norman, Julia E.; Nowell, Lisa H.; Qi, Sharon L.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Waite, Ian R. Sewage loading and microbial risk in urban waters of the Great Lakes
Despite modern sewer system infrastructure, the release of sewage from deteriorating pipes and sewer overflows is a major water pollution problem in US cities, particularly in coastal watersheds that are highly developed with large human populations. We quantified fecal pollution sources and loads entering Lake Michigan from a large watershed of...
McLellan, Sandra L.; Sauer, Elizabeth P.; Corsi, Steven R.; Bootsma, Melinda J.; Boehm, Alexandria B.; Spencer, Susan K.; Borchardt, Mark A. Reconnaissance of mixed organic and inorganic chemicals in private and public supply tapwaters at selected residential and workplace sites in the United States
Safe drinking water at the point-of-use (tapwater, TW) is a United States public health priority. Multiple lines of evidence were used to evaluate potential human health concerns of 482 organics and 19 inorganics in TW from 13 (7 public supply, 6 private well self-supply) home and 12 (public supply) workplace locations in 11 states. Only uranium (...
Bradley, Paul M.; Kolpin, Dana W.; Romanok, Kristin M.; Smalling, Kelly L.; Focazio, Michael J.; Brown, Juliane B.; Cardon, Mary C.; Carpenter, Kurt; Corsi, Steven R.; DeCicco, Laura A.; Dietze, Julie E.; Evans, Nicola; Furlong, Edward T.; Givens, Carrie E.; Gray, James L.; Griffin, Dale W.; Higgins, Christopher P.; Hladik, Michelle L.; Iwanowicz, Luke R. ; Journey, Celeste A.; Kuivila, Kathryn ; Masoner, Jason R.; McDonough, Carrie A.; Meyer, Michael T.; Orlando, James L.; Strynar, Mark J.; Weis, Christopher P.; Wilson, Vickie S. Patterns of host-associated fecal indicators driven by hydrology, precipitation, and land use attributes in Great Lakes watersheds
Fecal contamination from sewage and agricultural runoff is a pervasive problem in Great Lakes watersheds. Most work examining fecal pollution loads relies on discrete samples of fecal indicators and modeling land use. In this study, we made empirical measurements of human and ruminant-associated fecal indicator bacteria and combined these with...
Dila, Deborah K.; Corsi, Steven R.; Lenaker, Peter L.; Baldwin, Austin K.; Bootsma, Melinda J.; McLellan, Sandra L. Year-round presence of neonicotinoid insecticides in tributaries to the Great Lakes, USA
To better characterize the transport of neonicotinoid insecticides to the world's largest freshwater ecosystem, monthly samples (October 2015–September 2016) were collected from 10 major tributaries to the Great Lakes, USA. For the monthly tributary samples, neonicotinoids were detected in every month sampled and five of the six target...
Hladik, Michelle; Corsi, Steven R.; Kolpin, Dana W.; Baldwin, Austin K.; Blackwell, Brett R.; Cavallin, Jenna E. Response to comment on “Primary sources and toxicity of PAHs in Milwaukee-area streambed sediments”—The authors' reply
No abstract available.
Baldwin, Austin K.; Corsi, Steven R.; Lutz, Michelle A.; Ingersoll, Christopher G.; Dorman, Rebecca A.; Magruder, Christopher; Magruder, Matthew An “EAR” on environmental surveillance and monitoring: A case study on the use of Exposure–Activity Ratios (EARs) to prioritize sites, chemicals, and bioactivities of concern in Great Lakes waters
Current environmental monitoring approaches focus primarily on chemical occurrence. However, based on concentration alone, it can be difficult to identify which compounds may be of toxicological concern and should be prioritized for further monitoring, in-depth testing, or management. This can be problematic because toxicological characterization...
Blackwell, Brett R.; Ankley, Gerald T.; Corsi, Steven R.; DeCicco, Laura A.; Houck, Kieth A.; Judson, Richard S.; Li, Shibin; Martin, Matthew T.; Murphy, Elizabeth; Schroeder, Anthony L.; Smith, Edwin R.; Swintek, Joe; Villeneuve, Daniel L.
Urban Stream Contamination Increasing Rapidly Due to Road Salt
Average chloride concentrations often exceed toxic levels in many northern United States streams due to the use of salt to deice winter pavement, and the frequency of these occurrences nearly doubled in two decades.