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At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
USGS1996

Occurrence of alachlor and its sulfonated metabolite in rivers and reservoirs of the midwestern United States: The importance of sulfonation in the transport of chloroacetanilide herbicides

Alachlor and its metabolite, 2-[(2',6'-diethylphenyl)- (methoxymethyl)amino]-2-oxoethanesulfonate (ESA), were identified in 76 reservoirs in the midwestern United States using immunoassay, liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The median concentration of ESA (0.48 ??g/L) exceeded the median concentration of alachlor (<0.05 ??g/L), with highest values in the upper Midwest. ESA also was detected in the Mississippi River from the mouth to the headwaters at concentrations of 0.2-1.5 ??g/L, exceeding the concentration of alachlor. In a field runoff study, alachlor rapidly formed ESA. It is hypothesized that a glutathione conjugate forms, which later oxidizes in soil to ESA. The removal of the chlorine atom lessens the toxicity of the parent compound and increases runoff potential. It is hypothesized further that sulfonic acid metabolites of other chloroacetanilides, including acetochlor, butachlor, metolachlor, and propachlor, also occur in surface water.

Midwest↗
USGS1995

Occurrence of selected pesticides and their metabolites in near-surface aquifers of the midwestern United States

The occurrence and distribution of selected pesticides and their metabolites were investigated through the collection of 837 water-quality samples from 303 wells across the Midwest. Results of this study showed that five of the six most frequently detected compounds were pesticide metabolites. Thus, it was common for a metabolite to be found more frequently in groundwater than its parent compound. The metabolite alachlor ethanesulfonic acid (alachlor-ESA; 2-[(2,6-diethylphenyl)(methoxymethyl)amino]-2-oxoethanesulfonic acid) was detected almost 10 times as frequently and at much higher concentrations than its parent compound alachlor (2-chloro-2&lsquo;,6&lsquo;-diethyl- N -(methoxymethyl)acetamide). The median detectable atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6- isopropylamino- s -triazine) concentration was almost half that of atrazine residue (atrazine plus the two atrazine metabolites analyzed). Cyanazine amide [2-chloro-4-(1-carbamoyl-1-methylethylamino)-6-ethylamino- s -triazine] was detected almost twice as frequently as cyanazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-methylpropionitrileamino- s -triazine). Results show that information on pesticide metabolites is necessary to understand the environmental fate of pesticides. Consequently, if pesticide metabolites are not quantified, the effects of chemical use on groundwater quality would be substantially underestimated. Thus, continued research is needed to identify major degradation pathways for all pesticides and to develop analytical methods to determine their concentrations in water and other environmental media.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS1999

Occurrence and behavior of the herbicide Prometon in the hydrologic system

Prometon, a triazine herbicide, is used for total vegetation control on industrial sites, on noncrop areas on farms, in and under asphalt, and to a small extent by homeowners. Prometon has often been detected in surface water and groundwater in studies reported in the literature, but its presence is seldom discussed, partly because of its infrequent inclusion on lists of herbicides used in either agricultural or urban areas. In recent large-scale studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, prometon has been the most commonly detected herbicide in surface water and groundwater in urban areas and the third and fourth most commonly detected herbicide in groundwater and surface water, respectively, in agricultural areas. It also has been detected in rain. The frequent detection of prometon in the environment is discussed in relation to its use practices and predicted environmental behavior. Prometon is compared to atrazine, a structurally similar agricultural triazine herbicide that is one of the most studied and most commonly detected herbicides found in the hydrologic environment. The environmental data presented here demonstrate the wide-scale occurrence of prometon in all components of the hydrologic system, particularly in the surface water and groundwater of urban areas.Prometon, a triazine herbicide, is used for total vegetation control on industrial sites, on noncrop areas on farms, in and under asphalt, and to a small extent by homeowners. Prometon has often been detected in surface water and groundwater in studies reported in the literature, but its presence is seldom discussed, partly because of its infrequent inclusion on lists of herbicides used in either agricultural or urban areas. In recent large-scale studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, prometon has been the most commonly detected herbicide in surface water and groundwater in urban areas and the third and fourth most commonly detected herbicide in groundwater and surface water, respectively, in agricultural areas. It also has been detected in rain. The frequent detection of prometon in the environment is discussed in relation to its use practices and predicted environmental behavior. Prometon is compared to atrazine, a structurally similar agricultural triazine herbicide that is one of the most studied and most commonly detected herbicides found in the hydrologic environment. The environmental data presented here demonstrate the wide-scale occurrence of prometon in all components of the hydrologic system, particularly in the surface water and groundwater of urban areas.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2003

