William Foreman is a Research Chemist for the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
Science and Products
Emerging contaminant data at wastewater treatment facilities, municipal water supplies, surface water and lake sites in the northeastern United States, 2009-2018 (ver. 1.1, January 2023)
Over 300 samples were collected in New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts from wastewater treatment facilities (20 locations), drinking water facilities (9 locations), streams (53 locations), lakes (2 locations), a bay (1 location), and a POCIS (Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler) blank sample between April 2009 and October 2018. This data release provides chemistry data for over 400 analyt
Laboratory Quality-Control Data Associated with Groundwater Samples Collected for Hormones and Pharmaceuticals by the National Water-Quality Assessment Project in 2013-15
This data set includes results for hormone and pharmaceutical compounds analyzed in laboratory quality-control samples associated with environmental samples collected by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project during 2013 through 2015 for a study of groundwater resources used for drinking-water supply across the United States. Hormone and pharmaceutical results are provided for labor
Third-party performance assessment data encompassing the time period of analysis of groundwater samples collected for hormones and pharmaceuticals by the National Water-Quality Assessment Project in 2013-15
This data set includes sample information and results for third-party performance assessment samples analyzed for hormones and pharmaceuticals during the same general time period as environmental samples collected by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project for a study of groundwater resources used for drinking-water supply across the United States, 2013 through 2015. Hormone and phar
Environmental and Quality-Control Data Collected by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Project for Hormones and Pharmaceuticals in Groundwater Used as a Source of Drinking Water Across the United States, 2013-15
This data set includes results for hormone and pharmaceutical compounds analyzed in environmental and quality-control samples collected by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Project during 2013 through 2015 for a study of groundwater resources used for drinking-water supply across the United States. Hormone and pharmaceutical results are provided for environmental samples collected at 1,12
Chemicals of Emerging Concern in Water and Bottom Sediment in Great Lakes Tributaries, 2014 - Collection Methods, Analytical Methods, Quality Assurance Analyses, and Data
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and St. Cloud State University (SCSU), identified the occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in water and bottom sediment collected in 2014 at 65 sites throughout the Great Lakes Basin. The 2014 effort is part of a long-term study that began in 2010. Included in this directory are colle
Filter Total Items: 50
Comparison of detection limits estimated using single- and multi-concentration spike-based and blank-based procedures
Spike- and blank-based procedures were applied to estimate the detection limits (DLs) for example analytes from inorganic and organic methods for water samples to compare with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Method Detection Limit (MDL) procedures (revisions 1.11 and 2.0). The multi-concentration spike-based procedures ASTM Within-laboratory Critical Level (DQCALC) and EPA's Lowes
Urban stormwater: An overlooked pathway of extensive mixed contaminants to surface and groundwaters in the United States
Increasing global reliance on stormwater control measures to reduce discharge to surface water, increase groundwater recharge, and minimize contaminant delivery to receiving waterbodies necessitates improved understanding of stormwater-contaminant profiles. A multi-agency study of organic and inorganic chemicals in urban stormwater from 50 runoff events at 21 sites across the United States demonst
By
Water Resources, Contaminant Biology, Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS), Toxic Substances Hydrology, Oklahoma Water Science Center, California Water Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory
Use of set blanks in reporting pesticide results at the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory, 2001-15
Executive SummaryBackground.—Pesticide results from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) are used for water-quality assessments by many agencies and organizations. The USGS is committed to providing data of the highest possible quality to the consumers of its data. A cooperator’s inquiries about specific pesticide detections in water revealed potential laborat
Hormones and pharmaceuticals in groundwater used as a source of drinking water across the United States
This is the first large-scale, systematic assessment of hormone and pharmaceutical occurrence in groundwater used for drinking across the United States. Samples from 1091 sites in Principal Aquifers representing 60% of the volume pumped for drinking-water supply had final data for 21 hormones and 103 pharmaceuticals. At least one compound was detected at 5.9% of 844 sites representing the resource
Pharmaceutical manufacturing facility discharges can substantially increase the pharmaceutical load to U.S. wastewaters
