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At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS2002

Chemical and biological availability of hydrocarbons in urban harbor sediments

The degradation of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons was studied in batch slurry experiments conducted with field-aged sediments, highly impacted by hydrocarbon pollution. Experiments focused on examining the effects of desorption limitations to hydrocarbon mineralization and degradation. Degradation of PAH (e.g., naphthalene, fluorene, acenaphthene) and saturated hydrocarbons was examined in field-aged sediments collected from four sites in greater NY Harbor and western Long Island Sound. The sites were Rikers Island in far western Long Island Sound, Williamsburg Bridge in the East River, Shooters Island in the Arthur Kill, and the Kill Van Kull off Bayonne, New Jersey. Patterns of hydrocarbon desorption and degradation in weathered sediments were complicated by the mixed combustion and oil-derived hydrocarbon sources, and differed markedly from patterns seen in sediments following an oil spill. Rates of degradation in experiments with spiked sediments, especially over short timescales, did not appear to be limited by rates of desorption. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 224th ACS National Meeting (Boston, MA 8/18-22/2002).

Conference Paper↗
USGS1979

Summary appraisals of the nation's ground-water resources– South Atlantic-Gulf region

Precipitation in the 270,000-square-mile South Atlantic-Gulf Region ranges from 44 to 80 inches, and the average runoff is about 15 inches. The ground-water discharge that forms the base flow of streams is conservatively estimated to be about 78,000 million gallons per day the equivalent of about 6 inches of precipitation. On this basis, the regional sustained ground-water supply is about 286,000 gallons per day per square mile. Projected water use through 2020 indicates that about 10 percent of the supply will meet the region's requirement for ground water. Enormous quantities of ground water are available in the South Atlantic-Gulf States in the extensive aquifers that underlie the Coastal Plain province. Large supplies of ground water can be developed also in places in the Cumberland Plateau and the Valley and Ridge provinces. In the Piedmont and Blue Ridge provinces ground water is available only in modest quantities. The principal Coastal Plain aquifers consist largely of deltaic sand and gravel deposits of Cretaceous to Quaternary age; however, a notable exception is the highly permeable Tertiary limestone aquifer, which underlies parts of four States. Ground water in the Blue Ridge and the Valley and Ridge provinces is available from openings along fissures and joints in consolidated rocks and from the unconsolidated sand and gravel in the residuum and alluvium that overlie the bedrock. In parts of these areas faulting and folding has created favorable conditions for the development of moderate supplies of ground water. In the Piedmont province modest quantities of water are available from joints and fractures. Solution cavities in massive limestone units in some areas underlying the Cumberland Plateau section yield very large quantities of ground water. Most of the major Coastal Plain aquifers are recharged where they are exposed and water moves downdip to the south. The general direction of ground-water movement in the Coastal Plain aquifers is seaward. There is, however, movement of water vertically and laterally that affects pressure and quality in every aquifer. Ground water of good chemical and physical quality is available generally except in a small area in western Alabama and eastern Mississippi and in some small coastal areas. Freshwater extends to depths of slightly more than 3,000 feet in some areas. In many areas, water can be produced that does not require any treatment for general use. The more common objectionable constituents or properties are excessive iron, fluoride, hardness, color, and acidity. Contamination or pollution of ground water is not a major regional problem, but it is significant in local areas. Many of these local problems of contamination were the result of earlier improper disposal of oil-field and industrial waste. Saltwater intrusion either directly from the sea or from estuaries has been reported in every State in the region, and the potential for the proliferation of this problem is very large. The relationship of ground water and surface water is significant at many places in the region where large ground-water withdrawals affect swamps, lakes, and the flow of streams and springs. There is a potential in some areas for using ground water during dry periods for low-flow augmentation of stream supplies. In other areas it is feasible to recharge ground-water reservoirs artificially by means of injection wells, pits, and water spreading. Although large water-level declines caused by withdrawals have occurred locally, water-level changes have been small or modest when considered on a regional basis owing to the abundant rainfall and favorable recharge conditions. The saline-water resources of the region are known to be extremely large. In some areas where the availability of freshwater is limited, saline ground water is available for desalinization to supplement freshwater supplies. Also, the saline aquifers are potential storage sites for injected freshwater. Ground-water problems generally are not severe. Critical situations are restricted to areas where large quantities of ground water are being withdrawn or where aquifers are contaminated by oil-field or industrial waste. Large withdrawals in coastal areas have caused some saltwater intrusion. In other localities, highly mineralized water may have migrated along fault zones to freshwater aquifers. Many of the present problems can be resolved or ameliorated by redistributing withdrawals or developing alternative water sources.

