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Results for “One Health”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

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At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources
USGS2011

From ridge to reef—linking erosion and changing watersheds to impacts on the coral reef ecosystems of Hawai‘i and the Pacific Ocean

Coral reef ecosystems are threatened by unprecedented watershed changes in the United States and worldwide. These ecosystems sustain fishing and tourism industries essential to the economic survival of many communities. Sediment, nutrients, and pollutants from watersheds are increasingly transported to coastal waters, where these contaminants damage corals. Although pollution from watersheds is one of many factors threatening coral survival, it is one that local people can have a profound influence on. U.S. Geological Survey scientists are using mapping, monitoring, and computer modeling to better forecast the effects of watershed changes on reef health. Working with communities in Hawai‘i and on other U.S. islands in the Pacific, they are helping to provide the science needed to make informed decisions on watershed and coral reef management.

Hawai'i↗
USGS2013

Modeling the long-term fate of agricultural nitrate in groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley, California

Nitrate contamination of groundwater systems used for human water supplies is a major environmental problem in many parts of the world. Fertilizers containing a variety of reduced nitrogen compounds are commonly added to soils to increase agricultural yields. But the amount of nitrogen added during fertilization typically exceeds the amount of nitrogen taken up by crops. Oxidation of reduced nitrogen compounds present in residual fertilizers can produce substantial amounts of nitrate which can be transported to the underlying water table. Because nitrate concentrations exceeding 10 mg/L in drinking water can have a variety of deleterious effects for humans, agriculturally derived nitrate contamination of groundwater can be a serious public health issue. The Central Valley aquifer of California accounts for 13 percent of all the groundwater withdrawals in the United States. The Central Valley, which includes the San Joaquin Valley, is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world and much of this groundwater is used for crop irrigation. However, rapid urbanization has led to increasing groundwater withdrawals for municipal public water supplies. That, in turn, has led to concern about how contaminants associated with agricultural practices will affect the chemical quality of groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley. Crop fertilization with various forms of nitrogen-containing compounds can greatly increase agricultural yields. However, leaching of nitrate from soils due to irrigation has led to substantial nitrate contamination of shallow groundwater. That shallow nitrate-contaminated groundwater has been moving deeper into the Central Valley aquifer since the 1960s. Denitrification can be an important process limiting the mobility of nitrate in groundwater systems. However, substantial denitrification requires adequate sources of electron donors in order to drive the process. In many cases, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) are the primary electron donors driving active denitrification in groundwater. The purpose of this chapter is to use a numerical mass balance modeling approach to quantitatively compare sources of electron donors (DOC, POC) and electron acceptors (dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and ferric iron) in order to assess the potential for denitrification to attenuate nitrate migration in the Central Valley aquifer.

California↗
USGS2007

USGS national surveys and analysis projects: Preliminary compilation of integrated geological datasets for the United States

The growth in the use of Geographic nformation Systems (GS) has highlighted the need for regional and national digital geologic maps attributed with age and rock type information. Such spatial data can be conveniently used to generate derivative maps for purposes that include mineral-resource assessment, metallogenic studies, tectonic studies, human health and environmental research. n 1997, the United States Geological Survey’s Mineral Resources Program initiated an effort to develop national digital databases for use in mineral resource and environmental assessments. One primary activity of this effort was to compile a national digital geologic map database, utilizing state geologic maps, to support mineral resource studies in the range of 1:250,000- to 1:1,000,000-scale. Over the course of the past decade, state databases were prepared using a common standard for the database structure, fields, attributes, and data dictionaries. As of late 2006, standardized geological map databases for all conterminous (CONUS) states have been available on-line as USGS Open-File Reports. For Alaska and Hawaii, new state maps are being prepared, and the preliminary work for Alaska is being released as a series of 1:500,000-scale regional compilations. See below for a list of all published databases.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1994

National standards and guidelines for pesticides in water, sediment, and aquatic organisms

