Water-quality trends in suburban Houston, Texas, 1954-97, as indicated by sediment cores from Lake Houston
Fact Sheet
040-02
In cooperation with the City of Houston
By: P. C. Van Metre and D. A. Sneck-Fahrer
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (html)
- Document: Report (17.0 MB pdf)
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Water-quality trends were assessed in Lake Houston using age-dated sediment cores. Sediments deposited in the lake contain a partial chemical signature of human activities in the watershed. Over time, a water-quality history is recorded in the bottom sediments. Although the sediments in Lake Houston are clean compared to sediment-quality guidelines, increasing concentrations of mercury, zinc, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during the past several decades are evidence of the increasing human effect on water quality. The positive effects of regulation are indicated by decreases in concentrations of lead and DDT.
Study Area
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Water-quality trends in suburban Houston, Texas, 1954-97, as indicated by sediment cores from Lake Houston |
| Series title | Fact Sheet |
| Series number | 040-02 |
| DOI | 10.3133/fs04002 |
| Year Published | 2002 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Contributing office(s) | Texas Water Science Center |
| Description | HTML Document; Report: 6 p. |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| Other Geospatial | Lake Houston watershed |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |