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At least 1,783 records · Page 99Linked to original sources
USGS1984

Effects of freshwater exposure to arsenic trioxide on the parr-smolt transformation of coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch )

The effects of chronic (6 months) exposure to arsenic trioxide in fresh water on the Parr-smolt transformation of coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ) were evaluated. Exposure to 300 μg As/L (as As 2 O 3 ) appeared to delay the onset of the normal increase in plasma thyroxine concentration and cause a transient reduction of gill Na + ,K + -ATPase activity. Fish exposed to 300 μg As/L also migrated to the sea less successfully than did nonexposed smolts, but there were no effects on the survival and growth of smolts held in 28‰ salt water for 6 months.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1964

Catalytic determination of vanadium in water

A kinetic determination of V(V) as a catalyst was spectrophotometrically performed by using the indicator reaction of Gallamine blue (GB + ) and bromate at pH 2.0. The reaction was followed by measuring absorbance change for a fixed-time of 3 min at 537 nm. The variables such as reagent concentration, pH, buffer concentration, ionic strength and temperature were optimized to improve the selectivity and sensitivity. Under the optimized conditions, the determination of V(V) was performed in the range 1–100 μg L −1 with limits of detection and quantification of 0.31 and 0.94 μg L −1 . The developed kinetic method is sufficiently sensitive, selective and simple. It was successfully applied to the speciative determination of total V and inorganic dissolved vanadium species, V(V) and V(IV) in environmental water samples. The oxidizing property of permanganate is used to differentiate between V(IV) and V(V) species. The V(IV) content was found by subtracting the V(V) content from those of total V. The recovery is above 95% for V(V) spiked samples. Additionally, the accuracy was validated by analysis of a certified water sample, CRM TMDA-53.3, and the results were in good agreement with the certified value.

Analytical Chemistry↗
USGS2002

Modified zirconium-Eriochrome Cyanine R determination of fluoride

The Eriochrome Cyanine R method for determining fluoride in natural water has been modified to provide a single, stable reagent solution, eliminate interference from oxidizing agents, extend the concentration range to 3 p.p.m., and extend the phosphate tolerance. Temperature effect was minimized; sulfate error was eliminated by precipitation. The procedure is sufficiently tolerant to interferences found in natural and polluted waters to permit the elimination of prior distillation for most samples. The method has been applied to 500 samples.

Analytical Chemistry↗
USGS1999

Double-disk solid-phase extraction--Simultaneous cleanup and trace enrichment of herbicides and metabolites from environmental samples

Phenylurea and triazine herbicides, including some metabolites, were isolated from water and soil extracts by solid-phase extraction using a layered system of two extraction disks, a method called double-disk solid-phase extraction. The first disk consisted of strong anion exchange (SAX) of 10-μm styrene divinylbenzene (SDB) particles embedded in Teflon, and the second disk was a C 18 disk of 10-μm particles also embedded in Teflon. A volume of 500 mL of water or aqueous soil extract is passed through the layered system with the SAX disk first. The purpose of the SAX disk is to remove the humic and fulvic acids from the water or aqueous soil extract by ion exchange through their carboxyl groups. Even during methanol elution of herbicides, the humic substances remain bound to the SAX disk with >85% retention. Elution with methanol results in more than 90% recovery of the herbicides from the layered extraction disks. Removal of the humic and fulvic acids results in greater sensitivity for diode array detection quantitation (0.05 μg/L for herbicides) by substantially reducing the absorbance of the humic peak on the LC chromatogram. The herbicides adsorb to the SAX disk either through hydrogen bonding to the anion-exchange sites or by hydrophobic interaction with the SDB surface of the anion-exchange disk. The method was tested for the analysis of natural water samples from the Mississippi Embayment, a cotton-growing area of the southeastern United States.