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Caro↗
USGS2019

Associations between environmental pollutants and larval amphibians in wetlands contaminated by energy-related brines are potentially mediated by feeding traits

Energy production in the Williston Basin, located in the Prairie Pothole Region of central North America, has increased rapidly over the last several decades. Advances in recycling and disposal practices of saline wastewaters (brines) co-produced during energy production have reduced ecological risks, but spills still occur often and legacy practices of releasing brines into the environment caused persistent salinization in many areas. Aside from sodium and chloride, these brines contain elevated concentrations of metals and metalloids (lead, selenium, strontium, antimony and vanadium), ammonium, volatile organic compounds, hydrocarbons, and radionuclides. Amphibians are especially sensitive to chloride and some metals, increasing potential effects in wetlands contaminated by brines. We collected bed sediment and larval amphibians ( Ambystoma mavortium , Lithobates pipiens and Pseudacris maculata ) from wetlands in Montana and North Dakota representing a range of brine contamination history and severity to determine if contamination was associated with metal concentrations in sediments and if metal accumulation in tissues varied by species. In wetland sediments, brine contamination was positively associated with the concentrations of sodium and strontium, both known to occur in oil and gas wastewater, but negatively correlated with mercury. In amphibian tissues, selenium and vanadium were associated with brine contamination. Metal tissue concentrations were higher in tadpoles that graze compared to predatory salamanders; this suggests frequent contact with the sediments could lead to greater ingestion of metal-laden materials. Although many of these metals may not be directly linked with energy development, the potential additive or synergistic effects of exposure along with elevated chloride from brines could have important consequences for aquatic organisms. To effectively manage amphibian populations in wetlands contaminated by saline wastewaters we need a better understanding of how life history traits, species-specific susceptibilities and the physical-chemical properties of metals co-occurring in wetland sediments interact with other stressors like chloride and wetland drying.

Williston Basin↗
USGS2008

Evaluation of four structural best management practices for highway runoff in Beaufort and Colleton Counties, South Carolina, 2005–2006

From 2005 to 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey worked cooperatively with the South Carolina Department of Transportation in Beaufort and Colleton Counties, South Carolina, to assess the performance of four different structural devices that served as best management practices (BMPs). These structural devices were installed to mitigate the effects of stormwater runoff on waterways near State roads. The South Carolina Department of Transportation is required to address the quality of stormwater runoff from State-maintained roadways as part of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System stormwater program mandated in the Clean Water Act. The performance assessment of the four structural best management practices was based on stormflow measurements and chemical analyses of stormwater-quality samples collected during a 20-month period from March 2005 through October 2006, which represented a range of seasons and rainfall intensities. A total of 49 sample sets that included stormwater from the inlet and outlet of each of the four structural devices were collected as flow-weighted composites to provide event-mean concentrations of suspended sediment, nutrients, and trace metals. In addition, each set included grab samples that were collected to provide the first flush concentrations of oil and grease and fecal-indicator bacteria. A tiered statistical approach was used in the data analysis. Performances of the four structural BMPs were assessed individually based on how well the BMPs were able to reduce the selected constituents. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank tests were applied to event-mean concentrations and loads in the water entering the inlet and in the water leaving the outlet of each BMP for each constituent to identify if significant reductions occurred. If significant reductions occurred, the BMP was considered efficient at reducing the constituent. To quantify efficiency, a simplistic approach was applied to compute mean and geometric mean efficiency ratios for the significantly reduced constituents in each BMP. Each BMP performance was ranked based on its computed efficiency ratios, however, the computed efficiency ratios were not sufficient to determine if statistical differences occurred among the performances of the four BMPs. Consequently, a more complex approach was used to apply statistical comparison tests to reduction percentages computed for individual storms (a modified removal efficiency of individual storm-load approach) to determine if differences in event-mean concentrations, loads, and reduction percentages for significantly reduced constituents occurred among the four structural BMPs. Overall, the four BMPs were efficient in reducing suspended-sediment event-mean concentrations and loads in the stormwater entering the inlets of the BMPs to significantly lower event-mean concentrations before discharging the stormwater from the outlets. The cumulative suspended-sediment event-mean load in stormwater entering the BMPs from the storms sampled during the data-collection period was 1,026 kilograms (1.13 tons). The BMPs removed a cumulative suspended-sediment load of 558 kilograms (0.62 ton). The BMPs tended to preferentially trap the sand-size fraction of the sediment, thereby releasing a greater percentage of fine-grained (silt and clay) sediment in the water discharging from the outlet. The preferential trapping of fine-grained sediment by the BMPs could explain, at least in part, why the BMPs were not successful at significantly reducing these constituents. In general, the four BMPs were not successful at significantly reducing fecal bacteria, nutrients, and total organic carbon (including associated properties of biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand). Three of the four BMPs significantly lowered oil and grease concentrations before the stormwater discharged from the outlet. Additionally, only one BMP was effective at reducing all total and particulate trace-metal event-mean concentrations and particulate trace-metal event-mean loads in stormwater entering the inlet. With respect to trace-metal event-mean concentrations, however, minimal or no improvement in outlet water quality was observed for the four BMPs, and the majority of the outlet concentrations were above the established acute and chronic aquatic-life criteria by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. No statistical differences among the removal-efficiency of the four BMPs were determined for suspended-sediment event-mean concentrations, total suspended solids event-mean concentrations, or oil and grease concentrations. These statistical findings indicated that differences among the mean efficiency ratios were not significant among the BMPs for these properties. Additionally, one BMP generally had statistically greater removal efficiency for total and particulate cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc than one or more of the other three BMPs. Statistical correlation tests were unable to identify a single major factor that would explain the high variability in inlet and outlet water concentrations and in removal efficiencies estimated by reduction percentage. Highly variable inlet and outlet concentrations for each BMP that produced highly variable reduction percentages were probably the result of multiple interacting factors, particularly rainfall intensity, the amount of rainfall between sampling events, traffic density, and the period of time since the last maintenance (clean out) of the BMP.

