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At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources
USGS2019

Fate and transport of nitrapyrin in agroecosystems: Occurrence in agricultural soils, subsurface drains, and receiving streams in the Midwestern US

Nitrapyrin is a nitrification inhibitor that is co-applied with nitrogen fertilizer in agroecosystems. There is limited information on the fate of nitrapyrin after it is applied to agricultural soils. Over the course of one year (March 2016 to June 2017), 192 water samples from seven streams across Iowa and Illinois were analyzed for nitrapyrin, its metabolite 6‑chloropicolinic acid (6‑CPA), and three widely used herbicides acetochlor, atrazine , and metolachlor. Additional environmental samples were collected and analyzed in spring 2017: 63 water samples from eight subsurface drains in Illinois, and 33 soil samples from a field in Iowa that received direct application of nitrapyrin. Nitrapyrin was detected in all seven streams (56% detection) with concentrations ranging from less than LOD to 1200 ng/L; 6‑CPA was detected in six of the seven streams (13% detection) with concentrations ranging from less than LOD to 13 ng/L. Nitrapyrin was detected in 10% of the subsurface drain samples with concentrations ranging from less than LOD to 12 ng/L; 6‑CPA was detected in six of the eight subsurface drains and in 33% of drain samples with concentrations ranging from less than LOD to 6 ng/L. Nitrapyrin was detected in 67% of the soil samples collected, and concentrations ranged from less than LOD to 42 ng/g. Generally, all three herbicides were detected more frequently and at higher concentrations than nitrapyrin in the streams, subsurface drains, and soils. The environmental fate of nitrapyrin after application is dominated by sorption to soil and off-field transport via leaching and overland flow.

Illinois, Iowa↗
USGS2014

Beach science in the Great Lakes

Monitoring beach waters for human health has led to an increase and evolution of science in the Great Lakes, which includes microbiology, limnology, hydrology, meteorology, epidemiology, and metagenomics, among others. In recent years, concerns over the accuracy of water quality standards at protecting human health have led to a significant interest in understanding the risk associated with water contact in both freshwater and marine environments. Historically, surface waters have been monitored for fecal indicator bacteria (fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli , enterococci), but shortcomings of the analytical test (lengthy assay) have resulted in a re-focusing of scientific efforts to improve public health protection. Research has led to the discovery of widespread populations of fecal indicator bacteria present in natural habitats such as soils, beach sand, and stranded algae. Microbial source tracking has been used to identify the source of these bacteria and subsequently assess their impact on human health. As a result of many findings, attempts have been made to improve monitoring efficiency and efficacy with the use of empirical predictive models and molecular rapid tests. All along, beach managers have actively incorporated new findings into their monitoring programs. With the abundance of research conducted and information gained over the last 25 years, “Beach Science” has emerged, and the Great Lakes have been a focal point for much of the ground-breaking work. Here, we review the accumulated research on microbiological water quality of Great Lakes beaches and provide a historic context to the collaborative efforts that have advanced this emerging science.

Great Lakes↗
USGS2003

Photodegradation of roxarsone in poultry litter leachates

Arsenic compounds have been used extensively in agriculture in the US for applications ranging from cotton herbicides to animal feed supplements. Roxarsone (3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid), in particular, is used widely in poultry production to control coccidial intestinal parasites. It is excreted unchanged in the manure and introduced into the environment when litter is applied to farmland as fertilizer. Although the toxicity of roxarsone is less than that of inorganic arsenic, roxarsone can degrade, biotically and abiotically, to produce more toxic inorganic forms of arsenic, such as arsenite and arsenate. Experiments were conducted on aqueous litter leachates to test the stability of roxarsone under different conditions. Laboratory experiments have shown that arsenite can be cleaved photolytically from the roxarsone moiety at pH 4-8 and that the degradation rate increases with increasing pH. Furthermore, the rate of photodegradation increases with nitrate and natural organic matter concentration, reactants that are commonly found in poultry-litter-water leachates. Additional photochemical reactions rapidly oxidize the cleaved arsenite to arsenate. The formation of arsenate is not entirely undesirable, because it is less mobile in soil systems and less toxic than arsenite. A possible mechanism for the degradation of roxarsone in poultry litter leachates is proposed. The results suggest that poultry litter storage and field application practices could affect the degradation of roxarsone and subsequent mobilization of inorganic arsenic species. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Science of the Total Environment↗
USGS1990