Analytical Chemistry↗
USGS2025

Acute Toxicity of 4-hydroxydiphenylamine (4-HDPA) and N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine-quinone (6PPDQ), transformation products of 6PPD, to early instars of the mayfly, Neocloeon triangulifer

Our analysis of water samples collected during a rain event from two urban rivers in the Greater Toronto area, Ontario, Canada, indicated that selected transformation products (TPs) of the tire antioxidant, N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD), including 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ) and 4-hydroxydiphenylamine (4-HDPA), were present at concentrations >1 µg/L. In acute (96-hr) toxicity tests with aquatic larvae of the mayfly Neocloeon triangulifer , 6PPDQ did not cause mortalities at the highest test concentration, which was just below the limit of solubility. In toxicity tests with 4-HDPA, a calculated 96-hr median lethal concentration of 339 µg/L is above environmentally relevant concentrations. However, in toxicity tests with 6PPD, there was evidence that the degradation of this tire wear compound produced unknown TPs that caused mortalities in exposed mayfly larvae. Additional work could identify other TPs of 6PPD that could be a hazard to aquatic invertebrates exposed to tire wear compounds transported into surface waters from transportation corridors.

Ontario↗
USGS1980

Bibliography of geology and hydrology, southwestern New Mexico

The southwestern part of New Mexico is recognized as a source of abundant and varied natural resources. This bibliography of over 2,700 references concerned with geology, hydrology, chemistry, and geography has been compiled to assist physical science researchers in their study and development of this region.

New Mexico↗
USGS2017

Changes in the Chemistry of Groundwater Reacted with CO 2 : Comparison of Laboratory Results with the ZERT Field Pilot

As part of the ZERT program, sediments from two wells at the ZERT site, located in Bozeman, Montana, USA were reacted with a solution having the composition of local groundwater. A total of 50 water samples were collected from 7 containers placed for 15 days in a glove box with one atmosphere of CO 2 to investigate detailed changes in the concentrations of major, minor and trace inorganic compounds, and to compare these with changes observed in groundwater at the ZERT site following CO 2 injection. Laboratory results included rapid changes in pH (8.6 to 5.7), alkalinity (243 to 1295 mg/L as HCO 3 ), electrical conductance (539 to 1822 μS/cm), Ca (28 to 297 mg/L), Mg (18 to 63 mg/L), Fe (5 to 43 μg/L) and Mn (2 to 837 μg/L) following CO 2 injection. These chemical changes, which are in general agreement with those obtained from sampling the ZERT monitoring wells, could provide early detection of CO 2 leakage into shallow groundwater. Dissolution of calcite, some dolomite and minor Mn-oxides, and desorption/ion exchange are likely the main geochemical processes responsible for the observed changes.

Procedia Earth and Planetary Science↗
USGS1996

Exchangeable hydrogen explains the pH of spodosol Oa horizons

The chemistry of extremely acid Oa horizons does not conform to traditional pH, Al, and base saturation relationships. Results from two separate studies of northeastern U.S. forested soils were used to investigate relationships between pH in water or dilute salt solutions and other soil characteristics. In Oa horizons with pH below 4, soil pH in dilute CaCl 2 solution was correlated with exchangeable H + measured either by titration ( r = −0.88, P = 0.0001, n = 142) or by electrode ( r = −0.89, P = 0.0001, n = 45). Exchangeable H + expressed as a percentage of the cation-exchange capacity (CEC) was linear with pH and showed similar slopes for data from both studies. For all samples, pHw = 4.21 − 1.80 × H + /CEC ( R 2 = 0.69, n = 194). The reciprocal of the H + /CEC ratio is base saturation with Al added to the bases. Because of the low pH, exchangeable Al does not appear to behave as an acid. Exchangeable H + remains an operationally defined quantity because of the difficulty in separating exchange and hydrolysis reactions. In a variety of neutral-salt extractants, concentrations of H + were correlated with 0.1 M BaCl 2 -exchangeable H + ( r > 0.91, P = 0.0001, n = 26) regardless of the strength of the extract. Nine successive extractions with 0.33 m M CaCl 2 removed more H + than was removed by single batch extractions with either 1 M KCl or 0.1 M BaCl 2 (average H + of 70, 43, and 49 mmol kg −1 , respectively for 26 samples). The data showed little difference in the chemical behavior of Oa horizons from a variety of geographical sites and vegetation types.

Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont↗
USGS1988

The role of sediments in the chemistry of aquatic systems - Proceedings of the sediment chemistry workshop, February 8-12, 1982

A workshop on sediment chemistry was held at the U.S. Geological Survey National Headquarters in Reston, Virginia, February 8-12, 1982, to discuss the state of the science and possible future directions for research and operational programs in the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey. Technical papers presented broad overviews of current conceptual models for and research on the interactions between sediments, water, and biota with respect to the occurrence, distribution, movement, and fate of metals and organic substances in aquatic systems. Five separate disciplines within the overall theme were discussed: physical and chemical partitioning of inorganic constituents; analysis association, and effects of organic constituents; bioavailability of sediment-bound metals; concepts and methods regarding physical properties of sediments; and simulation of transport-related properties. The discussions of the participants regarding needs and possible future directions are summarized. The papers and discussions should help guide individual investigators and policy/program managers alike for the next several years.

Circular↗
USGS2012

Rapid runoff via shallow throughflow and deeper preferential flow in a boreal catchment underlain by frozen silt (Alaska, USA)

In high-latitude catchments where permafrost is present, runoff dynamics are complicated by seasonal active-layer thaw, which may cause a change in the dominant flowpaths as water increasingly contacts mineral soils of low hydraulic conductivity. A 2-year study, conducted in an upland catchment in Alaska (USA) underlain by frozen, well-sorted eolian silt, examined changes in infiltration and runoff with thaw. It was hypothesized that rapid runoff would be maintained by flow through shallow soils during the early summer and deeper preferential flow later in the summer. Seasonal changes in soil moisture, infiltration, and runoff magnitude, location, and chemistry suggest that transport is rapid, even when soils are thawed to their maximum extent. Between June and September, a shift occurred in the location of runoff, consistent with subsurface preferential flow in steep and wet areas. Uranium isotopes suggest that late summer runoff erodes permafrost, indicating that substantial rapid flow may occur along the frozen boundary. Together, throughflow and deep preferential flow may limit upland boreal catchment water and solute storage, and subsequently biogeochemical cycling on seasonal to annual timescales. Deep preferential flow may be important for stream incision, network drainage development, and the release of ancient carbon to ecosystems

Alaska↗
USGS1995

Effects of selective forest clearing fertilization, and liming on the hydrology and water quality of a small tributary to the Quabbin Reservoir, central Massachusetts

Effects of selective forest clearing on water yield and water quality were investigated in a 308-hectare basin that drains to Quabbin Reservoir Watershed in central Massachusetts. The experimental basin and a nearby 280-hectare control basin were studied together for comparison. Streamflow was measured continuously and water-quality samples were collected biweekly in both basins from February 1985 through September 1989. During the same period, measurements of precipitation quantity and ground- water levels were made and samples were collected for determination of precipitation and ground-water quality. After an initial monitoring period to establish baseline hydrology and water quality in both basins, an area of red pine and white pine forest in the experimental basin was cleared. From October 1986 until April 1987, 23.8 percent of the total basal area was removed by clearcutting and thinning. Part of the cleared area was converted to rye and other field grasses, and the remainder was allowed to regrow naturally. Fertilizer and lime were applied to part of the cleared area. An additional 8.3 percent of basal area was cleared in fall 1988. Despite differences in bedrock geology, topography, and amount of wetland area, pre- treatment hydrology and chemistry of the two basins were similar. Biogeochemical reactions of the dilute mixture of sulfuric and nitric acids in precipitation with soils and rocks in the basins resulted in moderately buffered calcium-magnesium bicarbonate-type streamwater. During high flows, sulfate concentrations increased and alkalinity decreased. Selective forest clearing resulted in a slight increase in water yield during the year in which the clearing took place, particularly during the spring high-flow period, but flows returned to normal thereafter. Concurrent increases in solute flux were primarily a function of the increased water flux. No major alterations to biogeochemical processes were induced by the forest clearing, nor were any effects from the fertilizer or liming activity observed. The minimal effect observed from the clearing was attributed primarily to the limited area that was cleared, and the location of the cleared area in the headwaters of the basin (away from the riparian zone).

