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At least 577 records · Page 32Linked to original sources
USGS2004

Chloroform in the hydrologic system--sources, transport, fate, occurrence, and effects on human health and aquatic organisms

Chloroform is one of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detected most frequently in both ground and surface water. Because it is also one of the four trihalomethanes (THMs) produced in the highest concentrations during the chlorination of drinking water and wastewater, the frequent detection of this compound in ground and surface water of the United States is presumed to be caused primarily by the input of chlorinated water to the hydrologic system. Although anthropogenic sources of the compound are substantial, they are currently estimated to constitute only 10 percent of the total global input to the hydrologic system. Natural sources of the compound include volcanic gases, biomass burning, marine algae, and soil microorganisms. Under most conditions (except in the presence of unusually high bromide concentrations), chloroform is the THM produced in the highest concentrations during chlorination. Furthermore, in most cases where more than one THM is produced from chlorination, the relative concentrations among the different compounds usually decrease with increasing bromination (chloroform > dichlorobromomethane > chlorodibromomethane > bromoform). This phenomenon is presumed to be responsible for the common observation that when more than one THM is detected during investigations of the occurrence of these compounds in the hydrologic system, this same trend is typically observed among their relative concentrations or, for a uniform reporting limit, their relative frequencies of detection. This pattern could provide a valuable means for distinguishing between chlorinated water and other potential sources of chloroform in the environment. Chloroform has been widely detected in national, regional, and local studies of VOCs in ground, surface, source, and drinking waters. Total THM (TTHM) concentrations of the compound, however, were typically less than the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 80 ?g/L (micrograms per liter) established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for TTHMs. In the studies that compared land-use settings, frequencies of detection of chloroform were higher beneath urban and residential areas than beneath agricultural or undeveloped areas. Because chloroform is a suspected human carcinogen, its presence in drinking water is a potential human health concern. Liver damage, however, is known to occur at chloroform exposures lower than those required to cause cancer, an observation that has been considered by the USEPA as the basis for setting a new, non-zero Maximum Contaminant Level Goal of 70 ?g/L for the compound. As part of its National Water-Quality Assessment Program, the U.S. Geological Survey has been assembling and analyzing data on the occurrence of VOCs (including chloroform) in ground and surface water on a national scale from studies conducted between 1991 and the present. This report presents a summary of current (2004) information on the uses, sources, formation, transport, fate, and occurrence of chloroform, as well as its effects on human health and aquatic organisms.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2020

Vegetation‐groundwater dynamics at a former uranium mill site following invasion of a biocontrol agent: A time series analysis of Landsat normalized difference vegetation index data

Because groundwater recharge in dry regions is generally low, arid and semiarid environments have been considered well‐suited for long‐term isolation of hazardous materials (e.g., radioactive waste). In these dry regions, water lost (transpired) by plants and evaporated from the soil surface, collectively termed evapotranspiration (ET), is usually the primary discharge component in the water balance. Therefore, vegetation can potentially affect groundwater flow and contaminant transport at waste disposal sites. We studied vegetation health and ET dynamics at a Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) disposal site in Shiprock, New Mexico, where a floodplain alluvial aquifer was contaminated by mill effluent. Vegetation on the floodplain was predominantly deep‐rooted, non‐native tamarisk shrubs ( Tamarix sp.). After the introduction of the tamarisk beetle ( Diorhabda sp.) as a biocontrol agent, the health of the invasive tamarisk on the Shiprock floodplain declined. We used Landsat normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data to measure greenness and a remote sensing algorithm to estimate landscape‐scale ET along the floodplain of the UMTRCA site in Shiprock prior to (2000–2009) and after (2010–2018) beetle establishment. Using groundwater level data collected from 2011 to 2014, we also assessed the role of ET in explaining seasonal variations in depth to water of the floodplain. Growing season scaled NDVI decreased 30% ( p < .001), while ET decreased 26% from the pre‐ to post‐beetle period and seasonal ET estimates were significantly correlated with groundwater levels from 2011 to 2014 ( r 2 = .71; p = .009). Tamarisk greenness (a proxy for health) was significantly affected by Diorhabda but has partially recovered since 2012. Despite this, increased ET demand in the summer/fall period might reduce contaminant transport to the San Juan River during this period.

