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Herbert T. Buxton

Publications and source records attributed to Herbert T. Buxton.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS2002

Response to comment on "Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, 1999-2000: A national reconnaissance"

We concur with the response of Eckel to our recent publication in this Journal (1). As the author notes, the topic of emerging contaminants is currently receiving extensive media coverage and scientific notice, but there are earlier reports that foreshadow this current interest. Eckel’s comment regarding the detection of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants (OWC) at a Superfund landfill site (2) is well taken, as other reports confirm the presence of such compounds at waste-disposal and landfill sites (3). In fact, literature from more than 20 years ago documented the occurrence of OWCs in the environment (4-7). A significant difference between these reports and our study is that we have systematically documented the frequent presence and low concentrations of a broad suite of OWCs in a wide variety of streams across the United States.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2002

Response to comment on "Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, 1999-2000: A national reconnaissance"

We thank Ericson et al. (1) for their careful review and thoughtful comments on the synthetic hormone data presented in our recent publication summarizing the results from the USGS nationwide reconnaissance for pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants (2). Their efforts have helped raise the awareness of the difficulties in accurately measuring these compounds at the low concentrations that occur in the environment and reinforce the need for continued research in the area of analytical methods development for synthetic hormones

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2002

Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams

A recent study by the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) shows that a broad range of chemicals found in residential, industrial, and agricultural wastewaters commonly occurs in mixtures at low concentrations downstream from areas of intense urbanization and animal production. The chemicals include human and veterinary drugs (including antibiotics), natural and synthetic hormones, detergent metabolites, plasticizers, insecticides, and fire retardants. One or more of these chemicals were found in 80 percent of the streams sampled. Half of the streams contained 7 or more of these chemicals, and about one-third of the streams contained 10 or more of these chemicals. This study is the first national-scale examination of these organic wastewater contaminants in streams and supports the USGS mission to assess the quantity and quality of the Nation's water resources. A more complete analysis of these and other emerging water-quality issues is ongoing.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS1999

Simulation of the effects of development of the ground-water flow system of Long Island, New York

Extensive development on Long Island since the late 19th century and projections of increased urbanization and ground-water use makes effective water-resource management essential for preservation of the island's hydrologic environment and maintenance of a reliable source of water supply. This report presents results of a ground-water flow simulation analysis of the effects of development on the Long Island ground-water system. It describes ground-water levels, stream-flow, and the ground-water budget for the predevelopment period (pre-1900), the 1960's drought, and a more recent (1968-83) period with significant hydrologic stress. The report also presents estimated effects of a proposed water-supply strategy for the year 2020. Long Island has three major aquifers-the upper glacial (water-table), the Magothy, and the Lloyd aquifers-that are separated to varying degrees by confining units. Before development, recharge from precipitation entered the ground-water system at a rate of more than 1.1 billion gallons per day. An equal amount discharged to streams (41 percent), the shore (52 percent), and subsea boundaries (7 percent) . Urbanization and withdrawal of more than 400 Mgal/d (million gallons per day) from wells have resulted in local effects that include declines in ground-water levels, drying up and burial of streams and wetlands, reduction of ground-water recharge by increased overland flow to the ocean, a general decrease in ground-water discharge, and salt water intrusion. In some areas, the reduction in recharge is mitigated by leakage from water-supply and wastewater disposal lines, and infiltration of storm water through recharge basins. During 1968-83, a net loss of 240 Mgal/d from the ground-water system caused a decrease in ground-water discharge to streams (135 Mgal/d), to the shore (82 Mgal/d), and to subsea boundaries (23Mgal/d).The greatest adverse effects have been in western Long Island, where the most severe development has occurred. This analysis shows stream base flow to be highly sensitive to water-table fluctuations, and long streams to be more sensitive than short ones. A water-supply scenario for the year 2020 was simulated that employs redistribution of pumping centers to mitigate extreme local effects . Although the net stress on the ground-water system was projected to increase 57 Mgal/d (24 percent) above that of 1968-83, redistribution of ground-water withdrawals across the island would allow recovery of cones of depression in western Long Island, thereby reducing the threat of salt water intrusion and increasing base flow of some streams . The increased stress would cause a net decrease in base flow island wide of 44 Mgal/d; total base flow would be 281 Mgal/d - 39 percent below predevelopment levels or 14 percent below 1968-83 levels. The most severe effects would be in Nassau and western Suffolk Counties.