Cosmic ray exposure dating with in situ produced cosmogenic 3He: Results from young Hawaiian lava flows

In an effort to determine the in situ production rate of spallation-produced cosmogenic 3 He, and evaluate its use as a surface exposure chronometer, we have measured cosmogenic helium contents in a suite of Hawaiian radiocarbon-dated lava flows. The lava flows, ranging in age from 600 to 13,000 years, were collected from Hualalai and Mauna Loa volcanoes on the island of Hawaii. Because cosmic ray surface-exposure dating requires the complete absence of erosion or soil cover, these lava flows were selected specifically for this purpose. The 3 He production rate, measured within olivine phenocrysts, was found to vary significantly, ranging from 47 to 150 atoms g −1 yr −1 (normalized to sea level). Although there is considerable scatter in the data, the samples younger than 10,000 years are well-preserved and exposed, and the production rate variations are therefore not related to erosion or soil cover. Data averaged over the past 2000 years indicate a sea-level 3 He production rate of 125 ± 30atoms g −1 yr −1 , which agrees well with previous estimates. The longer record suggests a minimum in sea level normalized 3 He production rate between 2000 and 7000 years (55 ± 15atoms g −1 yr −1 ), as compared to samples younger than 2000 years (125 ± 30 atoms g −1 yr −1 ), and those between 7000 and 10,000 years (127 ± 19atoms g −1 yr −1 ). The minimum in production rate is similar in age to that which would be produced by variations in geomagnetic field strength, as indicated by archeomagnetic data. However, the production rate variations (a factor of 2.3 ± 0.8) are poorly determined due to the large uncertainties in the youngest samples and questions of surface preservation for the older samples. Calculations using the atmospheric production model of O'Brien (1979) [35], and the method of Lal and Peters (1967) [11], predict smaller production rate variations for similar variation in dipole moment (a factor of 1.15–1.65). Because the production rate variations, archeomagnetic data, and theoretical estimates are not well determined at present, the relationship between dipole moment and production rate will require further study. Precise determination of the production rate is an important uncertainty in the surface-exposure technique, but the data demonstrate that it is feasible to date samples as young as 600 years of age providing that there has been no erosion or soil cover. Therefore, the technique will have important applications for volcanology, glacial geology, geomorphology and archaeology.

Hawaii↗
USGS2026

Digging into soil: Effects of soil texture on RT-QuIC performance for environmental prion surveillance.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by infectious prions affecting wild and captive cervids. Transmission occurs directly between hosts or indirectly through contact with prion-contaminated environments. Soils, particularly those rich in clay, are hypothesized to enhance prion stability, retention, and bioavailability. Accurate detection of prions is therefore important for understanding environmental transmission risks. Real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) is a sensitive assay used to detect PrP CWD in tissue, excreta, and environmental materials. However, RT-QuIC performance across soil textures has not been evaluated. This study assessed RT-QuIC sensitivity and specificity using laboratory-prepared soils spiked with CWD-positive brain homogenate or water controls under a standardized extraction method. Conditional on the extraction method used, results suggest that RT-QuIC performance depends on soil texture, and thus, an optimal time-to-threshold (TTT) cutoff required to balance sensitivity and specificity will also vary with soil texture. RT-QuIC exhibited higher sensitivity and moderate specificity in soils with low clay (<20%) and moderate to high silt content, whereas high-clay soils (>20%) with low to moderate silt content (2%–60%) reduced both sensitivity and specificity, and required shorter TTT cutoffs. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for soil texture in environmental CWD surveillance.