Discharges from pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities (PMFs) previously have been identified as important sources of pharmaceuticals to the environment. Yet few studies are available to establish the influence of PMFs on the pharmaceutical source contribution to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and waterways at the national scale. Consequently, a national network of 13 WWTPs receiving PMF dis
Expanded target-chemical analysis reveals extensive mixed-organic-contaminant exposure in USA streams
Surface water from 38 streams nationwide was assessed using 14 target-organic methods (719 compounds). Designed-bioactive anthropogenic contaminants (biocides, pharmaceuticals) comprised 57% of 406 organics detected at least once. The 10 most-frequently detected anthropogenic-organics included eight pesticides (desulfinylfipronil, AMPA, chlorpyrifos, dieldrin, metolachlor, atrazine, CIAT, glyphosa
Methods used to characterize the chemical composition and biological activity of environmental waters throughout the United States, 2012-14
A vast array of chemical compounds are in wide commercial use in the United States, and the potential ecological and human-health effect of exposure to chemical mixtures has been identified as a high priority in environment health science. Awareness of the potential effects of low-level chemical exposures is rising. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Enabling science support for better decision-making when responding to chemical spills
Chemical spills and accidents contaminate the environment and disrupt societies and economies around the globe. In the United States there were approximately 172,000 chemical spills that affected US waterbodies from 2004 to 2014. More than 8000 of these spills involved non–petroleum-related chemicals. Traditional emergency responses or incident command structures (ICSs) that respond to chemical sp
The impact of onsite wastewater disposal systems on groundwater in areas inundated by Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey
Coastal onsite wastewater disposal systems (OWDS) were inundated by Hurricane Sandy's storm tide. This study compares the shallow groundwater quality (nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and hormones) downgradient of OWDS before and after Hurricane Sandy, where available, and establishes a baseline for wastewater influence on groundwater in coastal communities inundated by Hurricane Sandy. Nutrients and c
Regional variability in bed-sediment concentrations of wastewater compounds, hormones and PAHs for portions of coastal New York and New Jersey impacted by hurricane Sandy
Bed sediment samples from 79 coastal New York and New Jersey, USA sites were analyzed for 75 compounds including wastewater associated contaminants, PAHs, and other organic compounds to assess the post-Hurricane Sandy distribution of organic contaminants among six regions. These results provide the first assessment of wastewater compounds, hormones, and PAHs in bed sediment for this region. Concen
Pre/post-closure assessment of groundwater pharmaceutical fate in a wastewater‑facility-impacted stream reach
Pharmaceutical contamination of contiguous groundwater is a substantial concern in wastewater-impacted streams, due to ubiquity in effluent, high aqueous mobility, designed bioactivity, and to effluent-driven hydraulic gradients. Wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) closures are rare environmental remediation events; offering unique insights into contaminant persistence, long-term wastewater impac
Contamination with bacterial zoonotic pathogen genes in U.S. streams influenced by varying types of animal agriculture
Animal waste, stream water, and streambed sediment from 19 small (
Non-USGS Publications**
Cooter, E. J., Foreman, W. T., & Majewski, M. S. (2002). A Regional Atmospheric Fate and Transport Model for Atrazine. 2. Evaluation. A Regional Atmospheric Fate and Transport Model for Atrazine. 2. Evaluation, 36(21), 4593-4599. doi:10.1021/es011372q
Foster, G. D., Gates, P. M., Foreman, W. T., Mckenzie, S. W., & Rinella, F. A. (1993). Determination of dissolved-phase pesticides in surface water from the Yakima River Basin, Washington, using the Goulden large-sample extractor and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Environmental Science & Technology, 27(9), 1911-1917. doi:10.1021/es00046a021
Hinckley, D. A., Bidleman, T. F., Foreman, W. T., & Tuschall, J. R. (1990). Determination of vapor pressures for nonpolar and semipolar organic compounds from gas chromatograhic retention data. Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data, 35(3), 232-237. doi:10.1021/je00061a003
Bidleman, T., Castleberry, A., Foreman, W., Zaranski, M., & Wall, D. (1990). Petroleum hydrocarbons in the surface water of two estuaries in the Southeastern united states. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 30(1), 91-109. doi:10.1016/0272-7714(90)90079-7
Foreman, W., Shellum, C. L., Birks, J. W., & Sievers, R. E. (1989). Supercritical Fluid Chromatography with Sulfur Chemiluminescence Detection. Journal of Chromatography A. doi:10.1016/S0021-9673(01)94939-8
Foreman, W. T., Sievers, R. E., & Wenclawiak, B. W. (1988). Supercritical fluid chromatography with redox chemiluminescence detection. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 330(3), 231-234.