New Mexico↗
USGS2025

Ecosystems

The Fifth National Climate Assessment updates the evidence regarding how climate change influences ecosystems, biological diversity, and the implications for changes to critical ecosystem services—as noted in the key messages above (McElwee et al., 2023). Large-scale transformational changes to ecosystems are occurring, including—but not limited to—land-use conversion, hydrological alteration, and fire regimes. Implications of such transformational change include ecosystem capacity to maintain biological diversity and ecosystem services, impacting recreational opportunities (e.g., hunting and fishing, birding, ecotourism) and agriculture production (McElwee et al., 2023). A central tenet of the Fifth National Climate Assessment regarding ecosystems was the shifts to alternative states and how the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework may guide the adaptive management of ecosystems moving forward (Lynch et al., 2022). Nebraska is in the northern Great Plains, where extremes in climate and resulting ecosystem processes are experienced (Knapp et al., 2023). Pressures on ecosystems to provide essential services, including healthy soil and water to benefit humans and animals, will inevitably impact economic development, urban and rural communities, and fish and wildlife populations as climate change continues (Knapp et al., 2023). All ecosystems will be impacted in Nebraska, but aquatic systems—wetlands, aquifers, lakes, streams, and rivers—may be most impacted, given the scarcity of water as human demand (i.e., agriculture and a growing population) persists and increases (Bathke et al., 2014). Major knowledge gaps remain regarding how fish and wildlife populations will persist in changing environments. Past changes, including large-scale land conversion, water delivery systems, and water storage (construction of reservoirs), suggest that some species can adapt to novel environments and shift distributions. However, many more species may be maladapted to the expected changes in climate. Species may be unable to move to suitable habitats, and biological constraints under rapidly changing conditions may impede adaptation— resulting in extirpation and potential extinction. Further, changing conditions open multiple pathways for invasive species and novel diseases, impacting native fish populations, wildlife populations, and human health.

Nebraska↗
USGS1996

Pesticides in the atmosphere: distribution, trends, and governing factors

Most people know about the presence and health effects of pesticide residues in the water they drink. However, they may not realize the impact of atmospheric transportation and deposition of pesticides on water quality. Scientific studies of pesticides in various atmospheric matrices (air, rain, snow, aerosols, and fog) provide some of the answers. Pesticides in the Atmosphere focuses on the review and interpretation of direct measurements of pesticides in the environment. An exhaustive compilation, the book examines hundreds of studies in detailed tabular listings, with accompanying maps that include such features as spatial and temporal domain studies, target analytes, detection limits, and compounds detected. Working with the foundation of forty years of scientific studies, the editors synthesize this research to characterize the common threads and main conclusions. They use this information to identify where we need to improve our understanding of pesticides in the atmosphere and their significance to water quality. Pesticides in the Atmosphere serves as a resource, text, and reference to a wide spectrum of scientists, water managers, and students. It includes extensive compilations of references, interpretive analyses and conclusions. For those not familiar with the atmospheric transportation and deposition of pesticides it provides a comprehensive introduction.

Book↗
USGS2004

Presence and distribution of organic wastewater compounds in wastewater, surface, ground, and drinking waters, Minnesota, 2000-02

Selected organic wastewater compounds (OWCs) such as household, industrial, and agricultural-use compounds, pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, and sterols and hormones were measured at 65 sites in Minnesota as part of a cooperative study among the Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Samples were collected in Minnesota during October 2000 through November 2002 and analyzed for the presence and distribution of 91 OWCs at sites including wastewater treatment plant influent and effluent; landfill and feedlot lagoon leachate; surface water; ground water (underlying sewered and unsewered mixed urban land use, a waste dump, and feedlots); and the intake and finished drinking water from drinking water facilities. There were 74 OWCs detected that represent a wide variety of use. Samples generally comprised a mixture of compounds (average of 6 OWCs) and 90 percent of the samples had at least one OWC detected. Concentrations for detected OWCs generally were less than 3 micrograms per liter. The ten most frequently detected OWCs were metolachlor (agricultural-use herbicide); cholesterol (sterol primarily associated with animal waste); caffeine (stimulant), N,N-diethyl- meta -toluamide (DEET) (topical insect repellant); bromoform (disinfection by product); tri(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (flame-retardant and plastic component); beta -sitosterol (plant sterol that is a known endocrine disruptor); acetyl-hexamethyl-tetrahydro- naphthalene (AHTN) (synthetic musk widely used in personal care products, and a known endocrine disruptor); bisphenol-A (plastic component and a known endocrine disruptor); and cotinine (metabolite of nicotine). Wastewater treatment plant influent and effluent, landfill leachate, and ground water underlying a waste dump had the greatest number of OWCs detected. OWC detections in ground-water were low except underlying the one waste dump studied and feedlots. There generally were more OWCs detected in surface water than ground water, and there were twice as many OWCs detected in the surface water sites downstream from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP effluent than at sites not directly downstream from effluent. Comparisons among site classifications apply only to sites sampled during the study. Results of this study indicate ubiquitous distribution of measured OWCs in the environment that originate from numerous sources and pathways. During this reconnaissance of OWCs in Minnesota it was not possible to determine the specific sources of OWCs to surface, ground, or drinking waters. The data indicate WWTP effluent is a major pathway of OWCs to surface waters and that landfill leachate at selected facilities is a potential source of OWCs to WWTPs. Aquatic organism or human exposure to some OWCs is likely based on OWC distribution. Few aquatic or human health standards or criteria exist for the OWCs analyzed, and the risks to humans or aquatic wildlife are not known. Some OWCs detected in this study are endocrine disrupters and have been found to disrupt or influence endocrine function in fish. Thirteen endocrine disrupters, 3- tert -butyl-4-hydoxyanisole (BHA), 4- cumylphenol, 4- normal -octylphenol, 4- tert -octylphenol, acetyl-hexamethyl-tetrahydro-naphthalene (AHTN), benzo[&alpha;]pyrene, beta-sitosterol, bisphenol-A, diazinon, nonylphenol diethoxylate (NP2EO), octyphenol diethoxylate (OP2EO), octylphenol monoethoxylate (OP1EO), and total para -nonylphenol (NP) were detected. Results of reconnaissance studies may help regulators who set water-quality standards begin to prioritize which OWCs to focus upon for given categories of water use.