Environmental Science and Technology↗
USGS2002

Characterization of organic contaminants in environmental samples associated with Mount St. Helens 1980 volcanic eruption

Volcanic ash, surface-water, and bottom-material samples obtained in the vicinity of Mount St. Helens after the May 18, 1980, eruption were analyzed for organic contaminants by using capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-computer techniques. Classes of compounds identified include n -alkanes, fatty acids, dicarboxylic acids, aromatic acids and aldehydes, phenols, resin acids, terpenes, and insect juvenile hormones. The most probable source of these compounds is from pyrolysis of plant and soil organic matter during and after the eruption. The toxicity of selected compounds and their environmental significance are discussed.

Washinton↗
USGS2005

Vapor-phase exchange of perchloroethene between soil and plants

Tree core concentrations of tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethene, PCE) at the Riverfront Superfund Site in New Haven, MO, were found to mimic the profile of soil phase concentrations. The observed soil-tree core relationship was stronger than that of groundwater PCE to tree core concentrations at the same site. Earlier research has shown a direct, linear relationship between tree core and groundwater concentrations of chlorinated solvents and other organics. Laboratory-scale experiments were performed to elucidate this phenomenon, including determining partitioning coefficients of PCE between plant tissues and air and between plant tissues and water, measured to be 8.1 and 49 L/kg, respectively. The direct relationship of soil to tree core PCE concentrations was hypothesized to be caused by diffusion between tree roots and the soil vapor phase in the subsurface. The central findings of this research are discovering the importance of subsurface vapor-phase transfer for VOCs and uncovering a direct relationship between soil vapor-phase chlorinated solvents and uptake rates that impact contaminant translocation from the subsurface and transfer into the atmosphere. ?? 2005 American Chemical Society.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS1970

Minor metals of the geochemical environment, health and disease

The possibility of causal relationships between environmental factors and the occurrence of many degenerative diseases is slowly being recognized. One aspect of the environment -- that concerned with the geochemistry of the rocks, soils, plants, and water -- should be studied carefully and the distribution of minor elements be compared with geographic patterns of animal and human health and disease.

Science↗
USGS1966

Monitoring wildlife for pesticide content

In May 1963, the President's Science Advisory Committee issued a report entitled Use of Pesticides . 17 the President already had requested the responsible federal agencies to implement the recommendations in the report. One of these recommendations was to provide for the development and coordination of a pesticide-monitoring program conducted on a continuing basis, by federal agencies to obtain timely systematic data on pesticide residues in the environment. Many people re engaged in research to learn the quantities of pesticide that may be hazardous. Yet there is concern that hazardous quantities may accumulate before the difficult task of evaluation can be completed. The President's report on environmental pollution 12 expresses the view that the soils and waters of the world cannot indefinitely provide a vast dumping ground to absorb and render harmless all human wastes. Chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides are only one of these kinds of pollutants, yet they are particularly important because they persist long in the environment and accumulate in the tissues of animals.

National Academy of Sciences NRC Publication↗
USGS2009

Heavy metal distribution in soils near Palapye, Botswana: An evaluation of the environmental impact of coal mining and combustion on soils in a semi-arid region

Morupule Colliery near Palapye in eastern Botswana is the only coalmine in production in Botswana at present. Its coal is mainly used in the nearby coal-fired Morupule Power Station, which generates approximately 1,000 GWh of electricity per annum. After more than 30 years mining and more than 20 years of combustion, the sedimentation of outlet fly ash from the Morupule Power Station has increased concentrations of Cr, Ni, Zn and As by 13, 2.5, 16 and 5 ppm, respectively, in the fine portion (<53 ??m) of surface soils for approximately 9 km downwind. Elements that have higher concentrations in coal have stronger small-particle association during coal combustion and are less mobile in surface soils, thus showing stronger contaminations in surface soils around the coal-fired plant. Although the degree of contamination of Cr, Ni, Zn and As from coal combustion in the Palapye area at present is low, it is necessary to monitor concentrations of these elements in surface soils routinely in the future. This study also reveals moderate Pb and Zn contaminations in the Palapye area. The former is due to the use of leaded petroleum in motor vehicle traffic and the latter is mainly due to the use of galvanized iron sheets in construction. ?? 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Environmental Geochemistry and Health↗
USGS2017