Bidleman, T., Billings, W. N., & Foreman, W. (1986). Vapor-particle partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds: estimates from field collections. Environmental Science and Technology, 20(10), 1038-1043. doi:10.1021/es00152a013
**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
- Data
Emerging contaminant data at wastewater treatment facilities, municipal water supplies, surface water and lake sites in the northeastern United States, 2009-2018 (ver. 1.1, January 2023)
Over 300 samples were collected in New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts from wastewater treatment facilities (20 locations), drinking water facilities (9 locations), streams (53 locations), lakes (2 locations), a bay (1 location), and a POCIS (Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler) blank sample between April 2009 and October 2018. This data release provides chemistry data for over 400 analytLaboratory Quality-Control Data Associated with Groundwater Samples Collected for Hormones and Pharmaceuticals by the National Water-Quality Assessment Project in 2013-15
This data set includes results for hormone and pharmaceutical compounds analyzed in laboratory quality-control samples associated with environmental samples collected by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project during 2013 through 2015 for a study of groundwater resources used for drinking-water supply across the United States. Hormone and pharmaceutical results are provided for laborThird-party performance assessment data encompassing the time period of analysis of groundwater samples collected for hormones and pharmaceuticals by the National Water-Quality Assessment Project in 2013-15
This data set includes sample information and results for third-party performance assessment samples analyzed for hormones and pharmaceuticals during the same general time period as environmental samples collected by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project for a study of groundwater resources used for drinking-water supply across the United States, 2013 through 2015. Hormone and pharEnvironmental and Quality-Control Data Collected by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Project for Hormones and Pharmaceuticals in Groundwater Used as a Source of Drinking Water Across the United States, 2013-15
This data set includes results for hormone and pharmaceutical compounds analyzed in environmental and quality-control samples collected by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Project during 2013 through 2015 for a study of groundwater resources used for drinking-water supply across the United States. Hormone and pharmaceutical results are provided for environmental samples collected at 1,12Chemicals of Emerging Concern in Water and Bottom Sediment in Great Lakes Tributaries, 2014 - Collection Methods, Analytical Methods, Quality Assurance Analyses, and Data
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and St. Cloud State University (SCSU), identified the occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in water and bottom sediment collected in 2014 at 65 sites throughout the Great Lakes Basin. The 2014 effort is part of a long-term study that began in 2010. Included in this directory are colle - Publications
Filter Total Items: 50
Comparison of detection limits estimated using single- and multi-concentration spike-based and blank-based procedures
Spike- and blank-based procedures were applied to estimate the detection limits (DLs) for example analytes from inorganic and organic methods for water samples to compare with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Method Detection Limit (MDL) procedures (revisions 1.11 and 2.0). The multi-concentration spike-based procedures ASTM Within-laboratory Critical Level (DQCALC) and EPA's LowesUrban stormwater: An overlooked pathway of extensive mixed contaminants to surface and groundwaters in the United States
Increasing global reliance on stormwater control measures to reduce discharge to surface water, increase groundwater recharge, and minimize contaminant delivery to receiving waterbodies necessitates improved understanding of stormwater-contaminant profiles. A multi-agency study of organic and inorganic chemicals in urban stormwater from 50 runoff events at 21 sites across the United States demonstByWater Resources, Contaminant Biology, Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS), Toxic Substances Hydrology, Oklahoma Water Science Center, California Water Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater LaboratoryUse of set blanks in reporting pesticide results at the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory, 2001-15
Executive SummaryBackground.—Pesticide results from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) are used for water-quality assessments by many agencies and organizations. The USGS is committed to providing data of the highest possible quality to the consumers of its data. A cooperator’s inquiries about specific pesticide detections in water revealed potential laboratHormones and pharmaceuticals in groundwater used as a source of drinking water across the United States
This is the first large-scale, systematic assessment of hormone and pharmaceutical occurrence in groundwater used for drinking across the United States. Samples from 1091 sites in Principal Aquifers representing 60% of the volume pumped for drinking-water supply had final data for 21 hormones and 103 pharmaceuticals. At least one compound was detected at 5.9% of 844 sites representing the resourcePharmaceutical manufacturing facility discharges can substantially increase the pharmaceutical load to U.S. wastewaters
