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USGS2024

Methylmercury effects on birds: A review, meta-analysis, and development of toxicity reference values for injury assessment based on tissue residues and diet

Birds are used as bioindicators of environmental mercury (Hg) contamination, and toxicity reference values are needed for injury assessments. We conducted a comprehensive review, summarized data from 168 studies, performed a series of Bayesian hierarchical meta-analyses, and developed new toxicity reference values for the effects of methylmercury (MeHg) on birds using a benchmark dose analysis framework. Lethal and sublethal effects of MeHg on birds were categorized into nine biologically relevant endpoint categories and three age classes. Effective Hg concentrations where there was a 10% reduction (EC10) in the production of juvenile offspring (0.55 µg/g wet wt adult blood-equivalent Hg concentrations, 80% credible interval: [0.33, 0.85]), histology endpoints (0.49 [0.15, 0.96] and 0.61 [0.09, 2.48]), and biochemical markers (0.77 [<0.25, 2.12] and 0.57 [0.35, 0.92]) were substantially lower than those for survival (2.97 [2.10, 4.73] and 5.24 [3.30, 9.55]) and behavior (6.23 [1.84, >13.42] and 3.11 [2.10, 4.64]) of juveniles and adults, respectively. Within the egg age class, survival was the most sensitive endpoint (EC10 = 2.02 µg/g wet wt adult blood-equivalent Hg concentrations [1.39, 2.94] or 1.17 µg/g fresh wet wt egg-equivalent Hg concentrations [0.80, 1.70]). Body morphology was not particularly sensitive to Hg. We developed toxicity reference values using a combined survival and reproduction endpoints category for juveniles, because juveniles were more sensitive to Hg toxicity than eggs or adults. Adult blood-equivalent Hg concentrations (µg/g wet wt) and egg-equivalent Hg concentrations (µg/g fresh wet wt) caused low injury to birds (EC1) at 0.09 [0.04, 0.17] and 0.04 [0.01, 0.08], moderate injury (EC5) at 0.6 [0.37, 0.84] and 0.3 [0.17, 0.44], high injury (EC10) at 1.3 [0.94, 1.89] and 0.7 [0.49, 1.02], and severe injury (EC20) at 3.2 [2.24, 4.78] and 1.8 [1.28, 2.79], respectively. Maternal dietary Hg (µg/g dry wt) caused low injury to juveniles at 0.16 [0.05, 0.38], moderate injury at 0.6 [0.29, 1.03], high injury at 1.1 [0.63, 1.87], and severe injury at 2.4 [1.42, 4.13]. We found few substantial differences in Hg toxicity among avian taxonomic orders, including for controlled laboratory studies that injected Hg into eggs. Our results can be used to quantify injury to birds caused by Hg pollution.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗

USGS2012

Steroidal hormones and other endocrine active compounds in shallow groundwater in nonagricultural areas of Minnesota—Study design, methods, and data, 2009–10

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, completed a study on the occurrence of steroidal hormones and other endocrine active compounds in shallow groundwater in nonagricultural areas of Minnesota during 2009–10. This report describes the study design and methods, and presents the data collected on steroidal hormones and other related compounds. Environmental and quality-control samples were collected from 40 wells as part of this study. Samples were analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory for 16 steroidal hormones and 4 other related compounds, of which all but 2 compounds are endocrine active compounds. Most of the water samples did not contain detectable concentrations of any of the 20 compounds analyzed. Water samples from three wells had detectable concentrations of one or more compounds. Bisphenol A was detected in samples from three wells, and trans-diethylstilbestrol was detected in one of the samples in which bisphenol A also was detected.

Minnesota↗

USGS2013

Phytotoxicity of zinc and manganese to seedlings grown in soil contaminated by zinc smelting

Historic emissions from two zinc smelters have injured the forest on Blue Mountain near Palmerton, Pennsylvania, USA. Seedlings of soybeans and five tree species were grown in a greenhouse in a series of mixtures of smelter-contaminated and reference soils and then phytotoxic thresholds were calculated. As little as 10% Palmerton soil mixed with reference soil killed or greatly stunted seedlings of most species. Zinc was the principal cause of the phytotoxicity to the tree seedlings, although Mn and Cd may also have been phytotoxic in the most contaminated soil mixtures. Calcium deficiency seemed to play a role in the observed phytotoxicity. Exposed soybeans showed symptoms of Mn toxicity. A test of the effect of liming on remediation of the Zn and Mn phytotoxicity caused a striking decrease in Sr-nitrate extractable metals in soils and demonstrated that liming was critical to remediation and restoration.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS2023

