SEARCH · Search USGS

Results for “Antibiotics”

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

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

USGS2009

Occurrence of emerging contaminants in water and bed material in the Missouri River, North Dakota, 2007

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, conducted a reconnaissance study to determine the occurrence of emerging contaminants in water and bed sediment within the Missouri River upstream and downstream from the cities of Bismarck and Mandan, North Dakota, and upstream from the city of Fort Yates, North Dakota, during September-October 2007. At each site, water samples were collected twice and bed-sediment samples were collected once. Samples were analyzed for more than 200 emerging contaminants grouped into four compound classes - wastewater compounds, human-health pharmaceutical compounds, hormones, and antibiotics. Only sulfamethoxazole, an antibiotic, was present at a concentration higher than minimum detection limits. It was detected in a water sample collected downstream from the cities of Bismarck and Mandan, and in bed-sediment samples collected at the two sites downstream from the cities of Bismarck and Mandan and upstream from Fort Yates. Sulfamethoxazole is an antibiotic commonly used for treating bacterial infections in humans and animals.

North Dakota↗

USGS2009

Reconnaissance of Organic Wastewater Compounds at a Concentrated Swine Feeding Operation in the North Carolina Coastal Plain, 2008

Water-quality and hydrologic data were collected during 2008 to examine the occurrence of organic wastewater compounds at a concentrated swine feeding operation located in the North Carolina Coastal Plain. Continuous groundwater level and stream-stage data were collected at one monitoring well and one stream site, respectively, throughout 2008. One round of environmental and quality-control samples was collected in September 2008 following a period of below-normal precipitation and when swine waste was not being applied to the spray fields. Samples were collected at one lagoon site, seven shallow groundwater sites, and one surface-water site for analysis of 111 organic wastewater compounds, including household, industrial, and agricultural-use compounds, sterols, pharmaceutical compounds, hormones, and antibiotics. Analytical data for environmental samples collected during the study provide preliminary information on the occurrence of organic wastewater compounds in the lagoon-waste source material, groundwater beneath fields that receive spray applications of the lagoon wastes, and surface water in the tributary adjacent to the site. Overall, 28 organic wastewater compounds were detected in the collected samples, including 11 household, industrial, and agricultural-use compounds; 3 sterols; 2 pharmaceutical compounds; 5 hormones; and 7 antibiotics. The lagoon sample had the greatest number (20) and highest concentrations of compounds compared to groundwater and surface-water samples. The antibiotic lincomycin had the maximum detected concentration (393 micrograms per liter) in the lagoon sample. Of the 11 compounds identified in the groundwater and surface-water samples, all with reported concentrations less than 1 microgram per liter, only lincomycin identified in groundwater at 1 well and 3-methyl-1H-indole and indole identified in surface water at 1 site also were identified in the lagoon waste material.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2023

Marmots do not drink coffee: Human urine contributions to the nitrogen budget of a popular national park destination

Reactive nitrogen (Nr) concentrations are higher than expected for mountain lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park, and for many years, high Nr concentrations have been attributed to atmospheric Nr deposition from regional and more distant emission sources, including combustion of fossil fuels and agricultural activities. Here, we estimated the contribution from a very local source, that of human urine, related to intensive use by visitors in Loch Vale Watershed (LVWS). Not only does urine convey hormones, pharmaceuticals, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and antibiotic-resistant genes to the environment, but it also contributes Nr, which contributes to loss of biodiversity and eutrophication. Using caffeine as a specific marker for human urine, we compared the calculated maximum potential input of urine with that from wet atmospheric Nr deposition. The maximum potential input is a worst-case scenario. Nearly 30,000 and 45,000 people hiked the 4.0 km to the Loch, the lowest lake in LVWS, in June–September 2019 and 2020, respectively. Informal trails and informal latrine sites were mapped, and the contribution of human urine was calculated based on several assumptions, including that each visitor voided their bladder on the ground once per visit somewhere in Loch Vale. The resulting Nr input from urine in Loch Vale for the summer months of June through September was 0.02 kg Nr ha −1 , and prorated to a full year, the 2019 potential contribution of human waste was 0.06 kg ha −1 year −1 . These values are compared with June–September 1.2 kg Nr ha −1 from wet atmospheric deposition or annual measured 2019 deposition of 2.5 kg Nr ha −1 year −1 , to indicate a contribution of 2% Nr to the waters of Loch Vale from local human urine. Most Nr in this alpine and subalpine watershed is still attributable to emissions and subsequent wet atmospheric deposition, but a 2% contribution from human waste is not insignificant. In the very broadest sense, our results document an ecological disturbance from an unprecedented level of human activity in a protected and designated wilderness area. Local solutions to this local problem could include greater outreach to visitors of public lands about the consequences of their activities and installation of latrines.