Minnesota↗
USGS2024

Microplastic-mediated new mechanism of liver damage: From the perspective of the gut-liver axis

Microplastics (MPs) are environmental contaminants that are present in all environments and can enter the human body, accumulate in various organs, and cause harm through the ingestion of food, inhalation, and dermal contact. The connection between bowel and liver disease and the interplay between gut, liver, and flora has been conceptualized as the “gut-liver axis”. Microplastics can alter the structure of microbial communities in the gut and the liver can also be a target for microplastic invasion. Numerous studies have found that when MPs impair human health, they not only promote dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and disruption of the gut barrier but also cause liver damage. For this reason, the gut-liver axis provides a new perspective in understanding this toxic response. The cross-talk between MPs and the gut-liver axis has attracted the attention of the scientific community, but knowledge about whether MPs cause gut-liver interactions through the gut-liver axis is still very limited, and the effect of MPs on liver injury is not well understood. MPs can directly induce microbiota disorders and gut barrier dysfunction. As a result, harmful bacteria and metabolites in the gut enter the blood through the weak intestinal barrier (portal vein channel along the gut-liver axis) and reach the liver, causing liver damage (inflammatory damage, metabolic disorders, oxidative stress, etc.). This review provides an integrated perspective of the gut-liver axis to help conceptualize the mechanisms by which MP exposure induces gut microbiota dysbiosis and hepatic injury and highlights the connection between MPs and the gut-liver axis. Therefore, from the perspective of the gut-liver axis, targeting intestinal flora is an important way to eliminate microplastic liver damage.

Science of the Total Environment↗
USGS2010

Biological pathways of exposure and ecotoxicity values for uranium and associated radionuclides: Chapter D in Hydrological, geological, and biological site characterization of breccia pipe uranium deposits in Northern Arizona