Comprehensive inventory of habitat assessment and evaluation datasets to support Deepwater Horizon mesophotic and deep benthic communities

This report is part of the NOAA Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC) Series of publications that share the results of work conducted by the Deepwater Horizon MDBC restoration projects. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill was an unprecedented event. Approximately 3.2 million barrels of oil were released into the deep ocean over nearly three months. The plume of oil moved throughout the water column, formed surface slicks that cumulatively covered an area the size of Virginia, and washed oil onto at least 1,300 miles of shoreline habitats. More than 770 square miles (2,000 square kilometers) of deep benthic habitat surrounding the Deepwater Horizon wellhead and 4-square miles of the Pinnacles mesophotic reef complex, located at the edge of the continental shelf, were injured by the oil spill. Under the Oil Pollution Act, state and federal natural resource trustees conducted a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA). The Trustees assessed damages, quantifying the unprecedented injuries to natural resources and lost services. They also developed a programmatic restoration plan to restore injured resources and compensate the public for lost services. In April 2016, a settlement was finalized that included up to $8.8 billion in funding for the Deepwater Horizon Trustees to restore the natural resource injuries caused by the oil spill as described in their programmatic restoration plan, Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. The Deepwater Horizon Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group is responsible for restoring natural resources and their services within the Open Ocean Restoration Area that were injured by the oil spill. The Open Ocean Trustees include NOAA, Department of the Interior, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 2019, the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group committed more than $126 million to implement four restoration projects to address the injury to MDBC. The MDBC projects are: mapping, Ground-truthing, and Predictive Habitat Modeling; Habitat Assessment and Evaluation; Coral Propagation Technique Development; and Active Management and Protection. NOAA and the Department of the Interior are implementing the projects, in cooperation with a range of partners, over eight years. Together, the projects take a phased approach to meet the challenges involved in restoring deep-sea habitats. Challenges to restoration include a limited scientific understanding of these communities, limited experience with restoration at the depths at which these communities occur, and remote locations that limit accessibility. More information about Deepwater Horizon restoration and the MDBC restoration projects is available at: www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.

Gulf of Mexico↗

USGS1995

A survey of recent results in passive sampling of water and air by semipermeable membrane devices

A survey is presented of some recent results for passive sampling of water and air for trace organic contaminants using lipid-filled semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs). Results of water sampling for trace organochlorine compounds using simultaneously exposed SPMDs and the most universally applied biomonitor (bivalves) are discussed. In general, the total amounts of accumulated analytes available for analysis in bivalves and SPMDs were comparable. However, SPMD controls typically had negligible levels of contamination, which was not always the case for transplanted bivalves, even after prolonged depuration prior to exposure. In surveys of the spatial trends of organochlorines at a series of sites, data from bivalves and SPMDs provided the same picture of contaminant distribution and severity. An exception was ionizable contaminants such as the chlorinated phenolic compounds and their transformation products found in pulp mill effluents. In these cases the two monitoring approaches compliment each other, i.e. what is not found in bivalves appears in SPMDs and vice versa. SPMDs have also been applied in environments where biomonitoring is not feasible. SPMDs have shown their utility in studies of trace levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons by locating and characterizing point sources. An example is given of their application to the calculation of contaminant half-lives from aqueous SPMD residues, a direct measurement of the persistence of contaminants in an environmental compartment. Similarly, results of air sampling with SPMDs in a relatively pristine coastal location are cited which reveal a tremendous enhancement in p,p′ -DDE relative to open ocean values.