Colorado↗

USGS1988

High-performance liquid-chromatographic separation of subcomponents of antimycin-A

Using a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) technique, a mixture of antimycins A was separated into eight hitherto unreported subcomponents, A 1a , A 1b , A 2a , A 2b , A 3a , A 3b , A 4a , and A 4b . Although a base-line resolution of the known four major antimycins A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , and A 4 was readily achieved with mobile phases containing acetate buffers, the separation of the new antibiotic subcomponents was highly sensitive to variation in mobile phase conditions. The type and composition of organic modifiers, the nature of buffer salts, and the concentration of added electrolytes had profound effects on capacity factors, separation factors, and peak resolution values. Of the numerous chromatographic systems examined, a mobile phase consisting of methanol-water (70:30) and 0.005 M tetrabutylammonium phosphate at pH 3.0 yielded the most satisfactory results for the separation of the subcomponents. Reversed-phase gradient HPLC separation of the dansylated or methylated antibiotic compounds produced superior chromatographic characteristics and the presence of added electrolytes was not a critical factor for achieving separation. Differences in the chromatographic outcome between homologous and structural isomers were interpretated based on a differential solvophobic interaction rationale. Preparative reversed-phase HPLC under optimal conditions enabled isolation of pure samples of the methylated antimycin subcomponents for use in structural studies.

Journal of Chromatography↗

USGS2024

Effect of florfenicol administered through feed on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) gut and its microbiome

Although concerns about the impacts of antibiotics in aquatic organisms are reported worldwide, the potential adverse effects on fish gut microbial communities and fish health are still not well known. In this study, we investigated the effects of florfenicol (FFC) on the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal (GIT) gene expression in juvenile Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ). Three doses of FFC were used to coat experimental feed at 10, 20 and 30 mg/kg/ fish body weight (bw). The feed was administered for 18 days, followed by a 10-day recovery period. The metatranscriptome analysis revealed that 10 and 30 mg/kg bw of FFC led to the downregulation of genes involved in the transcription of NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase chain-1, suggesting that the antibiotic targets bacterial respiratory metabolism. The 30 mg/kg bw FFC treatment upregulated genes that encode glycolytic enzymes, such as phosphoglycerate kinase, indicating a disruption of energy metabolism in the microbiome. Analysis of the fish host transcriptome showed that the FFC treatment affected cellular processes in the GIT system of fish, including pathways related to apoptosis and DNA metabolism. The 30 mg/kg bw FFC treatment specifically activated pathways related to cellular regulation, including LXR/RXR activation, FXR/RXR activation, and protein ubiquitination. At the end of the recovery phase, the 30 mg/kg bw FFC treated group altered pathways related to EIF2 signaling and lysine degradation.