This chapter compiles available chemical and radiation toxicity information for plants and animals from the scientific literature on naturally occurring uranium and associated radionuclides. Specifically, chemical and radiation hazards associated with radionuclides in the uranium decay series including uranium, thallium, thorium, bismuth, radium, radon, protactinium, polonium, actinium, and francium were the focus of the literature compilation. In addition, exposure pathways and a food web specific to the segregation areas were developed. Major biological exposure pathways considered were ingestion, inhalation, absorption, and bioaccumulation, and biota categories included microbes, invertebrates, plants, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. These data were developed for incorporation into a risk assessment to be conducted as part of an environmental impact statement for the Bureau of Land Management, which would identify representative plants and animals and their relative sensitivities to exposure of uranium and associated radionuclides. This chapter provides pertinent information to aid in the development of such an ecological risk assessment but does not estimate or derive guidance thresholds for radionuclides associated with uranium. Previous studies have not attempted to quantify the risks to biota caused directly by the chemical or radiation releases at uranium mining sites, although some information is available for uranium mill tailings and uranium mine closure activities. Research into the biological impacts of uranium exposure is strongly biased towards human health and exposure related to enriched or depleted uranium associated with the nuclear energy industry rather than naturally occurring uranium associated with uranium mining. Nevertheless, studies have reported that uranium and other radionuclides can affect the survival, growth, and reproduction of plants and animals. Exposure to chemical and radiation hazards is influenced by a plant’s or an animal’s life history and surrounding environment. Various species of plants, invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals found in the segregation areas that are considered species of concern by State and Federal agencies were included in the development of the site-specific food web. The utilization of subterranean habitats (burrows in uranium-rich areas, burrows in waste rock piles or reclaimed mining areas, mine tunnels) in the seasonally variable but consistently hot, arid environment is of particular concern in the segregation areas. Certain species of reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals in the segregation areas spend significant amounts of time in burrows where they can inhale or ingest uranium and other radionuclides through digging, eating, preening, and hibernating. Herbivores may also be exposed though the ingestion of radionuclides that have been aerially deposited on vegetation. Measured tissues concentrations of uranium and other radionuclides are not available for any species of concern in the segregation areas. The sensitivity of these animals to uranium exposure is unknown based on the existing scientific literature, and species-specific uranium presumptive effects levels were only available for two endangered fish species known to inhabit the segregation areas. Overall, the chemical toxicity data available for biological receptors of concern were limited, although chemical and radiation toxicity guidance values are available from several sources. However, caution should be used when directly applying these values to northern Arizona given the unique habitat and life history strategies of biological receptors in the segregation areas and the fact that some guidance values are based on models rather than empirical (laboratory or field) data. No chemical toxicity information based on empirical data is available for reptiles, birds, or wild mammals; therefore, the risks associated with uranium and other radionuclides are unknown for these biota.

Arizona↗
USGS2010

North American osprey populations and contaminants: Historic and contemporary perspectives

Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ) populations were adversely affected by DDT and perhaps other contaminants in the United States and elsewhere. Reduced productivity, eggshell thinning, and high DDE concentrations in eggs were the signs associated with declining osprey populations in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The species was one of the first studied on a large scale to bring contaminant issues into focus. Although few quantitative population data were available prior to the 1960s, many osprey populations in North America were studied during the 1960s and 1970s with much learned about basic life history and biology. This article reviews the historical and current effects of contaminants on regional osprey populations. Breeding populations in many regions of North America showed post-DDT-era (1972) population increases of varying magnitudes, with many populations now appearing to stabilize at much higher numbers than initially reported in the 1970s and 1980s. However, the magnitude of regional population increases in the United States between 1981 (first Nationwide Survey, ∼8,000 pairs), when some recovery had already occurred, 1994 (second survey, ∼14,200), and 2001 (third survey, ∼16,000–19,000), or any other years, is likely not a simple response to the release from earlier contaminant effects, but a response to multi-factorial effects. This indirect “contaminant effects” measurement comparing changes (i.e., recovery) in post-DDT-era population numbers over time is probably confounded by changing human attitudes toward birds of prey (shooting, destroying nests, etc.), changing habitats, changing fish populations, and perhaps competition from other species. The species' adaptation to newly created reservoirs and its increasing use of artificial nesting structures (power poles, nesting platforms, cell towers, channel markers, offshore duck blinds, etc.) are two important factors. The timing of the initial use of artificial nesting structures, which replaced declining numbers of suitable trees at many locations, varied regionally (much later in the western United States and Mexico). Because of the increasing use of artificial nesting structures, there may be more ospreys nesting in North America now than ever before. Now, with the impact of most legacy organic contaminants (DDT, other organochlorine [OC] pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls [PCB], polychlorinated dibenzo- p -dioxins [PCDD], polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF]) greatly reduced or eliminated, and some osprey populations showing evidence of stabilizing, the species was proposed as a Worldwide Sentinel Species for evaluating emerging contaminants. Several emerging contaminants are already being studied, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and perfluorinated acids and sulfonate compounds (PFC). The many advantages for continued contaminant investigations using the osprey include a good understanding of its biology and ecology, its known distribution and abundance, and its ability to habituate to humans and their activities, which permits nesting in some of the potentially most contaminated environments. It is a top predator in most ecosystems, and its nests are relatively easy to locate and study with little researcher impact on reproductive success.