Marine Pollution Bulletin↗

USGS2014

Pharmaceutical compounds in shallow groundwater in non-agricultural areas of Minnesota: study design, methods, and data, 2013

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, completed a study on the occurrence of pharmaceutical compounds and other contaminants of emerging concern in shallow groundwater in non-agricultural areas of Minnesota during 2013. This report describes the study design and methods for the study on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern, and presents the data collected on pharmaceutical compounds. Samples were analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory for 110 pharmaceutical compounds using research method 9017. Samples from 21 of 45 wells had detectable concentrations of at least one of the 110 compounds analyzed. One sample contained detectable concentrations of nine compounds, which was the most detected in a single sample. Fewer than five compounds were detected in most samples. Among all samples, 27 of the 110 compounds were detected in groundwater from at least one well. Desmethyldiltiazem and nicotine were the most frequently detected compounds, each detected in 5 of 46 environmental samples (one well was sampled twice so a total of 46 environmental samples were collected from 45 wells). Caffeine had the highest detectable concentration of all the compounds at 2,060 nanograms per liter.

Minnesota↗

USGS2008

A comparison of speciated atmospheric mercury at an urban center and an upwind rural location

Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), particulate mercury (PHg) and reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) were measured every other hour at a rural location in south central Wisconsin (Devil's Lake State Park, WI, USA) between April 2003 and March 2004, and at a predominantly downwind urban site in southeastern Wisconsin (Milwaukee, WI, USA) between June 2004 and May 2005. Annual averages of GEM, PHg, and RGM at the urban site were statistically higher than those measured at the rural site. Pollution roses of GEM and reactive mercury (RM; sum of PHg and RGM) at the rural and urban sites revealed the influences of point source emissions in surrounding counties that were consistent with the US EPA 1999 National Emission Inventory and the 2003-2005 US EPA Toxics Release Inventory. Source-receptor relationships at both sites were studied by quantifying the impacts of point sources on mercury concentrations. Time series of GEM, PHg, and RGM concentrations were sorted into two categories; time periods dominated by impacts from point sources, and time periods dominated by mercury from non-point sources. The analysis revealed average point source contributions to GEM, PHg, and RGM concentration measurements to be significant over the year long studies. At the rural site, contributions to annual average concentrations were: GEM (2%; 0.04 ng m-3); and, RM (48%; 5.7 pg m-3). At the urban site, contributions to annual average concentrations were: GEM (33%; 0.81 ng m-3); and, RM (64%; 13.8 pg m-3). ?? The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Journal of Environmental Monitoring↗

USGS1983

Hydrogeologic and water-quality characteristics of the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer, Southeast Minnesota

Quality of water in the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer is generally good, except for some localized contamination, Coal-tar derivatives that contaminate the aquifer in St. Louis Park, a western suburb in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, pose the most serious threat to water quality. High hardness and iron concentration limit suitability for municipal and industrial use in parts of extreme southeast Minnesota. Confining beds of bedrock and drift, however, protect most of the aquifer from surface pollutants. The Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer is part of a sequence of sedimentary bedrock units in southeast Minnesota. The Jordan Sandstone is a white to yellow, fine- to coarse-grained sandstone. The Prairie du Chien Group comprises two dolomitic formations that are vuggy and fractured and interbedded with thin layers of shale. The aquifer formations were deposited in Paleozoic seas that occupied the Hollandale embayment. The aquifer dips toward the interior of the embayment where it is as deep as 750 feet below land surface and as thick as 500 feet. Permeability is secondary in the Prairie du Chien Group because of solution cavities and fractures, and intergranular in the Jordan Sandstone. Water in the aquifer is confined except in the eastern part. Water generally flows to the north and east into the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. A ground-water divide separates part of the flow southward into Iowa. This aquifer supplies more water than any other bedrock one in the State. Calcium magnesium bicarbonate type water is most common in the aquifer. Calcium and sulfate and, to a lesser degree sodium and magnesium, increase in concentration toward the southwestern part of the study area. Bicarbonate concentration, on the other hand, decreases toward the southwestern corner of the study area. Leakage from overlying Cretaceous deposits is the source of much of the sulfate and other minerals in the southwest. This report is one of a series on the hydrogeology and water quality of the 14 principal aquifers in Minnesota prepared by the U. S. Geological Survey. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency requested these studies because of the need for information to develop its Underground Injection Control Program.