Aquaculture↗

USGS2011

Occurrence and concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds in groundwater used for public drinking-water supply in California

Pharmaceutical compounds were detected at low concentrations in 2.3% of 1231 samples of groundwater (median depth to top of screened interval in wells = 61 m) used for public drinking-water supply in California. Samples were collected statewide for the California State Water Resources Control Board's Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. Of 14 pharmaceutical compounds analyzed, 7 were detected at concentrations greater than or equal to method detection limits: acetaminophen (used as an analgesic, detection frequency 0.32%, maximum concentration 1.89 μg/L), caffeine (stimulant, 0.24%, 0.29 μg/L), carbamazepine (mood stabilizer, 1.5%, 0.42 μg/L), codeine (opioid analgesic, 0.16%, 0.214 μg/L), p -xanthine (caffeine metabolite, 0.08%, 0.12 μg/L), sulfamethoxazole (antibiotic, 0.41%, 0.17 μg/L), and trimethoprim (antibiotic, 0.08%, 0.018 μg/L). Detection frequencies of pesticides (33%), volatile organic compounds not including trihalomethanes (23%), and trihalomethanes (28%) in the same 1231 samples were significantly higher. Median detected concentration of pharmaceutical compounds was similar to those of volatile organic compounds, and higher than that of pesticides. Pharmaceutical compounds were detected in 3.3% of the 855 samples containing modern groundwater (tritium activity > 0.2 TU). Pharmaceutical detections were significantly positively correlated with detections of urban-use herbicides and insecticides, detections of volatile organic compounds, and percentage of urban land use around wells. Groundwater from the Los Angeles metropolitan area had higher detection frequencies of pharmaceuticals and other anthropogenic compounds than groundwater from other areas of the state with similar proportions of urban land use. The higher detection frequencies may reflect that groundwater flow systems in Los Angeles area basins are dominated by engineered recharge and intensive groundwater pumping.

California↗

USGS2020

Poultry litter as potential source of pathogens and other contaminants in groundwater and surface water proximal to large-scale confined poultry feeding operations

Manure from livestock production has been associated with the contamination of water resources. To date, research has primarily focused on runoff of these contaminants from animal operations into surface water, and the introduction of poultry-derived pathogenic zoonoses and other contaminants into groundwater is under-investigated. We characterized pathogens and other microbial and chemical contaminants in poultry litter, groundwater, and surface water near confined poultry feeding operations (chicken layer, turkey) at 9 locations in Iowa and one in Wisconsin from May and June 2016. Results indicate that poultry litter from large-scale poultry confined feeding operations is a likely source of environmental contamination and that groundwater is also susceptible to such poultry-derived contamination. Poultry litter, groundwater, and surface water samples had detections of viable bacteria growth (Salmonella spp., enterococci, staphylococci, lactobacilli), multi-drug resistant Salmonella DT104 flost and int genes, F+ RNA coliphage (group I and IV), antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs; blaDHA, blaOXA-48, blaTEM, blaCMY-2, tetM), phytoestrogens (biochanin A, daidzein, formononetin), and a progestin (progesterone). In addition, mcr-1 (a colistin ARG), was detected in a groundwater sample and in another groundwater sample, antibiotic resistant isolates were positive for Brevibacterium spp., a potential signature of poultry in the environment. Detectable estrogenicity was not measured in poultry litter, but was observed in 67% of the surface water samples and 22% were above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency trigger level of 1 ng/L. The transport of microbial pathogens to groundwater was significantly greater (p < 0.001) than the transport of trace organic contaminants to groundwater in this study. In addition to viable pathogens, several clinically important ARGs were detected in litter, groundwater, and surface water, highlighting the need for additional research on sources of these contaminants in livestock dominated areas.