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Pa↗
USGS2006

Pesticides in Ground Water of the Maryland Coastal Plain

Selected pesticides are detectable at low levels (generally less than 0.1 microgram per liter) in unconfined ground water in many parts of the Maryland Coastal Plain. Samples were recently collected (2001-04) from 47 wells in the Coastal Plain and analyzed for selected pesticides and degradate compounds (products of pesticide degradation). Most pesticide degradation occurs in the soil zone before infiltration to the water table, and degradates of selected pesticides were commonly detected in ground water, often at higher concentrations than their respective parent compounds. Pesticides and their degradates often occur in ground water in mixtures of multiple compounds, reflecting similar patterns in usage. All measured concentrations in ground water were below established standards for drinking water, and nearly all were below other health-based guidelines. Although drinking-water standards and guidelines are typically much higher than observed concentrations in ground water, they do not exist for many detected compounds (particularly degradates), or for mixtures of multiple compounds. The distribution of observed pesticide compounds reflects known usage patterns, as well as chemical properties and environmental factors that affect the fate and transport of these compounds in the environment. Many commonly used pesticides, such as glyphosate, pendimethalin, and 2,4-D were not detected in ground water, likely because they were sorbed onto organic matter or degraded in the soil zone. Others that are more soluble and (or) persistent, like atrazine, metolachlor, and several of their degradates, were commonly detected in ground water where they have been used. Atrazine, for example, an herbicide used primarily on corn, was most commonly detected in ground water on the Eastern Shore (where agriculture is common), particularly where soils are well drained. Conversely, dieldrin, an insecticide previously used heavily for termite control, was detected only on the Western Shore, where urban land is more common. Use of dieldrin was suspended in 1987, but this compound is relatively persistent in the environment, and several decades are typically required for ground water to move completely through the surficial aquifer. U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey USGS Fact Sheet FS 2006-3119 2006 Location of the Maryland Coastal Plain.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2026

Culturing emerging, imperiled, and poorly understood fishes

Most fish hatcheries and farms raise fish for food, to supply the bait and ornamental fish trades, or to create or enhance recreational and commercial fishing opportunities. Culture methods for these species are well established and are described in various chapters of this book. However, a growing number of facilities are responsible for cultivation of emerging, imperiled, or lesser-known species in support of rescue or recovery efforts. “Imperiled” may refer to species that have been formally listed as threatened or endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) or analogous state regulations, or it may refer to populations or other groups that are considered at-risk for other reasons (e.g., fish living in drought-affected areas). The USFWS defines an endangered species as one that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, while a threatened species is one that is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future (USFWS 2016b). There is often limited information available regarding the biology and propagation of these species. Many have never been propagated in captivity, and conventional hatchery techniques are not necessarily suited to their dietary needs, feeding habits, flow preferences, reproductive requirements, stress management, tank preferences, and use of structure (Rakes et al. 1999). To successfully maintain and propagate these fish, the fish culturist must identify the water quality, health and nutrition, spawning, and habitat needs of the species in question. Success often demands a painstaking process of mimicking natural conditions in the hatchery until suitable modifications can be developed or individuals can be habituated to more conventional rearing conditions. Rearing lesser-known species requires dedication and creativity as well as the application of new, sometimes experimental culture techniques to ensure a safe environment that provides for the well-being of imperiled species while in captivity.

Book chapter↗
USGS2025

Integrating climate change, biological invasions, and infectious wildlife diseases

Climate change is likely to affect infectious diseases that are facilitated by biological invasions, with repercussions for wildlife conservation and zoonotic risks. Current invasion management and policy are underprepared for the future risks associated with such invasion-related wildlife diseases. By considering evidence from bioclimatology, invasion biology, and disease research, we illustrate how climate change is anticipated to affect disease agents (parasites and pathogens), hosts, and vectors across the different stages of invasions. We highlight the opportunity to integrate these disciplines to identify the effects of climate change on invasion related wildlife diseases. In addition, shifting to a proactive stance in implementing management and policy, such as by incorporating climate-change effects either into preventative and mitigation measures for biosecurity or with rapid response protocols to limit disease spread and impacts, could help to combat future ecological, economic, and human health risks stemming from invasion-related wildlife diseases.