Minnesota↗

USGS2018

Influence of governance structure on green stormwater infrastructure investment

Communities are faced with the challenge of meeting regulatory requirements mandating reductions in water pollution from stormwater and combined sewer overflows (CSO). Green stormwater infrastructure and gray stormwater infrastructure are two types of water management strategies communities can use to address water pollution. In this study, we used long-term control plans from 25 U.S. cities to synthesize: the types of gray and green infrastructure being used by communities to address combined sewer overflows; the types of goals set; biophysical characteristics of each city; and factors associated with the governance of stormwater management. These city characteristics were then used to identify common characteristics of “green leader” cities—those that dedicated >20% of the control plan budget in green infrastructure. Five “green leader” cities were identified: Milwaukee, WI, Philadelphia, PA, Syracuse, NY, New York City, NY, and Buffalo, NY. These five cities had explicit green infrastructure goals targeting the volume of stormwater or percentage of impervious cover managed by green infrastructure. Results suggested that the management scale and complexity of the management system are less important factors than the ability to harness a “policy window” to integrate green infrastructure into control plans. Two case studies—Philadelphia, PA, and Milwaukee, WI—indicated that green leader cities have a long history of building momentum for green infrastructure through a series of phases from experimentation, demonstration, and finally—in the case of Philadelphia—a full transition in the approach used to manage CSOs.

Environmental Science and Policy↗

USGS2015

Predicting ecological responses of the Florida Everglades to possible future climate scenarios: Introduction

Florida’s Everglades stretch from the headwaters of the Kissimmee River near Orlando to Florida Bay. Under natural conditions in this flat landscape, water flowed slowly downstream as broad, shallow sheet flow. The ecosystem is markedly different now, altered by nutrient pollution and construction of canals, levees, and water control structures designed for flood control and water supply. These alterations have resulted in a 50 % reduction of the ecosystem’s spatial extent and significant changes in ecological function in the remaining portion. One of the world’s largest restoration programs is underway to restore some of the historic hydrologic and ecological functions of the Everglades, via a multi-billion dollar Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. This plan, finalized in 2000, did not explicitly consider climate change effects, yet today we realize that sea level rise and future changes in rainfall (RF), temperature, and evapotranspiration (ET) may have system-wide impacts. This series of papers describes results of a workshop where a regional hydrologic model was used to simulate the hydrology expected in 2060 with climate changes including increased temperature, ET, and sea level, and either an increase or decrease in RF. Ecologists with expertise in various areas of the ecosystem evaluated the hydrologic outputs, drew conclusions about potential ecosystem responses, and identified research needs where projections of response had high uncertainty. Resource managers participated in the workshop, and they present lessons learned regarding how the new information might be used to guide Everglades restoration in the context of climate change.

Florida↗

USGS2019

Point-source nutrient loads to streams of the conterminous United States, 2012

Total nitrogen and phosphorous loads were estimated for 5,430 major point-source facilities (all types) and 11,537 minor wastewater treatment facilities discharging to streams in the conterminous United States during 2012. Facilities classified as a major discharger are typically a facility that discharges greater than one million gallons of water per day however some industrial facilities are classified as a major based on specific criteria developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System state program. Data documenting discharge information from point sources were obtained from the EPA’s Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) and Permit Compliance System (PCS). When available, actual nutrient concentration measurements were used to calculate point-source loads. In the many cases in which concentration data were not available in either the ICIS or PCS databases, typical pollutant concentrations (TPCs) were developed using data from similar facilities. A new method for calculating TPCs was implemented that allows varying amounts of nutrient concentration data and (or) varying numbers of facilities to determine TPCs. This new method minimized the effect that any single facility discharging extremely large nutrient concentrations had on resultant TPC values. Because of the smaller TPC values from this new TPC method, the total nutrient load for many states was reduced compared to previous TPC methods. Major wastewater treatment facilities are the largest contributor of nutrient loads to streams even though there are almost three times as many minor wastewater treatment facilities. Specifically, 4,218 major wastewater treatment facilities account for 94 percent of the total nitrogen load for the conterminous United States, whereas 11,397 minor wastewater treatment facilities contribute 6 percent of the total nitrogen load. Total phosphorous loads are similarly divided among major (93 percent) and minor (7 percent) wastewater treatment facilities. Total nitrogen loads, including all facility types, primarily are from wastewater treatment facilities and some petroleum refining facilities. Total phosphorous loads also are primarily from wastewater treatment facilities, but several manufacturing facilities such as corn milling, pulp and paper mills, and industrial chemical facilities also contribute to total phosphorous loads.

