Simulation of regional groundwater flow and advective transport of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and vicinity, New Jersey, 2018
Alex R. Fiore, Susan J. Colarullo
2023, Open-File Report 2022-1112
A three-dimensional numerical model of groundwater flow was developed and calibrated for the unconsolidated New Jersey Coastal Plain aquifers underlying Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) and vicinity, New Jersey, to evaluate groundwater flow pathways of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination associated with use of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) at...
Juxtaposition of intensive agriculture, vulnerable aquifers, and mixed chemical/microbial exposures in private-well tapwater in northeast Iowa
Paul M. Bradley, Dana W. Kolpin, Darrin A. Thompson, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly L. Smalling, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Mary C. Cardon, David M. Cwiertny, Nicola Evans, R. William Field, Michael J. Focazio, Laura E. Beane Freeman, Carrie E. Givens, James L. Gray, Gordon L. Hager, Michelle L. Hladik, Jonathan N. Hoffman, Rena R. Jones, Leslie K. Kanagy, Rachael F. Lane, R. Blaine McCleskey, Danielle Medgyesi, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Shannon M. Meppelink, Michael T. Meyer, Diana A. Stavreva, Mary H. Ward
2023, Environmental Science and Technology: Water (868)
In the United States and globally, contaminant exposure in unregulated private-well point-of-use tapwater (TW) is a recognized public-health data gap and an obstacle to both risk-management and homeowner decision making. To help address the lack of data on broad contaminant exposures in private-well TW...
Gross alpha-particle activity and high 226Ra concentrations do not correspond with high 210Po in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain aquifers of the United States
Zoltan Szabo, Charles A. Cravotta III, Paul E. Stackelberg, Kenneth Belitz
2023, Environmental Science & Technology Water (3) 262-274
210Po, which is of human-health concern based on lifetime ingestion cancer risk, is indirectly regulated in drinking water through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s gross alpha-particle activity (GAPA) maximum contaminant level of 15 pCi/L (picocuries per liter). This regulation requires independent measurement of 226Ra for samples exceeding...
Wild bee exposure to pesticides in conservation grasslands increases along an agricultural gradient: A tale of two sample types
Michelle L. Hladik, Johanna M. Kraus, Cassandra Smith, Mark W. Vandever, Dana W. Kolpin, Carrie E. Givens, Kelly L. Smalling
2023, Environmental Science and Technology (57) 321-330
Conservation efforts have been implemented in agroecosystems to enhance pollinator diversity by creating grassland habitat, but little is known about the exposure of bees to pesticides while foraging in these grassland fields. Pesticide exposure was assessed in 24 conservation grassland fields along an agricultural gradient at two time points (July...
Bottled water contaminant exposures and potential human effects
Paul M. Bradley, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly L. Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Nicola Evans, Suzanne C. Fitzpatrick, Carrie E. Givens, Stephanie E. Gordon, James L. Gray, Emily M. Green, Dale W. Griffin, Michelle L. Hladik, Leslie K. Kanagy, John T. Lisle, Keith A. Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Ana Navas-Acien, David A. Roth, Paul F. South, Christopher P. Weis
2023, Environment International (171)
Bottled water (BW) consumption in the United States and globally has increased amidst heightened concern about environmental contaminant exposures and health risks in drinking water supplies, despite a paucity of directly comparable, environmentally-relevant contaminant exposure data for BW. This study provides insight into exposures and cumulative risks to...
Estrogenic activity response to best management practice implementation in agricultural watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Stephanie E. Gordon, Tyler Wagner, Kelly L. Smalling, Olivia H. Devereux
2023, Journal of Environmental Management (326)
Best management practices (BMPs) have been predominantly used throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed (CBW) to reduce nutrients and sediments entering streams, rivers, and the bay. These practices have been successful in reducing loads entering the estuary and have shown the potential to reduce other...
Potential health effects of contaminant mixtures from point and nonpoint sources on fish and frogs in the New Jersey Pinelands
Sara E. Breitmeyer, Heather L. Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer, John F. Bunnell, Patrick M. Burritt, Jeff Dragon, Michelle L. Hladik, Paul M. Bradley, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly L. Smalling
2022, Science of the Total Environment (851)
Aquatic ecosystems convey complex contaminant mixtures from anthropogenic pollution on a global scale. Point (e.g., municipal wastewater) and nonpoint sources (e.g., stormwater runoff) are both drivers of contaminant mixtures in aquatic habitats. The objectives of this study were to identify the contaminant mixtures present in surface waters impacted by both...