Monitoring the southwestern Wyoming landscape—A foundation for management and science

Natural resource monitoring involves repeated collections of resource condition data and analyses to detect possible changes and identify underlying causes of changes. For natural resource agencies, monitoring provides the foundation for management and science. Specifically, analyses of monitoring data allow managers to better understand effects of land-use and other changes on important natural resources and to achieve their conservation and management goals. Examples of natural resources monitored on public lands include wildlife habitats, plant productivity, animal movements and population trends, soil chemistry, and water quality and quantity. Broader definitions of monitoring also recognize the need for scientifically valid data to help support planning efforts and informed decisions, to develop adaptive management strategies, and to provide the means for evaluating management outcomes.

Wyoming↗
USGS1985

Persisting effects of armored military maneuvers on some soils of the Mojave Desert

Soil compaction and substrate modification produced during large-scale armored military maneuvers in the early 1940s were examined in 1981 at seven sites in California's eastern Mojave Desert Recording penetrometer measurements show that tracks left by a single pass of an M3 "medium" tank have average soil resistance values that are 50% greater than those of the surrounding untracked soil in the upper 20 cm At one site, measurements made along short segments of track that have been visually eliminated by erosion and deposition processes show a 73% increase in penetrometer resistance over adjacent, undisturbed soils Dirt roadways at three former base camp locations could not be penetrated below 5-10 cm because of extreme compaction Soil bulk density was not as sensitive an indicator of soil compaction as was penetrometer resistance Density values in the upper 10 cm of soil are not significantly different between tank tracks and undisturbed soils at most sites, and roadways at two base camps show an average increase in bulk density of only 12% over adjacent soils. Trench excavations across tank tracks show that physical modifications of the substrate can extend vertically beneath a track to a depth of 25 cm and outward from a track's edge to 50 cm These soil disturbances are probably major factors that encourage accelerated soil erosion throughout the manuever area and also retard or prevent the return of vegetation to pre-disturbance conditions ?? 1985 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

Environmental Geology and Water Sciences↗
USGS2016

Estimating mercury emissions resulting from wildfire in forests of the Western United States

Understanding the emissions of mercury (Hg) from wildfires is important for quantifying the global atmospheric Hg sources. Emissions of Hg from soils resulting from wildfires in the Western United States was estimated for the 2000 to 2013 period, and the potential emission of Hg from forest soils was assessed as a function of forest type and soil-heating. Wildfire released an annual average of 3100 ± 1900 kg-Hg y − 1 for the years spanning 2000–2013 in the 11 states within the study area. This estimate is nearly 5-fold lower than previous estimates for the study region. Lower emission estimates are attributed to an inclusion of fire severity within burn perimeters. Within reported wildfire perimeters, the average distribution of low, moderate, and high severity burns was 52, 29, and 19% of the total area, respectively. Review of literature data suggests that that low severity burning does not result in soil heating, moderate severity fire results in shallow soil heating, and high severity fire results in relatively deep soil heating (< 5 cm). Using this approach, emission factors for high severity burns ranged from 58 to 640 μg-Hg kg-fuel − 1 . In contrast, low severity burns have emission factors that are estimated to be only 18–34 μg-Hg kg-fuel − 1 . In this estimate, wildfire is predicted to release 1–30 g Hg ha − 1 from Western United States forest soils while above ground fuels are projected to contribute an additional 0.9 to 7.8 g Hg ha − 1 . Land cover types with low biomass (desert scrub) are projected to release less than 1 g Hg ha − 1 . Following soil sources, fuel source contributions to total Hg emissions generally followed the order of duff > wood > foliage > litter > branches.