Iowa, Wisconsin↗

USGS2005

Loosely bound oxytetracycline in riverine sediments from two tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay

The fate of antibiotics that bind to riverine sediment is not well understood. A solution used in geochemical extraction schemes to determine loosely bound species in sediments, 1 M MgCl 2 (pH 8), was chosen to determine loosely bound, and potentially bioavailable, tetracycline antibiotics (TCs), including oxytetracycline (5-OH tetracycline) (OTC) in sediment samples from two rivers on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Bottom sediments were collected at sites upstream from, at, and downstream from municipal sewage-treatment plants (STPs) situated on two natural waterways, Yellow Bank Stream, MD, and the Pocomoke River, MD. Concentrations of easily desorbed OTC ranged from 0.6 to approximately 1.2 μg g -1 dry wt sediment in Yellow Bank Stream and from 0.7 to approximately 3.3 μg g -1 dry wt sediment in the Pocomoke River. Concentrations of easily desorbable OTC were generally smaller in sediment upstream than in sediment downstream from the STP in the Pocomoke River. STPs and poultry manure are both potential sources of OTC to these streams. OTC that is loosely bound to sediment is subject to desorption. Other researchers have found desorbed TCs to be biologically active compounds.

Chesapeake Bay↗

USGS2003

Abundance and characteristics of the recreational water quality indicator bacteria Escherichia coli and enterococci in gull faeces

Aims: To evaluate the numbers and selected phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of the faecal indicator bacteria Escherichia coli and enterococci in gull faeces at representative Great Lakes swimming beaches in the United States. Methods and Results: E. coli and enterococci were enumerated in gull faeces by membrane filtration. E. coli genotypes (rep‐PCR genomic profiles) and E. coli (Vitek ® GNI+) and enterococci (API ® rapid ID 32 Strep and resistance to streptomycin, gentamicin, vancomycin, tetracycline and ampicillin) phenotypes were determined for isolates obtained from gull faeces both early and late in the swimming season. Identical E. coli genotypes were obtained only from single gull faecal samples but most faecal samples yielded more than one genotype (median of eight genotypes for samples with 10 isolates). E. coli isolates from the same site that clustered at ≥85% similarity were from the same sampling date and shared phenotypic characteristics, and at this similarity level there was population overlap between the two geographically isolated beach sites. Enterococcus API ® profiles varied with sampling date. Gull enterococci displayed wide variation in antibiotic resistance patterns, and high‐level resistance to some antibiotics. Conclusions: Gull faeces could be a major contributor of E. coli (10 5 –10 9 CFU g −1 ) and enterococci (10 4 –10 8 CFU g −1 ) to Great Lakes recreational waters. E. coli and enterococci in gull faeces are highly variable with respect to their genotypic and phenotypic characteristics and may exhibit temporal or geographic trends in these features. Significance and Impact of the Study: The high degree of variation in genotypic or phenotypic characteristics of E. coli or enterococci populations within gull hosts will require extensive sampling for adequate characterization, and will influence methods that use these characteristics to determine faecal contamination sources for recreational waters.

Journal of Applied Microbiology↗

USGS2017

Western bats as a reservoir of novel Streptomyces species with antifungal activity

At least two-thirds of commercial antibiotics today are derived from Actinobacteria , more specifically from the genus Streptomyces . Antibiotic resistance and new emerging diseases pose great challenges in the field of microbiology. Cave systems, in which actinobacteria are ubiquitous and abundant, represent new opportunities for the discovery of novel bacterial species and the study of their interactions with emergent pathogens. White-nose syndrome is an invasive bat disease caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans , which has killed more than six million bats in the last 7 years. In this study, we isolated naturally occurring actinobacteria from white-nose syndrome (WNS)-free bats from five cave systems and surface locations in the vicinity in New Mexico and Arizona, USA. We sequenced the 16S rRNA region and tested 632 isolates from 12 different bat species using a bilayer plate method to evaluate antifungal activity. Thirty-six actinobacteria inhibited or stopped the growth of P. destructans , with 32 (88.9%) actinobacteria belonging to the genus Streptomyces . Isolates in the genera Rhodococcus , Streptosporangium , Luteipulveratus , and Nocardiopsis also showed inhibition. Twenty-five of the isolates with antifungal activity against P. destructans represent 15 novel Streptomyces spp. based on multilocus sequence analysis. Our results suggest that bats in western North America caves possess novel bacterial microbiota with the potential to inhibit P. destructans .