South Carolina↗
USGS1974

Reference samples for the earth sciences

A revised list of reference samples of interest to geoscientists has been extended to include samples for the agronomist, the archaeologist and the environmentalist. In addition to the source from which standard samples may be obtained, references or pertinent notes for some samples are included. The number of rock reference samples is now almost adequate, and the variety of ore samples will soon be sufficient. There are very few samples for microprobe work. Oil shales will become more important because of the outlook for world petroleum resources. The dryland equivalent of a submarine basalt might be useful in studies of sea-floor spreading and of the geochemistry of basalts. The Na- and K-feldspars of BCS (British Chemical Standards—Bureau of Analysed Samples), NBS (National Bureau of Standards), and ANRT (Association Kationale de la Recherche Technique) could serve as trace-element standards if such data were available. Similarly, the present NBS flint and plastic clays, as well as their predecessors, might be useful for archaeological pottery studies. The International Decade for Ocean Exploration may stimulate the preparation of ocean-water standards for trace elements or pollutants and a standard for manganese nodules.

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta↗
USGS2013

Potential Environmental and Environmental-Health Implications of the SAFRR Tsunami Scenario in California: Chapter F in The SAFRR (Science Application for Risk Reduction) Tsunami Scenario

The California Tsunami Scenario models the impacts of a hypothetical, yet plausible, tsunami caused by an earthquake offshore from the Alaska Peninsula. In this chapter, we interpret plausible tsunami-related contamination, environmental impacts, potential for human exposures to contaminants and hazardous materials, and implications for remediation and recovery. Inundation-related damages to major ports, boat yards, and many marinas could release complex debris, crude oil, various fuel types and other petroleum products, some liquid bulk cargo and dry bulk cargo, and diverse other pollutants into nearby coastal marine environments and onshore in the inundation zone. Tsunami-induced erosion of contaminated harbor bottom sediments could re-expose previously sequestered metal and organic pollutants (for example, organotin or DDT). Inundation-related damage to many older buildings could produce debris containing lead paint, asbestos, pesticides, and other legacy contaminants. Intermingled household debris and externally derived debris and sediments would be left in flooded buildings. Post tsunami, mold would likely develop in inundated houses, buildings, and debris piles. Tsunamigenic fires in spilled oil, debris, cargo, vehicles, vegetation, and residential, commercial, or industrial buildings and their contents would produce potentially toxic gases and smoke, airborne ash, and residual ash/debris containing caustic alkali solids, metal toxicants, asbestos, and various organic toxicants. Inundation of and damage to wastewater treatment plants in many coastal cities could release raw sewage containing fecal solids, pathogens, and waste chemicals, as well as chemicals used to treat wastewaters. Tsunami-related physical damages, debris, and contamination could have short- and longer-term impacts on the environment and the health of coastal marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Marine habitats in intertidal zones, marshes, sloughs, and lagoons could be damaged by erosion or sedimentation, and could receive an influx of debris, metal and organic contaminants, and sewage-related pathogens. Debris and re-exposed contaminated sediments would be a source of sea- or rain-water-leachable metal and organic contaminants that could pose chronic toxicity threats to ecosystems. If human populations are successfully evacuated prior to the tsunami arrival, there would be no or limited numbers of drownings, other casualties, or related injuries, wounds, and infections. Immediately after the tsunami, human populations away from the inundation zone could be transiently exposed to airborne gases, smoke, and ash from tsunamigenic fires. Cleanup and disposal, particularly of hazardous materials, would pose substantial logistical challenges and economic costs. Given the high value of the coastal residential and commercial properties in the inundation zone, it can be postulated that there would be substantial insurance claims for environmental restoration, mold mitigation, disposal of debris that contains hazardous materials, and costs of litigation related to environmental liability. Post-tsunami cleanup, if done with appropriate mitigation (for example, dust control), personal protection, and disposal measures, would help reduce the potential for cleanup-worker and resident exposures to toxicants and pathogens in harbor waters, debris, soils, ponded waters, and buildings. A number of other steps can be taken by governments, businesses, and residents to help reduce the environmental impacts of tsunamis and to recover more quickly from these environmental impacts. For example, development of State and local policies that foster rapid assessment of potential contamination, as well as rapid decision making for disposal options should hazardous debris or sediment be identified, would help enhance recovery by speeding cleanup.