Data Series↗

USGS2021

Approaches for assessing long-term annual yields of highway and urban runoff in selected areas of California with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM)

The California Department of Transportation, commonly known as CalTrans, and other municipal separate storm sewer system permittees in California as well as other State departments of transportation nationwide need information about potential loads and yields (loads per unit area) of constituents of concern in stormwater runoff and discharges from stormwater best management practices (BMPs). Although its National Pollution Discharge Elimination System stormwater permit is focused on areas subject to total maximum daily load (TMDL) regulations, CalTrans builds and maintains BMPs to minimize the adverse effects of roadway runoff on receiving waters throughout the State. This report describes approaches used by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with CalTrans for using the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) to assess long-term annual yields of highway and urban runoff in selected areas of California. In this study, a series of regional and local yields were simulated to provide statewide planning-level estimates and more refined TMDL-specific yield values. SELDM was used to analyze 368 State roadway and urban runoff yields for 53 runoff quality constituents. The analyses included 222 random-seed analyses, 60 regional State roadway-runoff analyses, 24 regional urban roadway-runoff analyses, and 62 focused TMDL-area analyses. This report describes approaches and statistics used to analyze available hydrologic and runoff quality data in all analyses. Results for all analyses are provided in the model archive, but only a selected subset of results are presented as examples in this report. State roadway runoff, urban runoff, and BMP discharge yields for total suspended solids, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total zinc were selected as examples because they are widespread constituents of concern with substantial amounts of State roadway and urban runoff monitoring data. In this report, a hypothetical basin was specified by using available geographic information to demonstrate use of the State roadway and urban runoff yields to estimate long-term annual stormwater loads from developed areas. Application of these yields to the hypothetical basin indicates that although State-roadway yields may be higher than urban-runoff yields for some constituents, State-roadway loads may be a small proportion of total stormwater loads because State roadways themselves are a small fraction of the total impervious area in such basins. Although application of results from this study may have considerable uncertainty for any particular stormwater outfall, the study does provide robust estimates to support basin-scale runoff-load analyses in California. These analyses also provide estimates for the 12 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency level III ecoregions that are completely or partially within the boundaries of the State of California.

California↗

USGS2008

Occurrence of endocrine active compounds and biological responses in the Mississippi River— Study design and data, June through August 2006

Concern that selected chemicals in the environment may act as endocrine active compounds in aquatic ecosystems is widespread; however, few studies have examined the occurrence of endocrine active compounds and identified biological markers of endocrine disruption such as intersex occurrence in fish longitudinally in a river system. This report presents environmental data collected and analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and St. Cloud State University as part of an integrated biological and chemical study of endocrine disruption in fish in the Mississippi River. Data were collected from water, bed sediment, and fish at 43 sites along the river from the headwaters at Lake Itasca to 14 miles downstream from Brownsville, Minnesota during June through August 2006. Twenty-four individual compounds were detected in water samples, with cholesterol, atrazine, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, metolachlor, and hexahydrohexamethylcyclopentabenzopyran detected most frequently (in at least 10 percent of the samples). The number of compounds detected in water per site ranged from 0 to 8. Forty individual compounds were detected in bed-sediment samples. The most commonly detected compounds (in at least 50 percent of the samples) were indole, beta-sitosterol, cholesterol, beta-stigmastanol, 3-methyl-1H-indole, p-cresol, pyrene, phenol, fluoranthene, 3-beta coprostanol, benzo[a]pyrene, acetophenone, and 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene. The total number of detections in bed sediment (at a site) ranged from 3 to 31. The compounds NP1EO, NP2EO, and 4-nonylphenol were detected in greater than 10 percent of the samples. Most (80 percent) female fish collected had measurable concentrations of vitellogenin. Vitellogenin also was detected in 62, 63, and 33 percent of male carp, smallmouth bass, and redhorse, respectively. The one male walleye sample plasma sample analyzed had a vitellogenin detection. Vitellogenin concentrations were lower in male fish (not detected to 10.80 micrograms per milliliter) than female fish (0.04 to 248,079 micrograms per milliliter). Gonadosomatic Index values ranged from 0.02 to 7.49 percent among all male fish and were greater for male carp than for the other three species. No intersex (oocytes present in testes tissue) was found in any male fish sampled.