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment↗
USGS2020

Freshwater neurotoxins and concerns for human, animal, and ecosystemhealth: A review of anatoxin-a and saxitoxin

Toxic cyanobacteria are a concern worldwide because they can adversely affect humans, animals, and ecosystems. However, neurotoxins produced by freshwater cyanobacteria are understudied relative to microcystin. Thus, the objective of this critical review was to provide a comprehensive examination of the modes of action, production, fate, and occurrence of the freshwater neurotoxins anatoxin-a and saxitoxin as they relate to human, animal, and ecosystem health. Literature on freshwater anatoxin-a and saxitoxin was obtained and reviewed for both laboratory and field studies. Current (2020) research identifies as many as 41 anatoxin-a producing species and 15 saxitoxin-producing species of freshwater cyanobacteria. Field studies indicate that anatoxin-a and saxitoxin have widespread distribution, and examples are given from every continent except Antarctica. Human and animal health concerns can range from acute to chronic. However, few researchers studied chronic or sublethal effects of freshwater exposures to anatoxin-a or saxitoxin. Ecosystemhealth also is a concern, as the effects of toxicity may be far reaching and include consequences throughout the food web. Several gaps in knowledgewere identified for anatoxin-a and saxitoxin, including triggers of production and release, environmental fate and degradation, primary and secondary exposure routes, diel variation, food web effects, effects of cyanotoxin mixtures, and sublethal health effects on individual organisms and populations. Despite the gaps, this critical review facilitates our current understanding of freshwater neurotoxins and thus can serve to guide future research on anatoxin-a, saxitoxin, and other cyanotoxins.

Science of the Total Environment↗
USGS2016

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 spills require coordinated efforts by predominantly government personnel from multiple disciplines, including disaster management, public health, and environmental protection. However, the requirements of emergency response teams for science support might not be met within the traditional ICS. We describe the US ICS as an example of emergency-response approaches to chemical spills and provide examples in which external scientific support from research personnel benefitted the ICS emergency response, focusing primarily on nonpetroleum chemical spills. We then propose immediate, near-term, and long-term activities to support the response to chemical spills, focusing on nonpetroleum chemical spills. Further, we call for science support for spill prevention and near-term spill-incident response and identify longer-term research needs. The development of a formal mechanism for external science support of ICS from governmental and nongovernmental scientists would benefit rapid responders, advance incident- and crisis-response science, and aid society in coping with and recovering from chemical spills.

Journal of Environmental Quality↗
USGS2025

Insights and strategic opportunities from the USGS 2024 Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Interagency Workshop

Introduction In 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) published Circular 1490 titled, “Integrated Science for the Study of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Environment: A Strategic Science Vision for the U.S. Geological Survey” (Tokranov and others, 2021). Circular 1490 was created to be a resource for USGS scientists prioritizing and planning research related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and to be a guide for developing partnerships with other scientists, State and Federal agencies, and stakeholders engaged in PFAS research and management and mitigation of the environmental and human-health effects of PFAS. This USGS PFAS Strategic Science Vision document was intended to be the foundation for a “living strategic vision,” periodically providing updates on the state of USGS PFAS research, emerging PFAS data gaps and needs, and progress on interagency and stakeholder PFAS partnerships and priorities. To meet this objective, the USGS planned to host an Interagency and Stakeholder PFAS Workshop every 2–3 years. During September 10–12, 2024, the USGS hosted the first Interagency and Stakeholder PFAS Workshop in Reston, Virginia. The Workshop brought together experts from other Federal agencies (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Defense [Air Force, Army]), State agencies (Washington Fish and Wildlife, Virginia Department of Transportation), and academia (Harvard University, University of Maryland) to address key challenges relating to the measurement and modeling of PFAS and the implications for environmental health. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions centered around six pivotal topics related to PFAS: (1) sampling protocols, methods and interpretation; (2) environmental sources, source apportionment, and occurrence; (3) environmental fate and transport; (4) human and wildlife exposure routes and risk; (5) bioconcentration, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification; and (6) ecotoxicology and effects. Each topic had three breakout sessions. A recurrent theme of workshop discussions was how data on a nationwide scale for PFAS occurrence in various environmental matrices, including air, water, food crops, biota, soil, and streambed sediment could help to advance scientific understanding. Participants noted significant geospatial data gaps, particularly in the midwestern and southern United States and the Pacific Northwest. PFAS data collection tends to be more robust along the eastern seaboard and in California. Participants stressed how enhancing the integration of large and small datasets across various agencies could help to support national scale understanding of PFAS. To address these gaps, attendees suggested leveraging datasets from Federal entities like the USGS and the U.S. Department of Defense, State agencies, and municipal utility services to develop predictive contaminant detection and transport models. Improved coordination between water quality programs and USGS research could help to facilitate access to valuable data, leading to comprehensive databases that inform PFAS point (wastewater treatment plants and landfills) and nonpoint (runoff from land, atmospheric deposition, food packaging) sources, environmental transport mechanisms, environmental detection and concentrations, potential exposure routes, and health effects on different biota, including humans. A specific request was made to develop a map demarking the depth of modern (1953 or later) groundwater, which is susceptible to surface-derived anthropogenic (that is, human-made) contamination, based on tritium-age dating. Emphasis was placed on incorporation of hydrology, groundwater flow paths, groundwater–surface water interactions, and landscape factors in predictive statistical models as a step to improve contaminant source identification and tracking. Molecular fingerprinting approaches garnered attention as techniques to link specific PFAS mixtures detected in a sample to environmental sources and levels in biota (Dávila-Santiago and others, 2022). Integrating data from abiotic (that is, water, soil, and air) and biotic (that is, living organisms) systems identified as a research opportunity. For example, understanding the composition of soils and sediments, which include a mixture of mineral, plant, and animal components, could advance understanding of exposure pathways. The discussions highlighted opportunities to explore and understand the potential redistribution and biotic exposures of PFAS from biosolid and wastewater treatment plant effluent land application practices, in addition to atmospheric releases and discharges from landfill and wastewater treatment plants. Participants identified research gaps surrounding how these sources may contribute to contamination and may affect surrounding ecosystems, including a better definition of anthropogenic background concentrations. Moving forward, the collection of co-occurrence data was noted as a means to improve understanding of complex mixtures and to leverage companion modeling efforts focused on areas with high and low contamination levels to identify areas of concern and unaffected resources. Participants emphasized how centralized USGS databases and the establishment of sample-metadata archives can help to ensure that samples are preserved and accessible for future research. In conclusion, the workshop participants identified opportunities to bridge data gaps and improve measurement techniques, modeling frameworks, databases, and communication, to enhance the understanding of PFAS and their effects on environmental and human health. Upon completion of the workshop, participants indicated an interest in developing strategic data collection, modeling, and analytical approaches to address these challenges.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2020