Science of Total Environment↗
USGS2010

Use and environmental occurrence of pharmaceuticals in freestall dairy farms with manured forage fields

Environmental releases of antibiotics from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are of increasing regulatory concern. This study investigates the use and occurrence of antibiotics in dairy CAFOs and their potential transport into first-encountered groundwater. On two dairies we conducted four seasonal sampling campaigns, each across 13 animal production and waste management systems and associated environmental pathways: application to animals, excretion to surfaces, manure collection systems, soils, and shallow groundwater. Concentrations of antibiotics were determined using on line solid phase extraction (OLSPE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) for water samples, and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) LC/MS/MS with ESI for solid samples. A variety of antibiotics were applied at both farms leading to antibiotics excretion of several hundred grams per farm per day. Sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and their epimers/isomers, and lincomycin were most frequently detected. Yet, despite decades of use, antibiotic occurrence appeared constrained to within farm boundaries. The most frequent antibiotic detections were associated with lagoons, hospital pens, and calf hutches. When detected below ground, tetracyclines were mainly found in soils, whereas sulfonamides were found in shallow groundwater reflecting key differences in their physicochemical properties. In manure lagoons, 10 compounds were detected including tetracyclines and trimethoprim. Of these 10, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethazine, and lincomycin were found in shallow groundwater directly downgradient from the lagoons. Antibiotics were sporadically detected in field surface samples on fields with manure applications, but not in underlying sandy soils. Sulfadimethoxine and sulfamethazine were detected in shallow groundwater near field flood irrigation gates, but at highly attenuated levels.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2010

Natural chlorate in the environment: Application of a new IC-ESI/MS/MS method with a Cl18O3- internal standard

A new ion chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (IC-ESI/MS/MS) method has been developed for quantification and confirmation of chlorate (ClO 3 − ) in environmental samples. The method involves the electro-chemical generation of isotopically labeled chlorate internal standard (Cl 18 O 3 − ) using 18 O water (H 2 18 O). The standard was added to all samples prior to analysis thereby minimizing the matrix effects that are associated with common ions without the need for expensive sample pretreatments. The method detection limit (MDL) for ClO 3 − was 2 ng L −1 for a 1 mL volume sample injection. The proposed method was successfully applied to analyze ClO 3 − in difficult environmental samples including soil and plant leachates. The IC-ESI/MS/MS method described here was also compared to established EPA method 317.0 for ClO 3 − analysis. Samples collected from a variety of environments previously shown to contain natural perchlorate (ClO 4 − ) occurrence were analyzed using the proposed method and ClO 3 − was found to co-occur with ClO 4 − at concentrations ranging from <2 ng L −1 in precipitation from Texas and Puerto Rico to >500 mg kg −1 in caliche salt deposits from the Atacama Desert in Chile. Relatively low concentrations of ClO 3 − in some natural groundwater samples (<0.1 μg L −1 ) analyzed in this work may indicate lower stability when compared to ClO 4 − in the subsurface. The high concentrations of ClO 3 − in caliches and soils (3−6 orders of magnitude greater) as compared to precipitation samples indicate that ClO 3 − , like ClO 4 − , may be atmospherically produced and deposited, then concentrated in dry soils, and is possibly a minor component in the biogeochemical cycle of chlorine.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2009

Unearthing Secrets of the Forest

Forests are a defining feature for large areas of the Pacific northwestern United States from northern California to Alaska. Coniferous temperate rainforests in the western Cascade and coastal mountain ranges are appreciated for their aesthetic value and abundant natural resources. Few people recognize the riches beneath the forest floor; yet, soil is a key ecosystem component that makes each type of forest unique. Soils harbor immense biological diversity and control the release of water and nutrients that support life above ground. Understanding how carbon and nutrients cycle in forests, known as forest biogeochemistry, is crucial for evaluating forest productivity, composition, diversity, and change. At the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, research in the Terrestrial Ecosystems Laboratory focuses on nutrient cycling in five themes: climate change, nutrition and sustainability, fire effects, restoration, and forest-stream linkages. This research is essential to understand the entire forest ecosystem and to use the best science available to make informed policy and management decisions.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2022