Massachusetts↗
USGS1994

Characterization of ecological risks at the Milltown Reservoir-Clark Fork River Sediments Superfund Site, Montana

A comprehensive field and laboratory approach to the ecological risk assessment for the Milltown Reservoir-Clark Fork River Sediments Site, a Superfund site in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, has been described in the preceding reports of this series. The risk assessment addresses concerns over the ecological impacts of upstream releases of mining wastes to fisheries of the upper Clark Fork River (CFR) and the benthic and terrestrial habitats further downstream in Milltown Reservoir. The risk characterization component of the process integrated results from a triad of information sources: (a) chemistry studies of environmental media to identify and quantify exposures of terrestrial and aquatic organisms to site-related contaminants; (b) ecological or population studies of terrestrial vegetation, birds, benthic communities, and fish; and (c) in situ and laboratory toxicity studies with terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates and plants, small mammals, amphibians, and fish exposed to contaminated surface water, sediments, wetland soils, and food sources. Trophic transfer studies were performed on waterfowl, mammals, and predatory birds using field measurement data on metals concentrations in environmental media and lower trophic food sources. Studies with sediment exposures were incorporated into the Sediment Quality Triad approach to evaluate risks to benthic ecology. Overall results of the wetland and terrestrial studies suggested that acute adverse biological effects were largely absent from the wetland; however, adverse effects to reproductive, growth, and physiological end points of various terrestrial and aquatic species were related to metals exposures in more highly contaminated depositional areas. Feeding studies with contaminated diet collected from the upper CFR indicated that trout are at high risk from elevated metals concentrations in surface water, sediment, and aquatic invertebrates. Integration of chemical analyses with toxicological and ecological evaluations of metal effects on the wetland and fishery has provided an important foundation for environmental decisions at this site.

Montana↗
USGS2021

The sensitivity of a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) to a permitted effluent and elevated potassium in the effluent

Freshwater mussels are one of the most imperiled groups of animals in the world and are among the most sensitive species to a variety of chemicals. However, little is known about the sensitivity of freshwater mussels to wastewater effluents. The objectives of the present study were to (1) assess the toxicity of a permitted effluent, which entered the Deep Fork River, Oklahoma (USA), to a unionid mussel ( Lampsilis siliquoidea ) and to two standard test species (cladoceran Ceriodaphnia dubia ; and fathead minnow Pimephales promelas ) in short-term 7-day effluent tests; (2) evaluate the relative sensitivities of the three species to potassium (K), an elevated major ion in the effluent, using 7-day toxicity tests with KCl spiked into a Deep Fork River upstream reference water; (3) determine the potential influences of background water characteristics on the acute K toxicity to the mussel (96-h exposures) and cladoceran (48-h exposure) in four reconstituted waters that mimicked the hardness and ionic composition ranges of the Deep Fork River; and (4) determine the potential influence of temperature on acute K toxicity to the mussel. The effluent was found to be toxic to mussels and cladocerans, and it contained elevated concentrations of major cations and anions relative to the upstream Deep Fork River reference water. The K concentration in the effluent was 48-fold greater than in the upstream water. Compared with the standard species, the mussel was more than 4-fold more sensitive to the effluent in the 7-day effluent tests and more than 8-fold more sensitive to K in the 7-day K toxicity tests. The acute K toxicity to the mussel decreased by a factor of 2 when the water hardness was increased from soft (42 mg/L as CaCO 3 ) to very hard (314 mg/L as CaCO 3 ), whereas the acute K toxicity to the cladoceran remained almost the same as hardness increased from 84 to 307 mg/L as CaCO 3 . Acute K toxicity to the mussel at 23 °C was similar to the toxicity at an elevated temperature of 28 °C. The overall results indicate that the two standard test species may not represent the sensitivity of the tested mussel to both the effluent and K, and the toxicity of K was influenced by the hardness in test waters, but by a limited magnitude.