Relation of fish intersex to contaminants in riverine sport fishes

Endocrine active compounds (EACs) are pollutants that have been recognized as an emerging and widespread threat to aquatic ecosystems globally. Intersex, the presence of female germ cells within a predominantly male gonad, is considered a biomarker of endocrine disruption caused by EACs. We measured a suite of EACs and assessed their associated impacts on fish intersex occurrence and severity in a large, regulated river system in North Carolina and South Carolina, USA. Our specific objective was to determine the relationship of contaminants in water, sediment, and fish tissue with the occurrence and severity of the intersex condition in wild, adult black bass ( Micropterus ), sunfish ( Lepomis ), and catfish (Ictaluridae) species at 11 sites located on the Yadkin-Pee Dee River. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), ethinylestradiol (EE2), and heavy metals were the most prevalent contaminants that exceeded effect levels for the protection of aquatic organisms. Fish intersex condition was most frequently observed and most severe in black basses and was less frequently detected and less severe in sunfishes and catfishes. The occurrence of the intersex condition in fish showed site-related effects, rather than increasing longitudinal trends from upstream to downstream. Mean black bass and catfish tissue contaminant concentrations were higher than that of sunfish, likely because of the latter's lower trophic position in the food web. Principal component analysis identified waterborne PAHs as the most correlated environmental contaminant with intersex occurrence and severity in black bass and sunfish. As indicated by the intersex condition, EACs have adverse but often variable effects on the health of wild sport fishes in this river, likely due to fluctuations in EAC inputs and the dynamic nature of the riverine system. These findings enhance the understanding of the relationship between contaminants and fish health and provide information to guide ecologically comprehensive conservation and management decisions.

North Carolina, South Carolina↗
USGS2026

Opportunities and challenges in using Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) samplers for monitoring cyanotoxins in freshwater and estuarine environments

Cyanobacterial toxins (cyanotoxins) represent a substantial threat to drinking water supplies and safe recreational uses of freshwater resources in watersheds worldwide. Monitoring cyanotoxins can be difficult because toxin events are variable in both space and time, are not always persistent, can be moved easily by wind and currents, and may be degraded biotically or abiotically. Thus, monitoring programs that collect discrete samples on a monthly or even bimonthly interval can miss key events and underestimate cyanotoxin risk or if they capture a high-concentration event, can give a false impression that cyanotoxins are a widespread health hazard. The use of Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) samplers helps address this issue by providing a time-weighted average estimate of dissolved cyanotoxin occurrence and relative concentrations. SPATT samplers have been used as a complement to traditional monitoring programs and can help elucidate cyanotoxin dynamics. SPATT samplers have been used by six U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Centers (New York, California, Oregon, Upper Midwest, New Jersey, and Lower Mississippi-Gulf) to monitor various cyanotoxins in waterbodies such as streams, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, estuaries, and drinking-water intakes. Despite their use across the USGS, there is little guidance available to ensure consistent approaches and data quality across the Bureau. This report summarizes best practices for SPATT deployment and analysis, synthesizes data and describes lessons learned from USGS studies, identifies priority knowledge gaps, and offers considerations for future targeted experiments to help improve data collection and interpretation.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2023