California↗
USGS1964

Chemical quality of surface waters in the Brazos River basin in Texas

The Brazos River basin, which makes up 15 percent of the land area of Texas, extends from the High Plains, where altitudes reach 4,200 feet and the average precipitation ranges from 15 to 20 inches a year, to the Gulf of Mexico where the annual rainfall is 45-^50 inches. Large reservoirs have been built in the Brazos River basin, but the use of the stored water has been limited because the salinity often makes the water undesirable for municipal and industrial use. However, the water is generally satisfactory for irrigation. Records for the Brazos River show that the salinity of the water was a problem even as early as 1906 and that the water more often than not failed to meet today's chemical-quality standards for a municipal supply. The salt load of the Brazos River comes from the entire basin and is the result of solution, accretion of undetermined amounts of oil-field brine, and accretion of brine from springs and seeps such as those in Salt Croton Creek which contribute about 400 tons of chloride a day. Much of the salinity of the Brazos River is due to inflow of brines above Possum Kingdom Dam. The area above Possum Kingdom Dam is about 52 percent of the total area in the Brazos River basin but contributes only about 17 percent of the total runoff; however, about 50 percent of the annual salt load comes from this part of the basin. Quality-of-water records show a wide difference in the salinity of the steams in different parts of the basin, Dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from about 100 ppm (parts per million) for flood water to 300,000 ppm for saturated brines from springs. The quality of the surface water in the Brazos River basin is discussed by areas and by stream reaches. This study indicates that the water of the Salt Fork Brazos River is too saline for most uses. The water of the Double Mountain Fork Brazos River is less saline and might be used for irrigation; however, it probably could not be used as a municipal supply or as a supply for most industries. The water of the dear Fork Brazos River is generally good but is adversely affected by brine pollution. Chemical-quality records for the Lampasas, Leon, and Navasota Rivers indicate that the water of these streams is of excellent quality; however, more data are needed to determine variations. The quality of the water in other tributaries could only be inferred from the results of miscellaneous sampling and from the probable effect of the underlying rocks. The weighted-average concentration of constituents in the Brazos River at Richmond indicated that inflow below Whitney Reservoir has a dilution effect on the river. For 12 of the 14 years of record, the weighted-average dissolved-solids concentration of the Brazos River at Richmond was lessi than, the 500 ppm maximum limit recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service (1961). This study indicates that water stored in Possum Kingdom and Whitney Reservoirs tends to become stratified, with the more saline water being at the greater depths. Samples collected in 1956 at Whitney Reservoir showed that the chloride concentration at the bottom was almost twice that at the surface. After a flood in June 1957, the dissolved-solids concentrations of bottom releases at Possum Kingdom were almost double those of surface releases through the spillway even though the flood volume had been more than twice the capacity of the reservoir. The quality of water in the lower main stem can be improved by control and disposal of brines in the upper basin. Also, the maximum concentrations in the water of the lower main stem can be lowered by dilution with water stored in reservoirs on tributaries that yield water of good quality.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS2014

Organic substances in produced and formation water from unconventional natural gas extraction in coal and shale