Applied and Environmental Microbiology↗

USGS2013

Agricultural sources of contaminants of emerging concern and adverse health effects on freshwater fish

Agricultural contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are generally thought of as certain classes of chemicals associated with animal feeding and production facilities. Veterinary pharmaceuticals used in animal food production systems represent one of the largest groups of CECs. In our review, we discuss the extensive increase in use of antibiotics in animal feeding operations (AFOs) around the world. AFOs are a major consumer of antibiotics and other veterinary pharmaceuticals and over the past decade there has been growing information on the occurrence, release, and fate of CECs from animal food production operations, including the application of pharmaceutical-containing manure to agricultural fields and releases from waste lagoons. Concentrations of CECs in surface and ground water in proximity to AFOs correspond to their presence in the AFO wastes. In many cases, the environmental concentrations of agriculturally-derived CECs are below toxicity thresholds. Hormones and hormone replacement compounds are a notable exception, where chemical concentrations near AFOs can exceed concentrations known to cause adverse effects on endocrine-related functions in fish. In addition, some agricultural pesticides, once thought to be safe to non-target organisms, have demonstrated endocrine-related effects that may pose threats to fish populations in agricultural regions. That is, we have pesticides with emerging concerns, thus, the concern is emerging and not necessarily the chemical. In this light, one must consider certain agricultural pesticides to be included in the list of CECs. Even though agricultural pesticides are routinely evaluated in regulatory testing schemes which have been used for decades, the potential hazards of some pesticides have only recently been emerging. Emerging concerns of pesticides in fish include interference with hormone signaling pathways; additive (or more than additive) effects from pesticide mixtures; and adverse population-level effects at concentrations below predicted toxicity thresholds. Consequently, there is a need to evaluate the environmental concerns related to pesticide exposures to fish populations based on current biological and toxicological techniques. This presentation reviews some of the agricultural chemicals that have emerged as contaminants of concern and potentially threaten fish populations in agricultural watersheds.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2024

Chemical and mineralogical characteristics of French green clays used for healing

The worldwide emergence of infectious diseases, together with the increasing incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, elevate the need to properly detect, prevent, and effectively treat these infections. The overuse and misuse of common antibiotics in recent decades stimulates the need to identify new inhibitory agents. Therefore, natural products like clays, that display antibacterial properties, are of particular interest. The absorptive properties of clay minerals are well documented for healing skin and gastrointestinal ailments. However, the antibacterial properties of clays have received less scientific attention. French green clays have recently been shown to heal Buruli ulcer, a necrotic or ‘flesh-eating’ infection caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans . Assessing the antibacterial properties of these clays could provide an inexpensive treatment for Buruli ulcer and other skin infections. Antimicrobial testing of the two clays on a broad-spectrum of bacterial pathogens showed that one clay promotes bacterial growth (possibly provoking a response from the natural immune system), while another kills bacteria or significantly inhibits bacterial growth. This paper compares the mineralogy and chemical composition of the two French green clays used in the treatment of Buruli ulcer. Mineralogically, the two clays are dominated by 1 Md illite and Fe-smectite. Comparing the chemistry of the clay minerals and exchangeable ions, we conclude that the chemistry of the clay, and the surface properties that affect pH and oxidation state, control the chemistry of the water used to moisten the clay poultices and contribute the critical antibacterial agent(s) that ultimately debilitate the bacteria.