Minnesota, Wisconsin↗

USGS2025

Potential water-quality and hydrology stressors on freshwater mussels with development of environmental DNA assays for selected mussels and macroinvertebrates in Big Darby Creek Basin, Ohio, 2020–22

The richness and abundance of freshwater mussels in the Big Darby Creek Basin has declined in recent decades, according to survey results published by the Ohio Biological Survey. In October 2016, a major mussel die-off of undetermined cause reportedly affected over 50 miles of Big Darby Creek; however, fishes and other wildlife were not noticeably impacted. Pollution, habitat destruction, climate change, and hydrologic modification have all been theorized as potential reasons for the widespread declines in freshwater mussel populations in North America. To better understand potential stressors to mussels and other aquatic organisms in the Big Darby Creek Basin, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Ohio Water Development Authority, evaluated water quality and temporal changes in hydrology at selected locations. In addition, environmental deoxyribonucleic acid (eDNA) quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays were developed to detect the presence of selected mussels and macroinvertebrates using stream water. Time-weighted average concentrations of pesticides, organic wastewater compounds (OWCs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined for selected locations within the Big Darby Creek Basin. Passive samplers designed to mimic the respiratory exposure of aquatic organisms and the bioconcentration of organic contaminants into their fatty tissues were deployed three times annually at three sites within the Big Darby Creek Basin in 2020 and 2021. Analyses were done for 204 pesticide compounds, 38 OWCs, and 33 PAHs. Of the 204 pesticide compounds, 70 were detected in at least one sample; 30 were detected in all samples. Herbicides and herbicide degradates were the pesticides most frequently detected and also had some of the highest concentrations of the pesticides detected in this study. Three herbicides (atrazine, ametryn, and metribuzin) were detected in at least 88 percent of samples and two fungicides (azoxystrobin and propiconazole) were detected in all samples. Of the 38 OWCs, 24 were detected in at least one sample; however, only one ( N , N -diethyltoluamide [DEET]) was detected in all samples. Of the 33 PAHs, 29 were detected in at least one sample; 12 were detected in all samples. A continuous water-quality monitor was operated seasonally on Big Darby Creek above Georgesville, Ohio, from 2020 to 2022. Dissolved oxygen concentrations generally followed a daily cycle, peaking in early evening and troughing around sunrise. There were occasional 24-hour swings in dissolved oxygen concentration that had a range exceeding 10 milligrams per liter. However, dissolved oxygen concentrations never fell below Ohio’s aquatic life criteria for warmwater habitats (outside of mixing zones) of 4.0 milligrams per liter as an instantaneous minimum and 5.0 milligrams per liter as a minimum 24-hour average. The Ohio water-quality criteria for temperatures are 29.4 degrees Celsius as an instantaneous maximum and 27.8 degrees Celsius as a 24-hour average maximum. In 2020, there were 10 days when the maximum instantaneous value for temperature was exceeded and 3 consecutive days when the maximum 24-hour average temperature was exceeded. Streamflow time-series data from three gaging stations within the Big Darby Creek Basin were evaluated for trends in annual flow statistics and daily nonexceedance probabilities over time. In general, the evaluation of streamflow conditions at the Big Darby Creek gage (with 97 years of record) indicated that streamflow changed between water years 1922 and 2021. During that time span, flows in general increased, the number of high-flow pulses became more frequent, and low-flow pulses and extreme low-flow periods became less frequent. The only strong indication of trends over time in annual flow statistics for the relatively short records for the other two gages (on Little Darby Creek, with 25 years of record, and Hellbranch Run, with 29 years of record) was that as time went on, reversals between rising and falling periods became more frequent. The U.S. Geological Survey Ohio Water Microbiology Laboratory developed eDNA qPCR assays to detect Epioblasma rangiana (northern riffleshell mussels), Chimarra obscura (a species of caddisfly), Maccaffertium pulchellum (a species of mayfly), and optimized a preexisting eDNA qPCR assay to detect for Ptychobranchus fasciolaris (kidneyshell mussels). The assays were validated by using environmental sampling methods. Assay sensitivity was established by determining the limits of detection and quantification. Water samples were collected at 12 sites in the Big Darby Creek Basin between 2020 and 2022 and analyzed for eDNA with the qPCR assays developed for this study.