The effects of pesticides 1 on water quality commonly are assessed by comparing measured concentrations of individual pesticide compounds in the environment with concentrations that have been determined to have potential adverse effects on humans, aquatic organisms, or other beneficial uses of water. Direct evaluation of the adverse effects of every pesticide present in a given hydrologic system is beyond the scope and budget of most water-quality studies. Many studies rely on standards or guidelines set by federal or state agencies or other institutions to indicate what concentrations may have adverse effects on human health, aquatic organisms, or wildlife. Such standards and guidelines generally are based on laboratory or field studies that document the effects of individual pesticides on specific aspects of water quality. Single-species toxicity tests (using a single species of a test organism) under various laboratory conditions are the most common type of study, whereas artificial ecosystem studies (using multiple species of a test organism) and field studies are relatively uncommon. Such studies rarely consider the effects of exposure to more than one chemical at a time. Technical information from such studies has been used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) 2 in issuing national standards, such as drinking-water regulations (for example, see USEPA 1991a) and guidelines, such as ambient water-quality criteria for the protection of human health and aquatic organisms (for example, see USEPA 1980a) to meet its statutory requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also has used its authority under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to set action levels (enforceable regulatory limits) for unavoidable residues of pesticides in foods (FDA 1990).

Book chapter↗
USGS2021

Evaluation of a satellite-based cyanobacteria bloom detection algorithm using field-measured microcystin data

Widespread occurrence of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) and the associated health effects from potential cyanotoxin exposure has led to a need for systematic and frequent screening and monitoring of lakes that are used as recreational and drinking water sources. Remote sensing-based methods are often used for synoptic and frequent monitoring of CyanoHABs. In this study, one such algorithm – a sub-component of the Cyanobacteria Index called the CI cyano , was validated for effectiveness in identifying lakes with toxin-producing blooms in 11 states across the contiguous United States over 11 bloom seasons (2005–2011, 2016–2019). A matchup data set was created using satellite data from MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) and Ocean Land Colour Imager (OLCI), and nearshore, field-measured Microcystins (MCs) data as a proxy of CyanoHAB presence. While the satellite sensors cannot detect toxins, MCs are used as the indicator of health risk, and as a confirmation of cyanoHAB presence. MCs are also the most common laboratory measurement made by managers during CyanoHABs. Algorithm performance was evaluated by its ability to detect CyanoHAB ‘Presence’ or ‘Absence’, where the bloom is confirmed by the presence of the MCs. With same-day matchups, the overall accuracy of CyanoHAB detection was found to be 84% with precision and recall of 87 and 90% for bloom detection. Overall accuracy was expected to be between 77% and 87% (95% confidence) based on a bootstrapping simulation. These findings demonstrate that CI cyano has utility for synoptic and routine monitoring of potentially toxic cyanoHABs in lakes across the United States.

Science for the Total Environment↗
USGS2019

Towards common ground in the biodiversity–disease debate

The disease ecology community has struggled to come to consensus on whether biodiversity reduces or increases infectious disease risk, a question that directly affects policy decisions for biodiversity conservation and public health. Here, we summarize the primary points of contention regarding biodiversity–disease relationships and suggest that vector-borne, generalist wildlife and zoonotic pathogens are the types of parasites most likely to be affected by changes to biodiversity. One synthesis on this topic revealed a positive correlation between biodiversity and human disease burden across countries, but as biodiversity changed over time within these countries, this correlation became weaker and more variable. Another synthesis—a meta-analysis of generally smaller-scale experimental and field studies—revealed a negative correlation between biodiversity and infectious diseases (a dilution effect) in various host taxa. These results raise the question of whether biodiversity–disease relationships are more negative at smaller spatial scales. If so, biodiversity conservation at the appropriate scales might prevent wildlife and zoonotic diseases from increasing in prevalence or becoming problematic (general proactive approaches). Further, protecting natural areas from human incursion should reduce zoonotic disease spillover. By contrast, for some infectious diseases, managing particular species or habitats and targeted biomedical approaches (targeted reactive approaches) might outperform biodiversity conservation as a tool for disease control. Importantly, biodiversity conservation and management need to be considered alongside other disease management options. These suggested guiding principles should provide common ground that can enhance scientific and policy clarity for those interested in simultaneously improving wildlife and human health.