Clays and Clay Minerals↗

USGS1953

Therapy of bacterial fish diseases

During the past decade considerable progress has been made in the therapy of bacterial fish diseases. This progress was possible largely because of the introduction of powerful chemotherapeutic agents such as sulfonamides and antibiotics. Fish furunculosis can be treated with very good results with sulfamerazine, sulfamethazine, and sulfaguanidine as well as by chloramphenicol and terramycin. Ulcer disease caused by Hemophilus piscium resists treatment with sulfonamides but responds well to the above mentioned antibiotics. Chemotherapy of fish diseases caused by pseudomonads is possible with chloramphenicol, but sanitary measures are preferred. External disinfections with Roccal and pyridylmercuric acetate (PMA) are satisfactory in treatment and prophylaxis of gill diseases which are probably caused by superficial infections with myxobacteria. Sulfonamides are helpful in systemic infections with myxobacteria and are also being used with some success for the control of a recently described kidney disease of salmonold fishes. Also described are methods of control of other fish diseases and of immunity in cold‐blooded animals and fishes. Most of the drugs in the described treatments may be toxic to fishes, and therefore should be used with caution.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS2005

Occurrence of selected pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical compounds, and stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios, in a riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2001 to 2003, Volume 1

Although studied extensively in recent years in Europe, the occurrence of endocrine disrupters and other organic wastewater compounds in the environment in the United States is not well documented. To better understand the efficiency of riverbank filtration with respect to endocrine disrupting compounds and to evaluate the use of riverbank filtration as an effective means of drinking-water treatment, a study was conducted during 2001-2003 by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the City of Lincoln, at an established riverbank-filtration well field with horizontal collector wells and vertical wells. This study provides information that will be useful for (1) increased understanding of the processes and factors important in controlling the transport of endocrine disrupters, such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals during riverbank filtration, (2) better understanding of the physical and chemical processes that affect riverbank-filtration efficiency, and (3) managing the water resources of the eastern Platte River Basin. This report presents analytical methods and data collected during the study. Data are presented as generalized statistics and in figures showing temporal variations. Sites from which water-quality samples were collected for this study included wastewater sites (a cattle feedlot lagoon, a hog confinement lagoon, and wastewater-treatment plant effluent), surface-water sites (Platte River, Salt Creek, and Loup Power Canal), ground-water sites (one collector well and three vertical wells), and drinking-water sites (raw and finished). Field water-quality properties were measured in samples from these sites. Pharmaceutical compounds were detected often in the wastewater-treatment plant effluent. Surface and ground water showed low-level concentrations of pharmaceuticals. Finished drinking-water samples did not contain detectable concentrations of pharmaceuticals except for low levels of cotinine and caffeine. Antibiotics were found in some of the wastewater samples and twice in Salt Creek. Antibiotics were not detected in any samples from the Platte River or the well field. Surface-water samples were analyzed for total organic carbon and ground-water samples were analyzed for dissolved organic carbon. Samples from all sites were analyzed for major ions. Herbicides commonly detected in surface, ground, and drinking water included acetachlor, alachlor, atrazine, and metolachlor as well as degradates of these compounds. Most of the samples from wastewater sites were found to contain predominantly acetamide degradates. High concentrations of several organic wastewater indicator compounds were detected at the wastewater sites and in Salt Creek. Several organic wastewater indicator compounds were detected multiple times in samples from the Platte River. Bromoform, a by-product of disinfection in the treatment plant, was found in samples from the finished drinking water. Stable hydrogen isotope ratios show a range in seasonal variation of -73.6 per mill to -38.1 per mill relative to Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW) reference water and -69.2 per mill to -46.5 per mill for surface water and ground water, respectively. Oxygen isotope ratios for surface-water samples varied between -9.86 per mill and -5.05 per mill. Stable oxygen isotope ratios of ground waters varied between -9.62 per mill and -5.81 per mill.

Nebraska↗

USGS2002

Human-health pharmaceutical compounds in Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, and Las Vegas Wash, Nevada, October 2000-August 2001