Discharges from pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities (PMFs) previously have been identified as important sources of pharmaceuticals to the environment. Yet few studies are available to establish the influence of PMFs on the pharmaceutical source contribution to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and waterways at the national scale. Consequently, a national network of 13 WWTPs receiving PMF disExpanded target-chemical analysis reveals extensive mixed-organic-contaminant exposure in USA streams
Surface water from 38 streams nationwide was assessed using 14 target-organic methods (719 compounds). Designed-bioactive anthropogenic contaminants (biocides, pharmaceuticals) comprised 57% of 406 organics detected at least once. The 10 most-frequently detected anthropogenic-organics included eight pesticides (desulfinylfipronil, AMPA, chlorpyrifos, dieldrin, metolachlor, atrazine, CIAT, glyphosaMethods used to characterize the chemical composition and biological activity of environmental waters throughout the United States, 2012-14
A vast array of chemical compounds are in wide commercial use in the United States, and the potential ecological and human-health effect of exposure to chemical mixtures has been identified as a high priority in environment health science. Awareness of the potential effects of low-level chemical exposures is rising. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental ProtectionEnabling science support for better decision-making when responding to chemical spills
Chemical spills and accidents contaminate the environment and disrupt societies and economies around the globe. In the United States there were approximately 172,000 chemical spills that affected US waterbodies from 2004 to 2014. More than 8000 of these spills involved non–petroleum-related chemicals. Traditional emergency responses or incident command structures (ICSs) that respond to chemical spThe impact of onsite wastewater disposal systems on groundwater in areas inundated by Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey
Coastal onsite wastewater disposal systems (OWDS) were inundated by Hurricane Sandy's storm tide. This study compares the shallow groundwater quality (nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and hormones) downgradient of OWDS before and after Hurricane Sandy, where available, and establishes a baseline for wastewater influence on groundwater in coastal communities inundated by Hurricane Sandy. Nutrients and cRegional variability in bed-sediment concentrations of wastewater compounds, hormones and PAHs for portions of coastal New York and New Jersey impacted by hurricane Sandy
Bed sediment samples from 79 coastal New York and New Jersey, USA sites were analyzed for 75 compounds including wastewater associated contaminants, PAHs, and other organic compounds to assess the post-Hurricane Sandy distribution of organic contaminants among six regions. These results provide the first assessment of wastewater compounds, hormones, and PAHs in bed sediment for this region. ConcenPre/post-closure assessment of groundwater pharmaceutical fate in a wastewater‑facility-impacted stream reach
Pharmaceutical contamination of contiguous groundwater is a substantial concern in wastewater-impacted streams, due to ubiquity in effluent, high aqueous mobility, designed bioactivity, and to effluent-driven hydraulic gradients. Wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) closures are rare environmental remediation events; offering unique insights into contaminant persistence, long-term wastewater impacContamination with bacterial zoonotic pathogen genes in U.S. streams influenced by varying types of animal agriculture
Animal waste, stream water, and streambed sediment from 19 small (Non-USGS Publications**
Cooter, E. J., Foreman, W. T., & Majewski, M. S. (2002). A Regional Atmospheric Fate and Transport Model for Atrazine. 2. Evaluation. A Regional Atmospheric Fate and Transport Model for Atrazine. 2. Evaluation, 36(21), 4593-4599. doi:10.1021/es011372qFoster, G. D., Gates, P. M., Foreman, W. T., Mckenzie, S. W., & Rinella, F. A. (1993). Determination of dissolved-phase pesticides in surface water from the Yakima River Basin, Washington, using the Goulden large-sample extractor and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Environmental Science & Technology, 27(9), 1911-1917. doi:10.1021/es00046a021Hinckley, D. A., Bidleman, T. F., Foreman, W. T., & Tuschall, J. R. (1990). Determination of vapor pressures for nonpolar and semipolar organic compounds from gas chromatograhic retention data. Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data, 35(3), 232-237. doi:10.1021/je00061a003Bidleman, T., Castleberry, A., Foreman, W., Zaranski, M., & Wall, D. (1990). Petroleum hydrocarbons in the surface water of two estuaries in the Southeastern united states. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 30(1), 91-109. doi:10.1016/0272-7714(90)90079-7Foreman, W., Shellum, C. L., Birks, J. W., & Sievers, R. E. (1989). Supercritical Fluid Chromatography with Sulfur Chemiluminescence Detection. Journal of Chromatography A. doi:10.1016/S0021-9673(01)94939-8Foreman, W. T., Sievers, R. E., & Wenclawiak, B. W. (1988). Supercritical fluid chromatography with redox chemiluminescence detection. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 330(3), 231-234.Bidleman, T., Billings, W. N., & Foreman, W. (1986). Vapor-particle partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds: estimates from field collections. Environmental Science and Technology, 20(10), 1038-1043. doi:10.1021/es00152a013**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.
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