Tracking geomorphic changes after suburban development with a high density of green stormwater infrastructure practices in Montgomery County, Maryland
Brianna M. Williams, Kristina G. Hopkins, Marina J. Metes, Daniel K. Jones, Stephanie E. Gordon, William B. Hamilton
2022, Geomorphology (414)
Stream morphology is affected by changes on the surrounding landscape. Understanding the effects of urbanization on stream morphology is a critical factor for land managers to maintain and improve vulnerable stream corridors in urbanizing landscapes. Stormwater practices are used in urban landscapes to...
Microbial community response to a bioaugmentation test to degrade trichloroethylene in a fractured rock aquifer, Trenton, N.J
Jennifer C. Underwood, Denise M. Akob, Michelle M. Lorah, Thomas E. Imbrigiotta, Ronald W. Harvey, Claire R. Tiedeman
2022, Microbial Ecology (98)
Bioaugmentation is a promising strategy for enhancing trichloroethylene (TCE) degradation in fractured rock. However, slow or incomplete biodegradation can lead to stalling at degradation byproducts such as 1,2-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC). Over the course of 7 years, we examined the response of groundwater microbial populations in a...
Power analysis for detecting the effects of best management practices on reducing nitrogen and phosphorus fluxes to the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA
Paul McLaughlin, Richard Alexander, Joel D. Blomquist, Olivia H. Devereux, Gregory E. Noe, Tyler Wagner, Kelly L. Smalling
2022, Ecological Indicators (136) 1-12
In 2010 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) which is a “pollution diet” that aims to reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus entering the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States, by 25 and 24% percent, respectively. To achieve this goal...
Lessons learned from 20 y of monitoring suburban development with distributed stormwater management in Clarksburg, Maryland, USA
Kristina G. Hopkins, Sean Woznicki, Brianna M. Williams, Charles C. Stillwell, Eric Naibert, Marina J. Metes, Daniel K. Jones, Dianna M. Hogan, Natalie Celeste Hall, Rosemary M. Fanelli, Aditi S. Bhaskar
2022, Freshwater Science (41) 459-476
Urban development is a well-known stressor for stream ecosystems, presenting a challenge to managers tasked with mitigating its effects. For the past 20 y, streamflow, water quality, geomorphology, and benthic communities were monitored in 5 watersheds in Montgomery County, Maryland, USA. This study presents a synthesis of...
Site- and individual-level contaminations affect infection prevalence of an emerging infectious disease of amphibians
Kelly L. Smalling, Brittany A. Mosher, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Keith A. Loftin, Adam Boehlke, Michelle L. Hladik, Carly R. Muletz-Wolz, Nandadevi Cortes-Rodriguez, Robin Femmer, Evan H. Campbell Grant
2022, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (41) 781-791
Emerging infectious disease outbreaks are one of multiple stressors responsible for amphibian declines globally. In the northeastern United States, ranaviral diseases are prevalent in amphibians and other ectothermic species, but there is still uncertainty as to whether their presence is leading to population level effects. Further, there is also uncertainty...
A borehole test for chlorinated solvent diffusion and degradation rates in sedimentary rock
Richelle M. Allen-King, Rebecca L. Kiekhaefer, Daniel J. Goode, Paul A. Hsieh, Michelle M. Lorah, Thomas E. Imbrigiotta
2022, Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation (42) 23-34
We present a new field measurement and numerical interpretation method (combined termed ‘test’) to parameterize the diffusion of trichloroethene (TCE) and its biodegradation products (DPs) from the matrix of sedimentary rock. The method uses a dual-packer system to interrogate a low-permeability section of the rock matrix adjacent to a previously...
Food, beverage, and feedstock processing facility wastewater: A unique and underappreciated source of contaminants to U.S. streams
Laura E. Hubbard, Dana W. Kolpin, Carrie E. Givens, Bradley D. Blackwell, Paul M. Bradley, James L. Gray, Rachael F. Lane, Jason R. Masoner, R. Blaine McCleskey, Kristin M. Romanok, Mark W. Sandstrom, Kelly L. Smalling, Daniel L. Villeneuve
2022, Environmental Science & Technology (56) 1028-1040
Process wastewaters from food, beverage, and feedstock facilities, although regulated, are an under-investigated environmental contaminant source. Food process wastewaters (FPWWs) from 23 facilities in 17 U.S. states were sampled and documented for a plethora of chemical and microbial contaminants. Of the 576 analyzed organics, 184 (32%) were detected at least...