The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service conducted a reconnaissance study to investigate the occurrence of selected human-health pharmaceutical compounds in water samples collected from Lake Mead on the Colorado River and Las Vegas Wash, a waterway used to transport treated wastewater from the Las Vegas metropolitan area to Lake Mead. Current research indicates many of these compounds can bioaccumulate and may adversely affect aquatic organisms by disrupting physiological processes, impairing reproductive functions, increasing cancer rates, contributing to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, and acting in undesirable ways when mixed with other substances. These compounds may be present in effluent because a high percentage of prescription and non-prescription drugs used for human-health purposes are excreted from the body as a mixture of parent compounds and degraded metabolite compounds; also, they can be released to the environment when unused products are discarded by way of toilets, sinks, and trash in landfills. Thirteen of 33 targeted compounds were detected in at least one water sample collected between October 2000 and August 2001. All concentrations were less than or equal to 0.20 micrograms per liter. The most frequently detected compounds in samples from Las Vegas Wash were caffeine, carbamazepine (used to treat epilepsy), cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine), and dehydronifedipine (a metabolite of the antianginal Procardia). Less frequently detected compounds in samples collected from Las Vegas Wash were antibiotics (clarithromycin, erythromycin, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim), acetaminophen (an analgesic and anti-inflammatory), cimetidine (used to treat ulcers), codeine (a narcotic and analgesic), diltiazem (an antihypertensive), and 1,7-dimethylxanthine (a metabolite of caffeine). Fewer compounds were detected in samples collected from Lake Mead than from Las Vegas Wash. Caffeine was detected in all samples collected from Lake Mead. Other compounds detected in samples collected from Lake Mead were acetaminophen, carbamazepine, cotinine, 1,7-dimethylxanthine, and sulfamethoxazole.

Nevada, Arizona↗

USGS2005

Water-quality data from ground- and surface-water sites near concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and non-CAFOs in the Shenandoah Valley and eastern shore of Virginia, January-February, 2004

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) result from the consolidation of small farms with animals into larger operations, leading to a higher density of animals per unit of land on CAFOs than on small farms. The density of animals and subsequent concentration of animal wastes potentially can cause contamination of nearby ground and surface waters. This report summarizes water-quality data collected from agricultural sites in the Shenandoah Valley and Eastern Shore of Virginia. Five sites, three non-CAFO and two dairy-operation CAFO sites, were sampled in the Shenandoah Valley. Four sites, one non-CAFO and three poultry-operation CAFO sites were sampled on the Eastern Shore. All samples were collected during January and February 2004. Water samples were analyzed for the following parameters and constituents: temperature, specific conductance, pH, and dissolved oxygen; concentrations of the indicator organisms Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and enterococci; bacterial isolates of E. coli , enterococci, Salmonella spp., and Campylobacter spp.; sensitivity to antibiotics of E. coli , enterococci, and Salmonella spp.; arsenic, cadmium, chromium 3+ , copper, nickel, and mercury; hardness, biological oxygen demand, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, ortho-phosphate, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, and dissolved organic carbon; and 45 dissolved organic compounds, which included a suite of antibiotic compounds. Data are presented in tables 5-21 and results of analyses of replicate samples are presented in tables 22-28. A summary of the data in tables 5-8 and 18-21 is included in the report.

Virginia↗

USGS2007

Occurrence of selected pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, organic wastewater compounds, and pesticides in the lower Tallapoosa River watershed near Montgomery, Alabama, 2005