New York↗
USGS1999

Ground-water resources of Kings and Queens counties, Long Island, New York

From 1981 through 1986, the U.S. Geological Survey investigated the ground-water system of western Long Island, New York, including Kings and Queens counties. This report describes the structure and operation of the western part of the Long Island ground-water system, and the hydrologic effects associated with human development from 1900 to the early 1980's. Recent (early 1980's) ground-water quantity and quality characteristics are described.

New York↗
USGS1997

A science-based, watershed strategy to support effective remediation of abandoned mine lands

A U.S. Geological Survey Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative will develop a strategy for gathering and communicating the scientific information needed to formulate effective and cost-efficient remediation of abandoned mine lands. A watershed approach will identify, characterize, and remediate contaminated sites that have the most profound effect on water and ecosystem quality within a watershed. The Initiative will be conducted during 1997 through 2001 in two pilot watersheds, the Upper Animas River watershed in Colorado and the Boulder River watershed in Montana. Initiative efforts are being coordinated with the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and other stakeholders which are using the resulting scientific information to design and implement remediation activities. The Initiative has the following eight objective-oriented components: estimate background (pre-mining) conditions; define baseline (current) conditions; identify target sites (major contaminant sources); characterize target sites and processes affecting contaminant dispersal; characterize ecosystem health and controlling processes at target sites; develop remediation goals and monitoring network; provide an integrated, quality-assured and accessible data network; and document lessons learned for future applications of the watershed approach.

Colorado;Montana↗
USGS1995

Surficial aquifer system of the New Jersey Coastal Plain: Significance to resource management

An understanding of the interaction between human activities and the Nation's surficial (water-table) aquifers is critical to maintaining the quantity and quality of our water resources and the health of the ecosystems they support. In recognition of the importance of these aquifers, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing a program to study the surficial aquifers of the New Jersey Coastal Plain.

New Jersey↗
USGS1995

Ground-water resources of Kings and Queens Counties, Long Island, New York

The aquifers beneath Kings and Queens Counties supplied an average of more than 120 Mgal/d (million gallons per day) for industrial and public water supply during 1904-47, but this pumping caused saltwater intrusion and a deterioration of water quality that led to the cessation of pumping for public supply in Kings County in 1947 and in western Queens County in 1974. Since the cessation of pumping in Kings and western Queens Counties, ground-water levels have recovered steadily, and the saltwater has partly dispersed and become diluted. In eastern Queens County, where pumpage for public supply averages 60 Mgal/d, all three major aquifers contain a large cone of depression. The saltwater-freshwater interface in the Jameco-Magothy aquifer already extends inland in southeastern Queens County and is moving toward this cone of depression. The pumping centers' proximity to the north shore also warrants monitoring for saltwater intrusion in the Flushing Bay area. Urbanization and development on western Long Island since before the tum of this century have caused significant changes in the ground-water budget (total inflow and outflow) and patterns of movement. Some of the major causes are: ( 1) intensive pumping for industrial and public supply; (2) paving of large land-surface areas; (3) installation of a vast network of combined (stonn and sanitary) sewers; (4) leakage from a water-supply-line network that carries more than 750 Mgal/d; and (5) burial of stream channels and extensive wetland areas near the shore. Elevated nitrate and chloride concentrations throughout the upper glacial (water-table) aquifer indicate widespread contamination from land surface. Localized contamination in the underlying Jameco-Magothy aquifer is attributed to downward migration in areas of hydraulic connection between aquifers where the Gardiners Clay is absent A channel eroded through the Raritan confining unit provides a pathway for migration of surface contaminants to the Lloyd aquifer sooner than anticipated Although ground water in the Lloyd aquifer is still pristine, present pumping rates and potentiometric levels in the Lloyd indicate that this aquifer is much more sensitive to withdrawals than the other aquifers are and contains an extremely limited water supply.