Selected applications of hydrologic science and research in Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C., 2001-2003

One of the roles of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is to provide reliable water data and unbiased water science needed to describe and understand the Nation?s water resources. This fact sheet describes selected techniques that were used by the USGS to collect, transmit, evaluate, or interpret data, in support of investigations that describe the quantity and quality of water resources in Maryland (MD), Delaware (DE), and the District of Columbia (D.C.). These hydrologic investigations generally were performed in cooperation with universities, research centers, and other Federal, State, and local Government agencies. The applications of hydrologic science and research that were selected for this fact sheet were used or tested in the MD-DE-DC District from 2001 through 2003, and include established methods, new approaches, and preliminary research. The USGS usually relies on standard methods or protocols when conducting water-resources research. Occasionally, traditional methods must be modified to address difficult environmental questions or challenging sampling conditions. Technologies developed for other purposes can sometimes be successfully applied to the collection or dissemination of water-resources data. The USGS is continually exploring new ways to collect, transmit, evaluate, and interpret data. The following applications of hydrologic science and research illustrate a few of the recent advances made by scientists working for and with the USGS.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2016

Nutrients in the nexus

Synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer has enabled modern agriculture to greatly improve human nutrition during the twentieth century, but it has also created unintended human health and environmental pollution challenges for the twenty-first century. Averaged globally, about half of the fertilizer-N applied to farms is removed with the crops, while the other half remains in the soil or is lost from farmers&rsquo; fields, resulting in water and air pollution. As human population continues to grow and food security improves in the developing world, the dual development goals of producing more nutritious food with low pollution will require both technological and socio-economic innovations in agriculture. Two case studies presented here, one in sub-Saharan Africa and the other in Midwestern United States, demonstrate how management of nutrients, water, and energy is inextricably linked in both small-scale and large-scale food production, and that science-based solutions to improve the efficiency of nutrient use can optimize food production while minimizing pollution. To achieve the needed large increases in nutrient use efficiency, however, technological developments must be accompanied by policies that recognize the complex economic and social factors affecting farmer decision-making and national policy priorities. Farmers need access to affordable nutrient supplies and support information, and the costs of improving efficiencies and avoiding pollution may need to be shared by society through innovative policies. Success will require interdisciplinary partnerships across public and private sectors, including farmers, private sector crop advisors, commodity supply chains, government agencies, university research and extension, and consumers.

Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences↗
USGS2024

Side-scan sonar as a tool for measuring fish populations: Current state of the science and future directions

Side-scan sonar (SSS) is a powerful tool that can be used to address many key questions in fisheries science. In principle, SSS uses dual transducers to transmit a narrow-beam, wide-angle acoustic signal as the survey vessel transits an area. The intensity of reflected sound is recorded to generate an image mosaic comprised of benthic substrates and targets in the water column, including organisms such as fish. Although SSS has been around for decades, recent advancements have opened new opportunities to leverage this technology to directly measure fish populations. In this paper, we review the current state of the science and identify opportunities to further refine SSS for fisheries applications.

Fisheries↗
USGS2012

Archive of single beam and swath bathymetry data collected nearshore of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi, from West Ship Island, Mississippi, to Dauphin Island, Alabama: Methods and data report for USGS Cruises 08CCT01 and 08CCT02, July 2008, and 09CCT03 and 09CCT04, June 2009