Nature Ecology & Evolution↗
USGS2004

Science data in support of environmental health studies in the U.S.-Mexico border region

The border region of the United States and Mexico encompasses a vast and diverse array of physical settings and habitats that include wetlands, deserts, rangeland, mountains, and forests, which are unique in terms of the diversity of their water, mineral, and biological resources. The region is interconnected economically, politically, and socially owing to its binational heritage. In 1995, nearly 11 million people lived immediately adjacent to the border. By one account, that population could more than double by 2020. This rapid population growth and consequent economic development and land-use changes are pushing the limits of environmental sustainability and quality. Infrastructure development has lagged behind the rapid growth of the region, resulting in a shortage of water for municipal, agricultural, and industrial uses. These stressors threaten the quality of life in the region and raise concerns about the interdependence of environmental quality and human health. To allow for continued economic growth while protecting the area’s natural resources and fostering a high quality of life, the United States and Mexico need an improved understanding of the threats posed by these anthropogenic changes. Issues of particular concern include (1) contaminants in ground water, surface water, and biota from agricultural, municipal, and industrial activities; (2) airborne pollutants from fossil-fuel combustion and other activities; (3) contaminants from past and present mining activities and mineral deposits; and (4) pathogens, pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other contaminants released in treated and untreated human and animal wastewaters.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2026

Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the San Joaquin Valley Kern County subbasin domestic-supply aquifer study unit, 2022—California GAMA Priority Basin Project

The quality of water accessed by domestic wells (here referred to as domestic groundwater resources) in the San Joaquin Valley Kern County subbasin (basin number 5-022.14) was assessed as part of the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program Priority Basin Project (GAMA-PBP), in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board. Kern County is at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in California, and about 30,000 residents are estimated to use privately owned domestic wells for drinking water. Domestic wells typically draw from shallower parts of the aquifer system than public-supply wells and can be more vulnerable to effects from surface activities. Kern County is host to a highly productive agricultural industry, with Bakersfield as the main urban center. The Kern River runs through Bakersfield from the southern Sierra Nevada and intersects the Kern Water Bank, one of the largest groundwater banking operations in California, at the Kern River Intertie. The section of the Kern River running through the Kern Water Bank is dry most years. Kern County also encompasses some of the most productive oil and gas basins in California, with extensive underground and surface disposal of oil-field wastewater. This study was based on data collected from 33 sites sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey for the GAMA-PBP in 2022. To provide context for the water quality assessment, measured concentrations were compared to regulatory and non-regulatory health-based and aesthetic benchmarks. A grid-based method was used to estimate the proportions of the groundwater resources used for domestic-supply wells that have water-quality constituents below (low relative concentration), approaching (moderate relative concentration), or above (high relative concentration) benchmark concentrations. At least one measured constituent with a regulatory benchmark was categorized as having a high relative concentration in 72 percent of the aquifer area used for domestic groundwater resources. Inorganic constituents were detected at high concentrations in 45 percent of the domestic groundwater resources, and the constituents detected above regulatory benchmarks were arsenic, nitrate, and uranium. At least one organic constituent was detected at high concentrations in 41 percent of the domestic groundwater resources, and the constituents exceeding regulatory benchmarks were the fumigants 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP), 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (dibromochloropropane [DBCP]), 1,2-dibromoethane (EDB), and the per-and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) perfluorooctanesulfonate. The disinfection by-product chloroform, the fumigant 1,2-dichloropropane, the herbicides atrazine and hexazinone, and the herbicide degradates 2-chloro-6-ethylamino-4-amino-s-triazine, 2-chloro-4,6-diamino-s-triazine, 4-hydroxychlorothalonil, and metolachlor sulfonic acid were detected in more than 10 percent of domestic groundwater resources, but concentrations did not exceed regulatory benchmarks. Land use, groundwater age (fraction of modern water and mean age), and geochemical environment (oxic or anoxic conditions, pH, alkalinity) were associated with the distribution of high relative concentrations of inorganic and organic constituents. Young, oxygenated water is recharged along the Kern River and adjacent recharge ponds, or as irrigation water in the agricultural areas. High concentrations of nitrate and volatile organic compounds occurred in the oxic water in urban and agricultural areas. The fumigants 1,2,3-TCP, DBCP, and EDB were reported throughout the agricultural areas, whereas chloroform, tetrachloroethene, and PFAS were associated with urban land use. High uranium concentrations were associated with young, modern groundwater in agricultural areas with low pH and high bicarbonate. Total dissolved solids increased with distance from the Kern River, as the contributions of fresh, oxic water decreased. High concentrations of arsenic were present in older anoxic or alkaline groundwater away from areas of recharge. Overall, groundwater age, redox conditions, and the source of recharge as a result of different land uses contribute to large aquifer-scale portions of domestic groundwater resources that exceed health-based benchmarks for nitrate, uranium, and fumigant concentrations.