New York↗
USGS1990

Hydrologic framework of Long Island, New York

Long Island, N.Y., is underlain by a mass of unconsolidated geologic deposits of clay, silt, sand, and gravel that overlie southward-sloping consolidated bedrock. These deposits are thinnest in northern Queens County (northwestern Long Island), where bedrock crops out, and increase to a maximum thickness of 2,000 ft in southeastern Long Island. This sequence of unconsolidated deposits consists of several distinct geologic units ranging in age from late Cretaceous through Pleistocene, with some recent deposits near shores and streams. These units are differentiated by age, depositional environment, and lithology in table 1. Investigations of ground-water availability and flow patterns may require information on the internal geometry of the hydrologic system that geologic correlations and interpretation alone cannot provide; hydrologic interpretations in which deposits are differentiated on the basis of water-transmitting properties are generally needed also. This set of maps and vertical sections depicts the hydrogeologic framework of the unconsolidated deposits that form Long Island's ground-water system. These deposits can be classified into eight major hydrogeologic units (table 1). The hydrogeologic interpretations presented herein are not everywhere consistent with strict geologic interpretation owing to facies changes and local variations in the water-transmitting properties within geologic units. These maps depict the upper-surface altitude of seven of the eight hydrogeologic units, which, in ascending order, are: consolidated bedrock, Lloyd aquifer, Raritan confining unit, Magothy aquifer, Monmouth greensand, Jameco aquifer, and Gardiners Clay. The upper glacial aquifer—the uppermost unit—is at land surface over most of Long Island and is, therefore, not included. The nine north-south hydrogeologic sections shown below depict the entire sequence of unconsolidated deposits and, together with the maps, provide a detailed three-dimensional interpretation of Long Island's hydrogeologic framework. The structure-contour map that shows the upper-surface altitude of the Cretaceous deposits is included to illustrate the erosional unconformity between the Cretaceous and overlying Pleistocene deposits. Pleistocene erosion played a major role in determining the shape and extent of the Lloyd aquifer, the Raritan confining unit, and the Magothy aquifer, and thus partly determined their hydrogeologic relation with subsequent (post-Cretaceous) deposits.

Hydrologic Atlas↗
USGS1987

A conceptual framework for ground-water solute-transport studies with emphasis on physical mechanisms of solute movement

Analysis of solute transport in groundwater systems involves a complex, multi-discipline study that requires intensive and costly investigation. Groundwater contamination, particularly from point sources, has been growing in importance in recent years. This report examines the physical mechanisms of solute transport, advection and dispersion, and explains how they relate to one another and the scale of study. The approach uses a preliminary analysis prior to collection of new data to focus on the technical problems to be addressed and to direct the initial collection of new data if warranted. The field investigation (collection of new data) progresses in stages that use the new knowledge and understanding gained from the preceding data collection to aid in further data collection as the study proceeds. A major premise of the approach is that the foundation of any analysis is a detailed quantitative definition of: (1) the groundwater flow field in three dimensions, and (2) the distribution of solutes in the contaminant plume in three dimensions at one point in time, or preferably at more than features of the groundwater flow field, and is an important tool for analysis. However, the scale of analysis for solute transport studies is usually much finer than the scale of analysis for groundwater flow alone. Therefore, an increase in detail of the velocity field is needed to provide for accurate calculations of pathlines in three-dimensional heterogeneous groundwater systems. (Lantz-PTT)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