Organic substances in produced and formation water from coalbed methane (CBM) and gas shale plays from across the USA were examined in this study. Disposal of produced waters from gas extraction in coal and shale is an important environmental issue because of the large volumes of water involved and the variable quality of this water. Organic substances in produced water may be environmentally relevant as pollutants, but have been little studied. Results from five CBM plays and two gas shale plays (including the Marcellus Shale) show a myriad of organic chemicals present in the produced and formation water. Organic compound classes present in produced and formation water in CBM plays include: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heterocyclic compounds, alkyl phenols, aromatic amines, alkyl aromatics (alkyl benzenes, alkyl biphenyls), long-chain fatty acids, and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Concentrations of individual compounds range from < 1 to 100 μg/L, but total PAHs (the dominant compound class for most CBM samples) range from 50 to 100 μg/L. Total dissolved organic carbon (TOC) in CBM produced water is generally in the 1–4 mg/L range. Excursions from this general pattern in produced waters from individual wells arise from contaminants introduced by production activities (oils, grease, adhesives, etc.). Organic substances in produced and formation water from gas shale unimpacted by production chemicals have a similar range of compound classes as CBM produced water, and TOC levels of about 8 mg/L. However, produced water from the Marcellus Shale using hydraulic fracturing has TOC levels as high as 5500 mg/L and a range of added organic chemicals including, solvents, biocides, scale inhibitors, and other organic chemicals at levels of 1000 s of μg/L for individual compounds. Levels of these hydraulic fracturing chemicals and TOC decrease rapidly over the first 20 days of water recovery and some level of residual organic contaminants remain up to 250 days after hydraulic fracturing. Although the environmental impacts of the organics in produced water are not well defined, results suggest that care should be exercised in the disposal and release of produced waters containing these organic substances into the environment because of the potential toxicity of many of these substances.

International Journal of Coal Geology↗
USGS1975

Impacts of chemicals on waterfowl reproduction and survival

Residues of organochlorine pesticides, PCB's, heavy metals, and other toxic chemicals are ubiquitous in the biosphere and are commonly found in tissues and eggs of wild birds. This paper reviews research on the effects of these chemicals, with particular reference to waterfowl. Extensive mortality of waterfowl has occurred in the Gulf Coast region as a result of ingestion of aldrin-treated rice seed. Populations of fulvous tree ducks (Dendrocygna bicolor) have declined in recent years in that area. DDE impaired reproduction of both mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and black ducks (Arias rubripes) in experimental studies, resulting in thin shells, cracked eggs, and poor hatching success. Eggs incubated by the hens broke and cracked more frequently than those in incubators. In the field, residues are higher in ducks that feed on animal material than in vegetarians; differences are pronounced both geographically and among species. Mercury at levels that occur in certain heavily polluted areas in the United States and Canada has, in experimental studies, lowered the reproductive success of mallards and black ducks and reduced the survival of ducklings. Oil spills have killed many waterfowl as a result of oiled feathers and the intake of oil and more indirect physiological effects have been shown experimentally. Pollutants may affect waterfowl indirectly by changing the habitat and directly as a result of intake of toxic substances. They are unlikely to have been directly limiting factors in populations of such species as mallards. Their involvement with problem of other species, including canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) and mergansers has still to be explored.

International Waterfowl Symposium↗
USGS1953

Summary of annual records of chemical quality of water of the Arkansas River in Oklahoma and Arkansas, 1945-1952

This report summarizes information collected to date in the Arkansas River Basin in Oklahoma and Arkansas, and shows, within the limitations of present information, the chemical quality of water in the Arkansas River downstream from the Oklahoma-Kansas State line to its junction with the Mississippi River, and the influence of tributary in-flows. Additional data are being collected and further studies are planned. Hence, conclusions reached herein may be modified by more complete information at a later date. The Arkansas River is subject to many types of pollution downstream from the Oklahoma-Kansas State line, and its inferior quality along with an erratic flow pattern has caused it to be largely abandoned as a source of municipal and industrial water supply. Currently, the Arkansas River is not directly used as a source of public supply in any part of the basin in either Oklahoma or Arkansas. In general, the river water increases in chemical concentration downstream from the Oklahoma-Kansas State line to Tulsa due mainly to tributary inflow from the Salt Fork Arkansas River and the Cimarron River, both streams being sources of large amounts of both natural salts and industrial wastes. A decrease in chemical concentration is noted downstream from Tulsa due to tributary inflow from the Verdigris, Neosho, and Illinois rivers, with an increase in chemical concentration then noted due to tributary inflow from the Canadian River which is largely oil field wastes. A steady decrease in concentrations is then noted as the river progresses through Arkansas to the Mississippi River, as all major tributaries below the Canadian River have a dilution effect upon the chemical concentration of the Arkansas River water. Proposals for storage and regulating reservoirs on the Arkansas River in both Oklahoma and Arkansas have been made by the Corps of Engineers and others. Additional proposals are bing considered in the present Arkansas-White-Red River Basin Inter-Agency Sub-Committee studies. If constructed, these reservoirs will provide an opportunity for control of flow and beneficial use of Arkansas River water both at and downstream from these sites. Impoundment alone will greatly reduce the extremes in water-quality, and by reasonable control of municipal and industrial wastes, the water at some points on the river would be comparable in quality to many existing municipal and industrial supplies in the basin. (available as photostat copy only)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1982