Ohio↗

USGS2017

A mass balance approach to investigate arsenic cycling in a petroleum plume

Natural attenuation of organic contaminants in groundwater can give rise to a series of complex biogeochemical reactions that release secondary contaminants to groundwater. In a crude oil contaminated aquifer, biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons is coupled with the reduction of ferric iron (Fe(III)) hydroxides in aquifer sediments. As a result, naturally occurring arsenic (As) adsorbed to Fe(III) hydroxides in the aquifer sediment is mobilized from sediment into groundwater. However, Fe(III) in sediment of other zones of the aquifer has the capacity to attenuate dissolved As via resorption. In order to better evaluate how long-term biodegradation coupled with Fe-reduction and As mobilization can redistribute As mass in contaminated aquifer, we quantified mass partitioning of Fe and As in the aquifer based on field observation data. Results show that Fe and As are spatially correlated in both groundwater and aquifer sediments. Mass partitioning calculations demonstrate that 99.9% of Fe and 99.5% of As are associated with aquifer sediment. The sediments act as both sources and sinks for As, depending on the redox conditions in the aquifer. Calculations reveal that at least 78% of the original As in sediment near the oil has been mobilized into groundwater over the 35-year lifespan of the plume. However, the calculations also show that only a small percentage of As (∼0.5%) remains in groundwater, due to resorption onto sediment. At the leading edge of the plume, where groundwater is suboxic, sediments sequester Fe and As, causing As to accumulate to concentrations 5.6 times greater than background concentrations. Current As sinks can serve as future sources of As as the plume evolves over time. The mass balance approach used in this study can be applied to As cycling in other aquifers where groundwater As results from biodegradation of an organic carbon point source coupled with Fe reduction.

Environmental Pollution↗

USGS2011

Endocrine active chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals of concern in surface water, wastewater-treatment plant effluent, and bed sediment, and biological characteristics in selected streams, Minnesota: Design, methods, and data, 2009

This report presents the study design, environmental data, and quality-assurance data for an integrated chemical and biological study of selected streams or lakes that receive wastewater-treatment plant effluent in Minnesota. This study was a cooperative effort of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, St. Cloud State University, the University of St. Thomas, and the University of Colorado. The objective of the study was to identify distribution patterns of endocrine active chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other organic and inorganic chemicals of concern indicative of wastewater effluent, and to identify biological characteristics of estrogenicity and fish responses in the same streams. The U.S. Geological Survey collected and analyzed water, bed-sediment, and quality-assurance samples, and measured or recorded streamflow once at each sampling location from September through November 2009. Sampling locations included surface water and wastewater-treatment plant effluent. Twenty-five wastewater-treatment plants were selected to include continuous flow and periodic release facilities with differing processing steps (activated sludge or trickling filters) and plant design flows ranging from 0.002 to 10.9 cubic meters per second (0.04 to 251 million gallons per day) throughout Minnesota in varying land-use settings. Water samples were collected from the treated effluent of the 25 wastewater-treatment plants and at one point upstream from and one point downstream from wastewater-treatment plant effluent discharges. Bed-sediment samples also were collected at each of the stream or lake locations. Water samples were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, trace elements, pharmaceuticals, phytoestrogens and pharmaceuticals, alkylphenols and other neutral organic chemicals, carboxylic acids, and steroidal hormones. A subset (25 samples) of the bed-sediment samples were analyzed for carbon, wastewater-indicator chemicals, and steroidal hormones; the remaining samples were archived. Biological characteristics were determined by using an in-vitro bioassay to determine total estrogenicity in water samples and a caged fish study to determine characteristics of fish from experiments that exposed fish to wastewater effluent in 2009. St. Cloud State University deployed and processed caged fathead minnows at 13 stream sites during September 2009 for the caged fish study. Measured fish data included length, weight, body condition factor, and vitellogenin concentrations.