Post-fire temporal trends in soil-physical and -hydraulic properties and simulated runoff generation: Insights from different burn severities in the 2013 Black Forest Fire, CO, USA

Burn severity influences on post-fire recovery of soil-hydraulic properties controlling runoff generation are poorly understood despite the importance for parameterizing infiltration models. We measured soil-hydraulic properties of field-saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs), sorptivity (S), and wetting front potential (ψf) for four years after the 2013 Black Forest Fire, Colorado, USA at six sites across a gradient of initial remotely sensed burn severity using the change in the normalized burn ratio (dNBR). These measurements were correlated with soil-physical property measurements of bulk density (ρb), loss on ignition (LOI, a measure of soil organic matter), and ground cover composition to provide insight into causal factors for temporal changes in Kfs, S, and ψf . Modeled infiltration using the Smith-Parlange approach parameterized with measured Kfs, S, and ψf further discerned the role of precipitation intensity on runoff generation. Temporal trends of soil-physical properties and ground cover showed influences from initial burn severity. Trends in soil-hydraulic properties , surprisingly, were not strongly influenced by initial burn severity despite inferred effects of ρb, LOI, and ground cover on trends in Kfs and S. Calculations of dNBR at the time of sampling showed strong correlations with Kfs and S, demonstrating a new approach for estimating long-unburned Kfs and S values, infiltration model parameters after fire, and assessing the time of return to pre-fire values. Simulated infiltration-excess runoff, in contrast, did depend on initial burn severity. Time series of the ratio S2/Kfs ≈ ψf tended to converge between 1 to 10 mm four years after wildfire, potentially (i) defining a long-unburned forest domain of S2/Kfs and ψf from 1 to 10 mm with relatively high Kfs values, and (ii) providing a new post-fire soil-hydraulic property recovery metric (i.e. S2/Kfs ≈ ψf in the range of 1 to 10 mm) for sites in the Rocky Mountains of the USA.

Colorado↗
USGS2024

Dryland soil recovery after disturbance across soil and climate gradients of the Colorado Plateau

Drylands impacted by energy development often require costly reclamation activities to reconstruct damaged soils and vegetation, yet little is known about the effectiveness of reclamation practices in promoting recovery of soil quality due to a lack of long-term and cross-site studies. Here, we examined paired on-pad and adjacent undisturbed off-pad soil properties over a 22-year chronosequence of 91 reclaimed oil or gas well pads across soil and climate gradients of the Colorado Plateau in the southwestern United States. Our goals were to estimate the time required for soil properties to reach undisturbed conditions, examine the multivariate nature of soil quality following reclamation, and identify environmental factors that affect reclamation outcomes. Soil samples, collected in 2020 and 2021, were analyzed for biogeochemical pools (total nitrogen, and total organic and inorganic carbon), chemical characteristics (salinity, sodicity, pH), and texture. Predicted time to recovery across all sites was 29 years for biogeochemical soil properties, 31 years for soil chemical properties, and 6 years for soil texture. Ordination of soil properties revealed differences between on- and off-pad soils, while site aridity explained variability in on-pad recovery. The predicted time to total soil recovery (distance between on- and off-pad in ordination space) was 96 years, which was longer than any individual soil property. No site reached total recovery, indicating that individual soil properties alone may not fully indicate recovery in soil quality as soil recovery does not equal the sum of its parts. Site aridity was the largest predictor of reclamation outcomes, but the effects differed depending on soil type. Taken together, results suggest the recovery of soil quality - which reflects soil fertility, carbon sequestration potential, and other ecosystem functions - was influenced primarily by site setting, with soil type and aridity major mediators of on-pad carbon, salinity, and total soil recovery following reclamation.

Colorado, Utah↗