Chemical-quality reconnaissance of the water and surficial bed material in the Delaware River estuary and adjacent New Jersey tributaries, 1980-81

This report presents chemical-quality data collected from May 1980 to January 1981 at several locations within the Delaware River estuary and selected New Jersey tributaries. Samples of surface water were analyzed Environmental Protection Agency ' priority pollutants, ' including acid extractable, base/neutral extractable and volatile organic compounds, in addition to selected dissolved inorganic constituents. Surficial bed material at selected locations was examined for trace metals, insecticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and base/neutral extractable organic compounds. Trace levels (1-50 micrograms per liter) of purgeable organic compounds, particularly those associated with the occurrence of hydrocarbons, were found in about 60% of the water samples taken. DDT, DDD, DDE, PCB 's and chlordane are present in most surficial bed material samples. Diazinon was the only organophosphorous insecticide detected in the study (1.6 micrograms per kilogram at one location). High values for select trace metals in bed material were discovered at two locations. Of the 10 sites sampled, the surficial bed material containing the most contamination was found along one cross section of Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport. An additional analysis of Raccoon Creek revealed bed material containing toluene, oil and grease, and trace quantities of 15 base/neutral extractable organic compounds, including polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, phthalate esters, and chlorinated benzenes.

New Jersey↗
USGS1997

Characterization of stormwater runoff from the Naval Air Station and Naval Wepons Industrial Reserve Plant, Dallas, Texas, 1994-96

The characterization of stormwater runoff from the Naval Air Station (NAS) and the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant (NWIRP), Dallas, Texas, is necessary to determine if runoff from the facilities is contributing to off-site contamination of surface waters, A network of five fixed sites and four grab sites was established to collect stormwater-runoff samples from a substantial part of the drainage area of each facility. Fixed sites were instrumented to measure and store precipitation, stage, discharge, and runoff-volume data and to collect flow-weighted composite samples during a storm. Grab and composite samples were collected for six storms at each of the five fixed sites from October 1994 to March 1996. The grab samples were analyzed for about 100 properties and constituents including specific conductance, pH, water temperature, bacteria, trace elements, oil and grease, total phenols, and volatile organic compounds. The composite samples were analyzed for about 220 properties and constituents including specific conductance, pH, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, major ions, suspended and dissolved solids, nutrients, trace elements, total organic carbon, volatile organic compounds, semivolatile organic compounds, and organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides. Grab samples were collected for two storms (September 18,1995, and October 2,1995) at each of the four grab sites. The grab samples were analyzed for about 80 constituents including specific conductance, pH, water temperature, trace elements, and volatile organic compounds. Composite samples were collected for two of the six storms sampled at the fixed sites and analyzed for aquatic toxicity. Fathead minnow growth and survival toxicity tests and water flea reproduction and survival toxicity tests were done. Median event-mean concentrations computed for 12 selected constituents in samples from NAS and NWIRP fixed sites were compared to median event-mean concentrations for residential, commercial, industrial, and highway land uses within the Dallas-Fort Worth area computed from data collected for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program. NAS and NWIRP median event-mean concentrations also were compared to those for residential and commercial land uses from the Nationwide Urban Runoff Program.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1982