California↗
USGS2020

Viral, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens and fecal markers in wells supplying groundwater to public water systems in Minnesota, USA

Drinking water supply wells can be contaminated by a broad range of waterborne pathogens. However, groundwater assessments frequently measure microbial indicators or a single pathogen type, which provides a limited characterization of potential health risk. This study assessed contamination of wells by testing for viral, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens and fecal markers. Wells supplying groundwater to community and noncommunity public water systems in Minnesota, USA (n = 145) were sampled every other month over one or two years and tested using 23 qPCR assays. Eighteen genetic targets were detected at least once, and microbiological contamination was widespread (96% of 145 wells, 58% of 964 samples). The sewage-associated microbial indicators HF183 and pepper mild mottle virus were detected frequently. Human or zoonotic pathogens were detected in 70% of wells and 21% of samples by qPCR, with Salmonella and Cryptosporidium detected more often than viruses. Samples positive by qPCR for adenovirus (HAdV), enterovirus, or Salmonella were analyzed by culture and for genotype or serotype. qPCR-positive Giardia and Cryptosporidium samples were analyzed by immunofluorescent assay (IFA), and IFA and qPCR concentrations were correlated. Comparisons of indicator and pathogen occurrence at the time of sampling showed that total coliforms, HF183, and Bacteroidales -like HumM2 had high specificity and negative predictive values but generally low sensitivity and positive predictive values. Pathogen-HF183 ratios in sewage have been used to estimate health risks from HF183 concentrations in surface water, but in our groundwater samples Cryptosporidium oocyst:HF183 and HAdV:HF183 ratios were approximately 10,000 times higher than ratios reported for sewage. qPCR measurements provided a robust characterization of microbiological water quality, but interpretation of qPCR data in a regulatory context is challenging because few studies link qPCR measurements to health risk.

Minnesota↗
USGS2013

Geologic occurrences of erionite in the United States: an emerging national public health concern for respiratory disease

Erionite, a mineral series within the zeolite group, is classified as a Group 1 known respiratory carcinogen. This designation resulted from extremely high incidences of mesothelioma discovered in three small villages from the Cappadocia region of Turkey, where the disease was linked to environmental exposures to fibrous forms of erionite. Natural deposits of erionite, including fibrous forms, have been identified in the past in the western United States. Until recently, these occurrences have generally been overlooked as a potential hazard. In the last several years, concerns have emerged regarding the potential for environmental and occupational exposures to erionite in the United States, such as erionite-bearing gravels in western North Dakota mined and used to surface unpaved roads. As a result, there has been much interest in identifying locations and geologic environments across the United States where erionite occurs naturally. A 1996 U.S. Geological Survey report describing erionite occurrences in the United States has been widely cited as a compilation of all US erionite deposits; however, this compilation only focused on one of several geologic environments in which erionite can form. Also, new occurrences of erionite have been identified in recent years. Using a detailed literature survey, this paper updates and expands the erionite occurrences database, provided in a supplemental file (US_erionite.xls). Epidemiology, public health, and natural hazard studies can incorporate this information on known erionite occurrences and their characteristics. By recognizing that only specific geologic settings and formations are hosts to erionite, this knowledge can be used in developing management plans designed to protect the public.