Synthetic and natural organic compounds derived from agricultural operations, residential development, and treated and untreated sanitary and industrial wastewater discharges can contribute contaminants to surface and ground waters. To determine the occurrence of these compounds in the lower Tallapoosa River watershed, Alabama, new laboratory methods were used that can detect human and veterinary antibiotics; pharmaceuticals; and compounds found in personal-care products, food additives, detergents and their metabolites, plasticizers, and other industrial and household products in the environment. Well-established methods for detecting 47 pesticides and 19 pesticide degradates also were used. In all, 186 different compounds were analyzed by using four analytical methods. The lower Tallapoosa River serves as the water-supply source for more than 100,000 customers of the Montgomery Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board. Source-water protection is a high priority for the Board, which is responsible for providing safe drinking water. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Montgomery Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board, conducted this study to provide baseline data that could be used to assess the effects of agriculture and residential development on the occurrence of selected organic compounds in the lower Tallapoosa River watershed. Twenty samples were collected at 10 sites on the Tallapoosa River and its tributaries. Ten samples were collected in April 2005 during high base streamflow, and 10 samples were collected in October 2005 when base streamflow was low. Thirty-two of 186 compounds were detected in the lower Tallapoosa River watershed. Thirteen compounds, including atrazine, 2-chloro-4-isopropylamino-6-amino-s-triazine (CIAT), hexazinone, metalaxyl, metolachlor, prometryn, prometon, simazine, azithromycin, oxytetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and tylosin, had measurable concentrations above their laboratory reporting levels. Concentrations were estimated for an additional 19 compounds that were detected below their laboratory reporting levels. The two most frequently detected compounds were the pesticides atrazine (19 of 20 samples) and simazine (13 of 20 samples). Tylosin, a veterinary antibiotic, was detected in 8 of 20 samples. Other compounds frequently detected at very low concentrations included CIAT and hexazinone (a degradate of atrazine and a pesticide, respectively); camphor (derived from personal-care products or flavorants), para-cresol (various uses including solvent, wood preservative, and in household cleaning products), and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET, an insect repellent).

Alabama↗

USGS2014

Contaminants of emerging concern in ambient groundwater in urbanized areas of Minnesota, 2009-12

A study of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in ambient groundwater in urbanized areas of Minnesota was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. For this study, water samples were collected from November 2009 through June 2012 from 118 wells located in different land-use settings. The sampled wells primarily were screened in vulnerable sand and gravel aquifers (surficial and buried glacial aquifers) or vulnerable bedrock aquifers such as the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer. Sampled well depths ranged from 9 to 285 feet below land surface. Water samples were collected by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency staff. The water samples were analyzed at U.S. Geological Survey laboratories for steroidal hormones, human-use pharmaceutical compounds, human- and animal-use antibiotics, and a broad suite of organic chemicals associated with wastewater. Reported detections were censored and not counted as detections in the data analyses if the chemical was detected in a laboratory or field blank at a similar concentration. During this study, 38 out of 127 CECs analyzed were detected among all water samples collected. Three of the detected CECs, however, were analyzed using two different analytical methods, so 35 distinct chemicals were detected. The number of detections of CECs in individual water samples ranged from 0 to 10. The three wells in proximity to landfills had the most CEC detections. One or more CECs were detected in a total of 43 samples (35 percent); no CECs were detected in 80 samples. Of the 127 CECs included for analysis in this study, 28 have established enforceable or non-enforceable health-based water-quality standards or benchmarks. Fourteen of the 35 chemicals detected in this study have established water-quality standards, whereas 21 of the chemicals detected have no established standard or benchmark. All detections in this study were less than established health-based water-quality standards, although p-cresol was detected at a concentration nearing a health-based water quality standard. Four of the six most frequently detected chemicals—azithromycin, diphenhydramine, tributyl phosphate, and lincomycin—have no health-based water-quality standards or benchmarks. The antibiotic sulfamethoxazole was the most frequently detected CEC, detected in a total of 14 of 123 samples (11.4 percent) by one or both analytical methods that include sulfamethoxazole as an analyte. Most (11 of 14, or 79 percent) of the detections of sulfamethoxazole were in samples from domestic wells or monitoring wells located in areas where septic systems or potentially leaking centralized sewers are prevalent. The chemical N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) was detected at the highest concentration of any CEC, at 7.9 micrograms per liter. Bisphenol A was detected second most frequently of all chemicals. DEET and Bisphenol A were detected most frequently in wells in proximity to closed landfills. Samples from bedrock wells, most of which are drinking water wells that are deeper than glacial wells, had a higher percentage of wells with CEC detections compared to samples from wells completed in glacial aquifers. The higher dissolved oxygen concentrations and lower specific conductance for the bedrock wells sampled indicate shorter duration flow paths from the land surface to these wells than for wells completed in glacial aquifers.

Minnesota↗