Ecology and ecosystem impacts of submerged and floating aquatic vegetation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Substantial increases in non-native aquatic vegetation have occurred in the upper San Francisco Estuary over the last 2 decades, largely from the explosive growth of a few submerged and floating aquatic plant species. Some of these species act as ecosystem engineers by creating conditions that favor their further growth and expansion as well as by modifying habitat for other organisms. Over the last decade, numerous studies have investigated patterns of expansion and turn-over of aquatic vegetation species; effects of vegetation on ecosystem health, water quality, and habitat; and effects of particular species or communities on physical processes such as carbon and sediment dynamics. Taking a synthetic approach to evaluate what has been learned over the last few years has shed light on just how significant aquatic plant species and communities are to ecosystems in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Aquatic vegetation affects every aspect of the physical and biotic environment, acting as ecosystem engineers on the landscape. Furthermore, their effects are constantly changing across space and time, leaving many unanswered questions about the full effects of aquatic vegetation on Delta ecosystems and what future effects may result, as species shift in distribution and new species are introduced. Remaining knowledge gaps underlie our understanding of aquatic macrophyte effects on Delta ecosystems, including their roles and relationships with respect to nutrients and nutrient cycling, evapotranspiration and water budgets, carbon and sediment, and emerging effects on fish species and their habitats. This paper explores our current understanding of submerged and floating aquatic vegetation (SAV and FAV) ecology with respect to major aquatic plant communities, observed patterns of change, interactions between aquatic vegetation and the physical environment, and how these factors affect ecosystem services and disservices within the upper San Francisco Estuary.

California↗
USGS2017

Selenium

Selenium (Se) was discovered in 1817 in pyrite from copper mines in Sweden. It is a trace element in Earth’s crust, with an abundance of three to seven orders of magnitude less than the major rock-forming elements. Commercial use of selenium began in the United States in 1910, when it was used as a pigment for paints, ceramic glazes, and red glass. Since that time, it has had many other economic uses—notably, in the 1930s and 1940s, when it was used in rectifiers (which change alternating current to direct current), and in the 1960s, when it began to be used in the liner of photocopier drums. In the 21st century, other compounds have replaced selenium in these older products; modern uses for selenium include energy-efficient windows that limit heat transfer and thin-film photovoltaic cells that convert solar energy into electricity. In Earth’s crust, selenium is found as selenide minerals, selenate and selenite salts, and as substitution for sulfur in sulfide minerals. It is the sulfide minerals, most commonly those in porphyry copper deposits, that provide the bulk of the selenium produced for the international commodity market. Selenium is obtained as a byproduct of copper refining and recovered from the anode slimes generated in electrolytic production of copper. Because of this, the countries that have the largest resources and (or) reserves of copper also have the largest resources and (or) reserves of selenium. Because selenium occurs naturally in Earth’s crust, its presence in air, water, and soil results from both geologic reactions and human activity. Selenium is found concentrated naturally in soils that overlie bedrock with high selenium concentrations. Selenium mining, processing, use in industrial and agricultural applications, and disposal may all contribute selenium to the environment. A well-known case of selenium contamination from agricultural practices was discovered in 1983 in the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge in California. There, waters draining from agricultural fields created wetlands with high concentrations of dissolved selenium in the water. The selenium was taken up by aquatic wildlife and caused massive numbers of embryonic deformities and deaths. Regulatory agencies have since worked to safeguard ecological and human health by creating environmental exposure guidelines based upon selenium concentrations in water and in fish tissue. Any attempt to regulate selenium concentrations requires a delicate balance because selenium occurs naturally and is also a vital nutrient for the health of wildlife, domestic stock, and humans. Selenium is commonly added as a vitamin to animal feed, and in some regions of the United States and the world, it is added as an amendment to soils for uptake by agricultural crops. The important role of selenium in economic products, energy supply, agriculture, and health will continue for well into the future. The challenge to society is to balance the benefits of selenium use with the environmental consequences of its extraction. Increased understanding of the elemental cycle of selenium in the earth may lead to new (or unconventional) sources of selenium, the discovery of new methods of extraction, and new technologies for minimizing the transfer of selenium from rock to biota, so to protect environmental and human health.

Professional Paper↗