Arizona;California;Colorado;Idaho;Montana;New Mexi↗
USGS2008

Ground-water quality data in the middle Sacramento Valley study unit, 2006— Results from the California GAMA program

Ground-water quality in the approximately 3,340 mi 2 Middle Sacramento Valley study unit (MSACV) was investigated from June through September, 2006, as part of the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) program. The GAMA Priority Basin Assessment project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The Middle Sacramento Valley study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw ground-water quality within MSACV, as well as a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from 108 wells in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo, and Yuba Counties. Seventy-one wells were selected using a randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study unit (grid wells), 15 wells were selected to evaluate changes in water chemistry along ground-water flow paths (flow-path wells), and 22 were shallow monitoring wells selected to assess the effects of rice agriculture, a major land use in the study unit, on ground-water chemistry (RICE wells). The ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of synthetic organic constituents (volatile organic compounds [VOCs], gasoline oxygenates and degradates, pesticides and pesticide degradates, and pharmaceutical compounds), constituents of special interest (perchlorate, N-nitrosodimethylamine [NDMA], and 1,2,3-trichloropropane [1,2,3-TCP]), inorganic constituents (nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements), radioactive constituents, and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes (tritium, and carbon-14, and stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon), and dissolved noble gases also were measured to help identify the sources and ages of the sampled ground water. Quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, laboratory matrix spikes) were collected at approximately 10 percent of the wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the ground-water samples. Field blanks rarely contained detectable concentrations of any constituent, suggesting that contamination was not a noticeable source of bias in the data for the ground-water samples. Differences between replicate samples were within acceptable ranges, indicating acceptably low variability. Matrix spike recoveries were within acceptable ranges for most constituents. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, or blended with other waters to maintain acceptable water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to treated water that is served to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and thresholds established for aesthetic concerns (secondary maximum contaminant levels, SMCL-CA) by CDPH. Comparisons between data collected for this study and drinking-water thresholds are for illustrative purposes only and are not indicative of compliance or noncompliance with regulatory thresholds. Most constituents that were detected in ground-water samples were found at concentrations below drinking-water thresholds. VOCs were detected in less than one-third and pesticides and pesticide degradates in just over one-half of the grid wells, and all detections of these constituents in samples from all wells of the MSACV study unit were below health-based thresholds. All detections of trace elements in samples from MSACV grid wells were below health-based thresholds, with the exceptions of arsenic and boron. Arsenic concentrations were above the USEPA maximum contaminant level (MCL-US) threshold in eight grid wells, and boron concentrations were above the CDPH notification level (NL-CA) in two grid wells. Arsenic was detected above the MCL-US in two flow-path wells. Arsenic, barium, boron, molybdenum, strontium, and vanadium were detected above health-based thresholds in a few of the RICE wells; these wells are not used to supply drinking water. All detections of radioactive constituents were below health-based thresholds, although six samples had activities of radon-222 above the lower proposed MCL-US threshold. Most of the samples from the MSACV wells had concentrations of major elements, total dissolved solids, and trace elements below the non-enforceable thresholds set for aesthetic concerns. Chloride and sulfate concentrations exceeded SMCL-CA thresholds in two and one grid well, respectively. Iron, manganese, and total dissolved solids concentrations were above the SMCL-CA thresholds in 1, 12, and 6 grid wells, respectively. Nitrate (nitrite plus nitrate, as dissolved nitrogen) concentrations from two grid wells were above the MCL-US threshold. There were no detections of microbial indicators in MSACV.

California↗
USGS2020

Development of a suite of functional immune assays and initial assessment of their utility in wild smallmouth bass health assessments

Methods were developed for measuring immune function in Micropterus dolomieu (smallmouth bass). The ultimate objective is to monitor and evaluate changes over time in immune status and disease resistance in conjunction with other characteristics of fish health and environmental stressors. To test these methods for utility in ecotoxicological studies, 192 smallmouth bass, age 2 years and older, were collected from three sites within the Susquehanna River Basin and one site in the Ohio River Basin during spring and fall 2016 and 2017. The anterior kidney was aseptically removed and homogenized for leukocyte isolation. Leukocytes were tested for bactericidal activity against two species of bacteria; respiratory burst activity when stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate; and mitogenesis activity when stimulated with concanavalin A, phytohemagglutinin, and lipopolysaccharide. Tissues were preserved for histopathological analyses. Two of the sites were part of a monitoring program at which surface-water samples were collected monthly (bimonthly in spring) for chemical contaminants. Significant seasonal and (or) site differences in all three immune function tests were observed. Interpretations of seasonal trends in immune function of wild fish or correlations with environmental variables and other factors are difficult to make owing to the complex nature of the immune response and the environment. Differences in immune function could potentially be related to a variety of confounding factors; therefore, additional endpoints and repeated sampling over an extended period are essential to draw conclusions on the immune status of wild fish.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS2018