Embryotoxic and biochemical effects of waste crankcase oil on birds' eggs

Waste crankcase oil (WCO) is a major source of oil pollution in both the aquatic and terrestrial environment and has been implicated in the poisoning of mammals and fish. It is also mutagenic. Since birds' eggs are highly sensitive to external microliter applications of environmentally polluting oils, we examined the developmental effects of external applications of WCO on eggs of the mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) and the bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus). At 48 hr of development, mallard eggs were exposed externally to 2, 5, or 15 :l of WCO or 15 :l of clean crankcase oil (CCO) while bobwhite eggs received proportional doses of 0.5, 1, or 3 :l of WCO and 3 :l of CCO in a similar manner. WCO was highly embryotoxic to both species compared to CCO and resulted in dose-dependent mortality, reduced growth, and abnormal survivors. Application of 15 :l WCO resulted in 84% mortality in mallards and 3 :l WCO resulted in 88% mortality in bobwhites. Abnormal survivors included embryos with subcutaneous edema, incomplete ossification, and eye and brain defects. Red blood cell *-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity, liver ALAD activity, and hemoglobin concentration were significantly lower after treatment with WCO in embryos and hatchlings of both species. Plasma uric acid, plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and plasma aspartate aminotransferese (AST) were significantly elevated in WCO-treated mallards after hatching. Biochemical effects, growth retardation, and mortality at proportionally lower dose levels were more pronounced in mallards than in bobwhites. Chemical analysis of the WCO and CCO revealed a considerably higher content of aromatic hydrocarbons in WCO than in CCO. Lead levels were highly elevated in WCO (4600 ppm) compared to CCO (2 ppm).

Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology↗
USGS2001

Use of radium isotopes to determine the age and origin of radioactive barite at oil-field production sites

Radium-bearing barite (radiobarite) is a common constituent of scale and sludge deposits that form in oil-field production equipment. The barite forms as a precipitate from radium-bearing, saline formation water that is pumped to the surface along with oil. Radioactivity levels in some oil-field equipment and in soils contaminated by scale and sludge can be sufficiently high to pose a potential health threat. Accurate determinations of radium isotopes (226Ra+228Ra) in soils are required to establish the level of soil contamination and the volume of soil that may exceed regulatory limits for total radium content. In this study the radium isotopic data are used to provide estimates of the age of formation of the radiobarite contaminant. Age estimates require that highly insoluble radiobarite approximates a chemically closed system from the time of its formation. Age estimates are based on the decay of short-lived 228Ra (half-life=5.76 years) compared to 226Ra (half-life=1600 years). Present activity ratios of 228Ra/226Ra in radiobarite-rich scale or highly contaminated soil are compared to initial ratios at the time of radiobarite precipitation. Initial ratios are estimated by measurements of saline water or recent barite precipitates at the site or by considering a range of probable initial ratios based on reported values in modern oil-field brines. At sites that contain two distinct radiobarite sources of different age, the soils containing mixtures of sources can be identified, and mixing proportions quantified using radium concentration and isotopic data. These uses of radium isotope data provide more description of contamination history and can possibly address liability issues. Copyright ?? 2000 .

Environmental Pollution↗
USGS1976

Saline water in the Little Arkansas River Basin area, south-central Kansas

Ground water in unconsolidated deposits of Pleistocene age in part of the Little Arkansas River basin has been polluted by the influx of saline water. The source of the saline water generally is oil-field brine that leaked from disposal ponds on the land surface. Locally, pollution by saline water also has been caused by upwelling of oil-field brine injected under pressure into the "lost-circulation zone" of the Lower Permian Wellington Formation and, possibly, by leakage of brine from corroded or improperly cased disposal wells. Anomalously high concentrations of chloride ion in some reaches of the Little Arkansas River probably can be attributed to pollution by municipal wastes rather than from inflow of saline ground water. Hydraulic connection exists between the "lost-circulation zone" and unconsolidated deposits, as evidenced by the continuing development of sinkholes, by the continuing discharge of saline water through springs and seeps along the Arkansas River south of the Little Arkansas River basin and by changes in the chloride concentration in water pumped from wells in the "lost-circulation zone." The hydraulic head in the "lost-circulation zone" is below the base of the unconsolidated deposits, and much below the potentiometric surface of the aquifer in those deposits. Any movement of water, therefore, would be downward from the "fresh-water" aquifer to the saline "lost-circulation zone."