During the summers of 2008 and 2009 the USGS conducted bathymetric surveys from West Ship Island, Miss., to Dauphin Island, Ala., as part of the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) Ecosystem Change and Hazard Susceptibility project. The survey area extended from the shoreline out to approximately 2 kilometers and included the adjacent passes (fig. 1). The bathymetry was primarily used to create a topo-bathymetric map and provide a base-level assessment of the seafloor following the 2005 hurricane season. Additionally, these data will be used in conjunction with other geophysical data (chirp and side scan sonar) to construct a comprehensive geological framework of the Mississippi Barrier Island Complex. The culmination of the geophysical surveys will provide baseline bathymetry necessary for scientists to define and interpret seafloor habitat for this area and for scientists to predict future geomorpholocial changes of the islands with respect to climate change, storm impact, and sea-level rise. Furthermore, these data provide information for feasibility of barrier island restoration, particularly in Camille Cut, and for the preservation of historical Fort Massachusetts. For more information refer to http://ngom.usgs.gov/gomsc/mscip/index.html. Since bathymetric surveys have often been conducted for navigational purposes, soundings have traditionally been referenced to a water level datum using tide gages and tide models. Bathymetric measurements referenced to a Global Positioning System (GPS) is a more accurate way of representing water depth and has been implemented in the acquisition and processing procedures for these datasets. Previous single-beam bathymetric studies performed at the USGS Center for Coastal and Marine Science have successfully referenced bathymetric measurements to GPS (DeWitt and others, 2007; Hansen 2008 and 2009). The 2008-2009 bathymetry surveys were conducted as a test to (1) develop acquisition and processing technology utilizing both single beam and swath bathymetry survey methods together, (2) reference both types of measurements to GPS rather than water level, and (3) compare the differences between methods in acquisition and processing. Results of the survey are explained in greater detail within this report. To acquire suitable coverage of the study area in a limited time frame, the seafloor-elevation survey was conducted using three techniques: single-beam bathymetry, interferometric swath bathymetry, and a walking kinematic survey of the island shorelines. All three techniques utilized GPS measurements. Implementation of these techniques was executed concurrently yet independently aboard two research vessels: the RV Survey Cat , a 26-foot (ft) shallow-draft Glacier Bay Coastal Runner, and the 50-ft RV G.K. Gilbert . A portable push buggy with a rigid antenna mount served as the platform for the kinematic shoreline survey. Data from each survey technique was post-processed and edited independently with proper inclusion of the differentially processed external navigation files. The x,y,z components from each method were then combined and the two survey years (2008 and 2009) were merged into one dataset. The 2008 bathymetry data were processed at the USGS Center for Coastal and Marine Science in St. Petersburg, Fla., and the 2009 bathymetry data were processed at the USGS Coastal and Marine Science Center located in Woods Hole, Mass. This report serves as an archive of the processed single beam and interferometric swath bathymetry, outlines the methodology, and reports the results. Data products herein include gridded and interpolated digital depth surfaces, and x,y,z data products for both single beam and interferometric swath bathymetry. Additional files include trackline maps, navigation files, geographic information system (GIS) files, Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata. Scanned images of the handwritten FACS logs and digital FACS logs are also provided as PDF files. Refer to the Acronyms page for description of acronyms and abbreviations used in this report or hold the cursor over an acronym for a pop-up explanation. The USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center assigns a unique identifier to each cruise or field activity. For example, 08CCT01 indicates that the data were collected in 2008 for the Coastal Change and Transport (CCT) study and the data were collected during the first (01) field activity for that project in that calendar year. Refer to http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/infobank/programs/html/definition/activity.html for a detailed description of the method used to assign the field activity ID. See the digital FACS equipment log for details about the acquisition equipment used. Raw datasets are stored digitally at the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center and processed systematically using Novatel's GrafNav version 7.6, SANDS version 3.7, SEA SWATH plus version 3.06.04.03, CARIS HIPS AND SIPS version 3.6, and ESRI ArcGIS version 9.3.1. For more information on processing refer to the Equipment and Processing page. Chirp seismic data were also collected during these surveys and are archived separately.

Mississippi;Alabama↗
USGS2014

Occurrence and origin of Escherichia coli in water and sediments at two public swimming beaches at Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Camden County, Missouri, 2011-13