Methods used for the collection and analysis of chemical and biological data for the Tapwater Exposure Study, United States, 2016–17

In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Environmental Health Mission Area, initiated the Tapwater Exposure Study as part of an infrastructure project to assess human exposure to potential threats from complex mixtures of contaminants. In the pilot phase (2016), samples were collected from 11 States throughout the United States, and in the second phase (2017), the study focused on the Greater Chicago area, including North and South Chicago, Illinois, and East Chicago, Indiana. Residential tapwater samples were collected at private residences during both phases, and during the first phase, samples were collected from Federal office buildings and from one office 19-liter water-bottle source. During the second phase, raw intake and treated (pre-distributional) water samples also were collected from four drinking-water treatment facilities in the Greater Chicago area. Samples were sent to laboratories at the USGS, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and Colorado School of Mines Center for Environmental Risk Assessment, for potential drinking-water pathogens, chemical, and bioassay analyses. These analyses included more than 400 chemicals such as trace elements, steroid hormones, pharmaceuticals, volatile organic compounds, pesticides, per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, cyanotoxins, and other organic compounds. The in vitro bioassay analyses included estrogen, androgen, and glucocorticoid receptor activity.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2015

Comparing activated alumina with indigenous laterite and bauxite as potential sorbents for removing fluoride from drinking water in Ghana

Fluoride is considered beneficial to teeth and bones when consumed in low concentrations, but at elevated concentrations it can cause dental and skeletal fluorosis. Most fluoride-related health problems occur in poor, rural communities of the developing world where groundwater fluoride concentrations are high and the primary sources of drinking water are from community hand-pump borehole drilled wells. One solution to drinking high fluoride water is to attach a simple de-fluoridation filter to the hand-pump; and indigenous materials have been recommended as low-cost sorbents for use in these filters. In an effort to develop an effective, inexpensive, and low-maintenance de-fluoridation filter for a high fluoride region in rural northern Ghana, this study conducted batch fluoride adsorption experiments and potentiometric titrations to investigate the effectiveness of indigenous laterite and bauxite as sorbents for fluoride removal. It also determined the physical and chemical properties of each sorbent. Their properties and the experimental results, including fluoride adsorption capacity, were then compared to those of activated alumina, which has been identified as a good sorbent for removing fluoride from drinking water. The results indicate that, of the three sorbents, bauxite has the highest fluoride adsorption capacity per unit area, but is limited by a low specific surface area. When considering fluoride adsorption per unit weight, activated alumina has the highest fluoride adsorption capacity because of its high specific surface area. Activated alumina also adsorbs fluoride well in a wider pH range than bauxite, and particularly laterite. The differences in adsorption capacity are largely due to surface area, pore size, and mineralogy of the sorbent.

Applied Geochemistry↗
USGS2025

Tetrabromobisphenol S (TBBPS) causes non-negligible and multigenerational reproductive toxicity in zebrafish

Tetrabromobisphenol S (TBBPS) is one of the most extensively used brominated flame retardants detected in the environment. Despite its widespread presence, the effects of persistent environmental exposure to TBBPS on the reproductive system remain unclear, raising significant health concerns. Here, using the zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) model, we identified significant intergenerational endocrine disruption and reproductive toxicity induced by TBBPS after a life-cycle (150 days) of parental exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of TBBPS (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μg/L). TBBPS interfered with hormone levels and the expression of genes within the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis in both F0 males and females, leading to reduced embryo quality. The parental transmission of TBBPS also impacted the endocrine and reproductive systems of the F1 fish, including the increase of gonadotropin-releasing hormone 3 neuron numbers, changes in hormone levels, and a decrease in embryo numbers. F2 fish also displayed endocrine disruption, even in the absence of detectable TBBPS residues, evidenced by altered fertilization rates and vitellogenin levels. Together, our findings show that exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of TBBPS can induce reproductive toxicity that persists across generations, weakening the endocrine system and early growth in offspring by disrupting the HPG axis. These data provide critical insight into the persistent health risks posed by TBBPS.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2008

Low-Level detections of halogenated volatile organic compounds in groundwater: Use in vulnerability assessments