Kansas↗
USGS2019

Early life exposure to triphenyl phosphate: Effects on thyroid function, growth, and resting metabolic rate of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) chicks

Triphenyl phosphate (TPHP; CAS # 115-86-6), a commonly used plasticizer and flame retardant, has been reported in wild birds and identified as a potential high-risk chemical. We exposed Japanese quail ( Coturnix japonica ) by in ovo injection, and once hatched, orally each day for 5 days to safflower oil (controls) or TPHP dissolved in vehicle at low (5 ng TPHP/g), mid (50 ng TPHP/g), or high (100 ng TPHP/g) nominal TPHP doses. The low TPHP dose reflected concentrations in wild bird eggs, with mid and high doses 10x and 20x greater to reflect potential increases in environmental TPHP concentrations in the future. Despite no effects on mRNA expression in thyroid-related genes, TPHP exposure enhanced thyroid gland structure in high TPHP males, but in females, suppressed thyroid gland structure and activity (all TPHP females), and circulating free triiodothyronine (high TPHP females only). Consistent with thyroidal changes, and compared to controls, mid and high TPHP chicks experienced significantly reduced resting metabolic rate (≤13%) and growth (≤53%); mid TPHP males and high TPHP females were significantly smaller. The observed thyroidal effects and suppressed growth and metabolic rate of the quail chicks suggest that TPHP may adversely affect the health of wild birds.

Environmental Pollution↗
USGS2025

Refining PAH and PCB bioavailability predictions in industrial sediments using source-fingerprinting, particle size, and bulk carbon, Puget Sound, Washington

Nearshore marine sediments in a Puget Sound, Washington industrial embayment had elevated levels of PAHs, PCBs and DDTs. Chemical fingerprints implicated nearshore sources including creosote, industrial oil and tar waste, and a landfill. Elevated concentrations were confined to an approximate 300-m shoreline buffer in the industrial waterfront, suggesting high site fidelity and limited along-shore or off-shore transport. Total PAH concentrations approximately doubled when including alkylated compounds. The industrial sediments often exceeded toxicity criteria; however, chemicals were likely less bioavailable than predicted, in part, due to assumed strong sorption to anthropogenic carbon like coal tar. Analyses of separated particle-size fractions showed that approximately half of PAHs were associated with particles greater than 500 μm, suggesting that a wide range of particle sizes are relevant to occurrence and transport. Predicted freely dissolved chemical concentrations in sediment pore water were unrealistically high using a bulk organic carbon sorption coefficient. When reduced to environmentally reasonable levels by applying a high-sorption partition coefficient applicable to contaminated sediments, predicted freely dissolved concentrations in some industrial sediments exceeded sublethal effect levels or surface water quality standards. Chemical assemblages predicted in the freely dissolved aqueous fraction, which is relevant for biotic uptake from water, shifted to predominantly low molecular weight as compared to sediment, highlighting the role of exposure pathways in bioavailability. Insights from chemical fingerprinting coupled with co-analysis of bulk carbon and grain size allowed refinement of bioavailability assessments of complex chemical mixtures in contaminated nearshore environments that are relevant for ecosystem health and restoration.

Washington↗
USGS1963

Ground-water contamination and legal controls in Michigan

The great importance of the fresh ground-water resources of Michigan is evident because 90 percent of the rural and about 70 percent of the total population of the State exclusive of the Detroit metropolitan area are supplied from underground sources. The water-supply and public-health problems that have been caused by some cases of ground-water contamination in the State illustrate the necessity of protecting this vital resource. Manmade and natural contaminants, including many types of chemical and organic matter, have entered many of the numerous aquifers of the State. Aquifers have been contaminated by waste-laden liquids percolating from the surface or from the zone of aeration and by direct injection to the aquifer itself. Industrial and domestic wastes, septic tanks, leaking sewers, flood waters or other poor quality surface waters, mine waters, solids stored or spread at the surface, and even airborne wastes all have been sources of ground-water contamination in Michigan. In addition, naturally occurring saline waters have been induced into other aquifers by overpumping or unrestricted flow from artesian wells, possibly by dewatering operations, and by the deepening of surface stream channels. Vertical migration of saline waters through open holes from formations underlying various important aquifers also has spoiled some of the fresh ground waters in the State. In spite of the contamination that has occurred, however, the total amount of ground water that has been spoiled is only a small part of the total resource. Neither is the contamination so widespread as that of the surface streams of Michigan. Overall legal authority to control most types of ground-water contamination in the State has been assigned by the Michigan Legislature to the Water Resources Commission, although the Department of Conservation and the Health Department also exercise important water-pollution control functions. The Michigan Supreme Court, in an important case upholding the power of the Water Resources Commission to control pollution of ground water, in effect has introduced the doctrine of reasonable use into the law of the State. Excluding controls administered by the Department of Conservation on activities of the oil and gas industry, however, legal controls have not been used abate intrusion of natural saline waters into fresh-water aquifers in response to pumping and other manmade changes in the hydrologic regimen.

Michigan↗