In the past several years, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has closed two popular public beaches, Grand Glaize Beach and Public Beach 1, at Lake of the Ozarks State Park in Osage Beach, Missouri when monitoring results exceeded the established Escherichia coli (E. coli) standard. As a result of the beach closures, the U.S. Geological Survey and Missouri University of Science and Technology, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, led an investigation into the occurrence and origins of E. coli at Grand Glaize Beach and Public Beach 1. The study included the collection of more than 1,300 water, sediment, and fecal source samples between August 2011 and February 2013 from the two beaches and vicinity. Spatial and temporal patterns of E. coli concentrations in water and sediments combined with measurements of environmental variables, beach-use patterns, and Missouri Department of Natural Resources water-tracing results were used to identify possible sources of E. coli contamination at the two beaches and to corroborate microbial source tracking (MST) sampling efforts. Results from a 2011 reconnaissance sampling indicate that water samples from Grand Glaize Beach cove contained significantly larger E. coli concentrations than adjacent coves and were largest at sites at the upper end of Grand Glaize Beach cove, indicating a probable local source of E. coli contamination within the upper end of the cove. Results from an intensive sampling effort during 2012 indicated that E. coli concentrations in water samples at Grand Glaize Beach cove were significantly larger in ankle-deep water than waist-deep water, trended downward during the recreational season, significantly increased with an increase in the total number of bathers at the beach, and were largest during the middle of the day. Concentrations of E. coli in nearshore sediment (sediment near the shoreline) at Grand Glaize Beach were significantly larger in foreshore samples (samples collected above the shoreline) than in samples collected in ankle-deep water below the shoreline, significantly larger in the left and middle areas of the beach than the right area, and substantially larger than similar studies at E. coli- contaminated beaches on Lake Erie in Ohio. Concentrations of E. coli in the water column also were significantly larger after resuspension of sediments. Results of MST indicate a predominance of waterfowl-associated markers in nearshore sediments at Grand Glaize Beach consistent with frequent observations of goose and vulture fecal matter in sediment, especially on the left and middle areas of the beach. The combination of spatial and temporal sampling and MST indicate that an important source of E. coli contamination at Grand Glaize Beach during 2012 was E. coli released into the water column by bathers resuspending E. coli-contaminated sediments, especially during high-use days early in the recreational season.

Missouri↗
USGS2024

Intersection of wildfire and legacy mining poses risk to water quality

Mining and wildfires are both landscape disturbances that pose elevated and substantial hazards to water supplies and ecosystems due to increased erosion and transport of sediment, metals, and debris to downstream waters. The risk to water supplies may be amplified when these disturbances occur in the same watershed. This work describes mechanisms by which the intersection of mining and wildfire may lead to elevated metal concentrations in downstream waters: (1) conveyance of metal-rich ash and soil to surface waters, (2) increased dissolution and transport of dissolved metals due to direct contact of precipitation with mine waste, (3) increased erosion and transport of metal-rich sediment from mining waste, (4) remobilization of previously deposited metal-contaminated floodplain sediment by higher postfire flood flows, and (5) increased metal transport from underground mine workings. Predicted increases in wildfire size, frequency, and burn severity, together with the ongoing need for metal resources, indicate that improved mapping, monitoring, modeling, and mitigation techniques are needed to manage the geochemical hazard of the intersection of wildfire and mining and implications for water availability.

Environmental Science and Technology↗
USGS2026

Fifteen years of WRTDS for advancing water-quality science: A critical review of methodological developments and global applications

Contamination by nutrients, major ions, and metals poses a major threat to global water sustainability. Understanding how these pollutants vary across time and space requires long-term monitoring and robust statistical approaches. Traditional methods, however, often struggle to account for streamflow variability, seasonality, and nonlinear responses. Introduced in 2010, the Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) method offers a flexible, data-driven framework that generates both observed and flow-normalized estimates of concentration and load. Over the past 15 years, WRTDS has become a state-of-the-art tool for water-quality science and management, with applications spanning a wide range of hydrologic, climatic, and policy contexts─including major watersheds across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Arctic. In this review of WRTDS, we document the method’s major advancements, examine its expanding geographic and thematic applications, and summarize its relevance to water-quality management programs and policies worldwide. We also discuss its performance relative to other regression and machine-learning approaches. Finally, we identify key priorities for future development to support the continued evolution of WRTDS as a trusted and practical tool for scientists and managers working to protect and sustain water resources.