Concentrations of halogenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were determined by gas chromatography (GC) with an electron-capture detector (GC-ECD) and by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in 109 groundwater samples from five study areas in the United States. In each case, the untreated water sample was used for drinking-water purposes or was from a monitoring well in an area near a drinking-water source. The minimum detection levels (MDLs) for 25 VOCs that were identified in GC-ECD chromatograms, typically, were two to more than four orders of magnitude below the GC-MS MDLs. At least six halogenated VOCs were detected in all of the water samples analyzed by GC-ECD, although one or more VOCs were detected in only 43% of the water samples analyzed by GC-MS. In nearly all of the samples, VOC concentrations were very low and presented no known health risk. Most of the low-level VOC detections indicated post-1940s recharge, or mixtures of recharge that contained a fraction of post-1940s water. Concentrations of selected halogenated VOCs in groundwater from natural and anthropogenic atmospheric sources were estimated and used to recognize water samples that are being impacted by nonatmospheric sources. A classification is presented to perform vulnerability assessments at the scale of individual wells using the number of halogenated VOC detections and total dissolved VOC concentrations in samples of untreated drinking water. The low-level VOC detections are useful in vulnerability assessments, particularly for samples in which no VOCs are detected by GC-MS analysis.

Journal of Hydrologic Engineering↗
USGS1998

U.S. Geological Survey cooperative water-resources programs in Chester County, Pennsylvania

Since 1969, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has had a cooperative water-resources investigation program with Chester County to measure and describe the water resources of the County. Generally, the USGS provides one-half of the program funding, and local cooperators are required to provide matching funds. Cooperation has been primarily with the Chester County Water Resources Authority (CCWRA), with participation from the Chester County Health Department and funding from the Chester County Board of Commissioners. Municipalities and the Red Clay Valley Association also have provided part of the funding for several projects. This report describes how the long-term partnership between the USGS and Chester County, Pa., provides the County with the information that it needs for sound water-resources management. The CCWRA was created in 1961, primarily for land acquisition and planning for flood-control and water-supply projects. With the backing of the Brandywine Valley Association, the CCWRA started its first cooperative project with the USGS in 1969. It was a study of the water-quality condition of Chester County streams with an emphasis on benthic macroinvertebrates and stream chemistry. The kinds of projects and data collection conducted by the USGS have changed with the needs of Chester County and the mission of the CCWRA. Chester County is experiencing rapid population growth (it had the tenth-highest rate of growth in the nation from 1980 to 1990). This growth places considerable stress on water resources and has caused the CCWRA to broaden its focus from flood control to water-supply planning, water quality, and ground-water and surface-water management. The results of USGS studies are used by the CCWRA and other County agencies, including the Planning Commission, Health Department, and Parks and Recreation Department, for conducting day-to-day activities and planning for future growth. The results also are used by the CCWRA to provide guidance and technical assistance to municipalities, water suppliers, industrial dischargers, watershed and conservancy associations and other civic organizations, state and Federal agencies, river basin commissions, and the private sector. The cooperative water-resources program, which is described in the following sections, benefits not only the citizens of Chester County but also serves the interests of the Federal Government. Innovative studies conducted in Chester County provide methods and interpretations that often can be used nationwide, and the headwaters of several interstate drainages lie within the County. Major program thrusts include collection of surface-water, ground-water, and water-quality data and interpretive studies. The use of this information also is described.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS1966

An appraisal of the ground-water resources of the Juniata River Basin, Pennsylvania

This report describes the availability, quantity, quality, variability, and cost of development of the ground-water resources in the Juniata River basin, one of the larger sub-basins of the Susquehanna River basin. The report has been prepared for and under specifications established by the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, and the Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. A comprehensive study of the water and related land resources of the Susquehanna River basin was authorized by the Congress of the United States in October 1961, and the task of preparing a report and of coordinating the work being done by others in support of the study was assigned to the Corps of Engineers. The comprehensive study is being conducted by several Federal departments and independent agencies in cooperation with the States of New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The Public Health Service under its authority in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (P. L. 660) initiated a comprehensive water quality control program for the Chesapeake drainage basin, which includes the Susquehanna River basin.

Pennsylvania↗