Oklahoma↗
USGS2000

Evaluation of toxicity: Whole-sediment versus overlying-water exposures with amphipod Hyalella azteca

A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the toxicity of whole-sediment versus overlying-water exposures to the amphipod Hyalella azteca using field-collected sediments. Severe toxic effects (5-63% survival) were observed with amphipods exposed for 10 d in direct contact with sediment. In contrast, amphipods exposed only to overlying water in these sediment exposures did not exhibit any toxic effects.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS2023

Nitrogen-15 NMR study on the incorporation of nitrogen into aquatic NOM upon chloramination

Chloramination is being used increasingly in water treatment to lower the formation of regulated disinfection byproducts (DBPs). How monochloramine nitrogen becomes incorporated into aquatic natural organic matter (NOM) and potentially affects the formation of nitrogenous DBPs is an unresolved question in the chemistry of humic substances. To address the problem, Suwannee River NOM and Suwannee River fulvic acid were reacted with preformed 15 NH 2 Cl and analyzed by solid and liquid state 15 N NMR spectrometry. Both samples were also reacted with 15 NH 4 Cl as a control. A majority of the monochloramine nitrogen incorporated into the samples matched the structural forms resulting from the control reaction with ammonia, indicating that condensation reactions of ammonia with the carbonyl functionality can partly explain the transformation of the 15 NH 2 Cl nitrogen into the NOM. These structural forms include aminohydroquinone, 1° amide, indole, and pyridine-like nitrogens. Spectra of the samples reacted with 15 NH 2 Cl also showed possible evidence for nitrosophenol nitrogens, which would arise from the reaction of hydroxylamine or nitrite, intermediates in the chemical oxidation of the inorganic nitrogen to nitrate.

Aquatic Sciences↗
USGS2010

Source and fate of inorganic solutes in the Gibbon River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA: I. Low-flow discharge and major solute chemistry

The Gibbon River in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) is an important natural resource and habitat for fisheries and wildlife. However, the Gibbon River differs from most other mountain rivers because its chemistry is affected by several geothermal sources including Norris Geyser Basin, Chocolate Pots, Gibbon Geyser Basin, Beryl Spring, and Terrace Spring. Norris Geyser Basin is one of the most dynamic geothermal areas in YNP, and the water discharging from Norris is much more acidic (pH 3) than other geothermal basins in the upper-Madison drainage (Gibbon and Firehole Rivers). Water samples and discharge data were obtained from the Gibbon River and its major tributaries near Norris Geyser Basin under the low-flow conditions of September 2006. Surface inflows from Norris Geyser Basin were sampled to identify point sources and to quantify solute loading to the Gibbon River. The source and fate of the major solutes (Ca, Mg, Na, K, SiO 2 , Cl, F, HCO 3 , SO 4 , NO 3 , and NH 4 ) in the Gibbon River were determined in this study and these results may provide an important link in understanding the health of the ecosystem and the behavior of many trace solutes. Norris Geyser Basin is the primary source of Na, K, Cl, SO 4 , and N loads (35–58%) in the Gibbon River. The largest source of HCO 3 and F is in the lower Gibbon River reach. Most of the Ca and Mg originate in the Gibbon River upstream from Norris Geyser Basin. All the major solutes behave conservatively except for NH 4 , which decreased substantially downstream from Gibbon Geyser Basin, and SiO 2 , small amounts of which precipitated on mixing of thermal drainage with the river. As much as 9–14% of the river discharge at the gage is from thermal flows during this period.

Wyoming↗