Environmental Science and Technology↗
USGS2009

Inputs of fossil carbon from wastewater treatment plants to U.S. Rivers and oceans

Every day more than 500 million cubic meters of treated wastewater are discharged into rivers, estuaries, and oceans, an amount slightly less than the average flow of the Danube River. Typically, wastewaters have high organic carbon (OC) concentrations and represent a large fraction of total river flow and a higher fraction of river OC in densely populated watersheds. Here, we report the first direct measurements of radiocarbon ( 14 C) in municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. The radiocarbon ages of particulate and dissolved organic carbon (POC and DOC) in effluent are old and relatively uniform across a range of WWTPs in New York and Connecticut. Wastewater DOC has a mean radiocarbon age of 1630 ?? 500 years B.P. and a mean ?? 13 C of -26.0 ?? 1???. Mass balance calculations indicate that 25% of wastewater DOC is fossil carbon, which is likely derived from petroleumbased household products such as detergents and pharmaceuticals. Thesefindings warrant reevaluation of the "apparent age" of riverine DOC, the total flux of petroleum carbon to U.S. oceans, and OC source assignments in waters impacted by sewage. ?? 2009 American Chemical Society.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS1997

U.S. Geological Survey Subsidence Interest Group Conference; proceedings of the Technical Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada, February 14-16, 1995

Introduction to Papers: This report is a compilation of short papers that are based on oral presentations summarizing the results of recent research that were given at the third meeting of the Subsidence Interest Group held in Las Vegas, Nevada, February 14-16, 1995. The report includes case studies of land subsidence and aquifer-system deformation resulting from fluid withdrawal, geothermal development, and mine collapse. Methods for monitoring land subsidence using Global Positioning System technology for the rapid and accurate measurement of changes in land-surface altitude also are described. The current status of numerical simulation of land subsidence in the USGS is summarized, and several of the short papers deal with the development and application of new numerical techniques for simulation and quantification of aquifer system deformation. Not all oral presentations made at the meeting are documented in this report. Several of the presentations were of ongoing research and as such, the findings were provisional in nature and were offered at the meeting to stimulate scientific discussion and debate among colleagues. The information presented in this report, although only a subset of the proceedings of the meeting in Las Vegas, should help expand the scientific basis for management decisions to mitigate or control the effects of land subsidence. The short papers describing the results of these studies provide a cross section of ongoing research in aquifer mechanics and land subsidence and also form an assessment of the current technology and 'state of the science.' The analytical and interpretive methods described in this report will be useful to scientists involved in studies of ground-water hydraulics and aquifer-system deformation.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2004

Geographic Information Office

The Geographic Information Office (GIO) is the principal information office for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), focused on: Information Policy and Services, Information Technology, Science Information, Information Security, and the Federal Geographic Data Committee/Geospatial One Stop.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2015

Accuracy testing of steel and electric groundwater-level measuring tapes: Test method and in-service tape accuracy

The accuracy of groundwater-level tapes was investigated by developing a tape calibration method and device and testing the accuracy of a sample of groundwater-level tapes with the calibration method and device. The sample of tapes included in-service U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Center steel and electric groundwater-level tapes. The tape calibration method developed during the study is based on a National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) protocol, and compares the tape under calibration (test tape) with a NIST-traceable reference tape. The calibration method can be used to determine tape accuracy and tape corrections. The tape calibration device consists of an anchor and tensioner. The device allows individual tensioning of the test and reference tapes. The Vernier scale on the tensioner allows measurement of the difference (or displacement) between the test and reference tapes graduations with a resolution of 0.0005 foot (ft). The calibration method used with the calibration device has a repeatability (standard deviation) of 0.0011 ft. The calibration device and proposed method were used to calibrate a sample of in-service USGS steel and electric groundwater tapes. The sample of in-service groundwater steel tapes were in relatively good condition. All steel tapes, except one, were accurate to &plusmn;0.01 ft per 100 ft over their entire length. One steel tape, which had obvious damage in the first hundred feet, was marginally outside the accuracy of &plusmn;0.01 ft per 100 ft by 0.001 ft. The sample of in-service groundwater-level electric tapes were in a range of conditions&mdash;from like new, with cosmetic damage, to nonfunctional. The in-service electric tapes did not meet the USGS accuracy recommendation of &plusmn;0.01 ft. In-service electric tapes, except for the nonfunctional tape, were accurate to about &plusmn;0.03 ft per 100 ft. A comparison of new with in-service electric tapes found that steel-core electric tapes maintained their length and accuracy better than electric tapes without a steel core. The in-service steel tapes could be used as is and achieve USGS accuracy recommendations for groundwater-level measurements. The in-service electric tapes require tape corrections to achieve USGS accuracy recommendations for groundwater-level measurement.

Open-File Report↗