Minnesota↗

USGS2026

Small creatures, big challenge: A review of current knowledge and assessment of research needs to inform water withdrawal management for the Duck River's freshwater mussel fauna

The Duck River is a remarkable national resource, boasting outstanding biodiversity (Ahlstedt et al. 2017). It contains 151 fish species, over 60 mussel species, and 22 snail species, many of which are federally listed (Etnier and Starnes 1993; Johnson et al. 2013; Ahlstedt et al. 2017; Womble and Rosenberger 2025a). The Duck River watershed is at a pivotal time in its management and ecological history due to significant growth in human population and economic activity. The consequent increase in surface water demand presents challenges for sustainable water resource management. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has permitted or proposed to permit eight water utilities to withdraw over 77 million gallons per day (mgd) from the Duck River, representing > 40% increase from previously permitted amounts (USFWS 2025). On November 20, 2024, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed Executive Order No 108 to ensure long-term stability of the Duck River watershed through balancing economic growth, water resource management, and environmental conservation. Some primary components of this plan are the creation of a Comprehensive Regional Drought Management Plan, the development of a Habitat Conservation Plan, and the establishment of the Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership (DRWPP). Although the planning partnership is not focused on a sole aspect of the Duck River, but the watershed as a whole, the mussel assemblages of the Duck River have been a particular focus due to their importance in providing ecosystem services, sensitivity to water quality, conservation status, and sensitivity to periodic drought conditions in this system. With multiple state and federal agencies involved in managing the Duck River’s unique water resources, a focused review on how future water management could affect the freshwater mussel communities in the Duck River will contribute to this process. Our objectives of this review are to: 1. Review the effects of changing flow regimes on mussels, with emphasis on the effect of droughts/low flows, highlighting key processes/factors affecting mussels. 2. Highlight critical data gaps that could allow future, evidence-based water management decisions in this system. 3. Propose research topics to address critical data gaps and enable evidence-based water management decisions that consider the needs of freshwater mussels. Freshwater mussels are a critical component of riverine ecosystems, providing ecosystem services including water filtration, nutrient cycling, and habitat provision (Vaughn et al. 2004; Haag 2012) that benefit human communities. Environmental flows, also referred to as ecological or e-flows, refer to the quantity, timing, and quality of water flows necessary to maintain the ecological health of rivers, wetlands, and other aquatic ecosystems (Acreman and Dunbar 2004; Acreman 2016). For freshwater mussels, environmental flows include maintaining a flow regime and associated water quality regimes that are favorable for both juveniles and adults while also seasonally supporting host fish and the survival of settling glochidia (i.e., larval mussels) in suitable environments (Gates et al. 2015). Freshwater mussels are adapted to the natural flow regime of their native streams, including seasonal variability in flows. As sedentary filter feeders, mussels require adequate water flow to provide oxygen and food (Allen and Vaughn 2009); however, they also require periods of low flow to increase access to fish hosts and to ensure juveniles are not displaced (Gates et al 2015). Mussels are sensitive to water quality conditions, including pollutants, sedimentation, and artificial alterations of temperature and pH (Strayer and Malcom 2012). Mussel community characteristics, including presence, abundance, and species richness, generally increase with stream size (e.g., stream order); however, responses to changes in flow conditions are often species-specific, and the magnitude and timing of extreme flow conditions have more predictive power for mussel community response than general changes in flow (Lopez and Vaughn 2021). Complex hydraulic variables, such as relative shear stress and Reynolds number, can be strong predictors of mussel community responses because they combine simple hydraulic variables (e.g., velocity, depth) with stream channel characteristics, such as substrate composition and dynamics. Droughts directly and indirectly affect mussels by influencing their physiology, behavior, reproduction, and ecosystem roles. Mass mussel die-offs during droughts and low water conditions are widely documented (Vaughn et al. 2015; Sousa et al. 2018; Dubose et al. 2019). Droughts can also lead to a shift in mussel community composition, with drought-tolerant species becoming more dominant while more sensitive species experience declines (Galbraith et al, 2010; Lopez et al. 2022; Vaughn and Atkinson 2025). Droughts affect mussels through direct mortality from stranding as well as physiological stress from altered water temperature and quality, reduced habitat and food availability and quality, increased predation and competition, disruption of reproductive cycles, and increased susceptibility to disease and pathogens. Although the effects of droughts, water withdrawals, and low flow conditions on mussels are an increasing area of study, there is a general paucity of data-driven consensus regarding optimal mitigation approaches and strategies (Cushway et al. 2024). Long-term management decisions regarding water withdrawals, particularly during extended or multi-year drought conditions, may consider factors beyond direct mortality such as the sublethal effects of drought and low flow conditions on freshwater mussels for a comprehensive understanding of the effects of prolonged low flows on freshwater mussels and aquatic communities.

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