The statistical power to detect regional temporal trends in riverine contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA
Tyler Wagner, Paul McLaughlin, Kelly L. Smalling, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Stephanie E. Gordon, Gregory E. Noe
2022, Science of the Total Environment (812)
Chemical contamination of riverine ecosystems is largely a result of urbanization, industrialization, and agricultural activities occurring on adjacent terrestrial landscapes. Land management activities (e.g., Best Management Practices) are an important tool used to reduce point and non-point sources of pollution. However, the ability to confidently make inferences about the efficacy...
Populations using public-supply groundwater in the conterminous U.S. 2010; Identifying the wells, hydrogeologic regions, and hydrogeologic mapping units
Tyler D. Johnson, Kenneth Belitz, Leon J. Kauffman, Elise Watson, John T. Wilson
2022, Science of the Total Environment (806)
Most Americans receive their drinking water from publicly supplied sources, a large portion of it from groundwater. Mapping these populations consistently and at a high resolution is important for understanding where the resource is used and needs to be protected. The results show that...
Hydrogeologic framework, water levels, and selected contaminant concentrations at Valmont TCE Superfund Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, 2020
Lisa A. Senior, Alex R. Fiore, Philip H. Bird
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1093
The Valmont TCE Superfund Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania is underlain by fractured and folded sandstones and shales of the Pottsville and Mauch Chunk Formations, which form a fractured-rock aquifer recharged locally by precipitation. Industrial activities at the former Chromatex Plant resulted in trichloroethene (TCE) contamination of groundwater at and near...
Integrated science for the study of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment—A strategic science vision for the U.S. Geological Survey
Andrea K. Tokranov, Paul M. Bradley, Michael J. Focazio, Douglas B. Kent, Denis R. LeBlanc, Jeff W. McCoy, Kelly L. Smalling, Jeffery A. Steevens, Patricia L. Toccalino
2021, Circular 1490
Concerns related to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in sources of drinking water and in natural and engineered environments have captured national attention over the last few decades. This report provides an overview of the science gaps that exist in the fields of study related to PFAS that are relevant...
Juvenile African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) express growth, metamorphosis, mortality, gene expression, and metabolic changes when exposed to thiamethoxam and clothianidin
Jill Jenkins, Katherine R. Hartop, Ghadeer Bukhari, Debra E. Howton, Kelly L. Smalling, Scott Mize, Michelle L. Hladik, Darren Johnson, Rassa Dale, Bonnie L. Brown
2021, International Journal of Molecular Sciences (22)
Neonicotinoids (NEO) represent the main class of insecticides currently in use, with thiamethoxam (THX) and clothianidin (CLO) primarily applied agriculturally. With few comprehensive studies having been performed with non-target amphibians, the aim was to investigate potential biomarker responses along an adverse outcome pathway of NEO exposure, whereby...
Simulation of potential water allocation changes, Cape May County, New Jersey
Glen B. Carleton
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5052
Saltwater intrusion and declining water levels have been a water-supply problem in Cape May County, New Jersey, for decades. Cape May County is surrounded by saltwater on three sides. Several communities in the county have only one aquifer from which freshwater withdrawals can be made, and that sole source is...
Factors affecting uncertainty of public supply, self-supplied domestic, irrigation, and thermoelectric water-use data, 1985–2015—Evaluation of information sources, estimation methods, and data variability
Carol L. Luukkonen, Kenneth Belitz, Samantha L. Sullivan, Pierre Sargent
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5082
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water-Use Program is responsible for compiling and disseminating the Nation's water-use data. Working in cooperation with local, State, and Federal agencies, the USGS has collected and published national water-use estimates every 5 years, beginning in 1950. These water-use data may vary because of actual changes...
Hydrogeology and gain/loss assessment of two lakes contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, vicinity of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, 2020–21
Alex R. Fiore, Christopher M. Witzigman, Robert G. Reiser
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5107
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been identified in two lakes near Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) in New Jersey—Little Pine Lake in Pemberton Township and Pine Lake in Manchester Township. The streams that enter these lakes begin in or near JBMDL where sources of PFAS contamination are located. The U.S....
Evaluating the impact of watershed development and climate change on stream ecosystems: A Bayesian network modeling approach
Song S. Qian, Jonathan G. Kennen, Jason May, Mary Freeman, Thomas F Cuffney
2021, Water Research (205)
A continuous-variable Bayesian network (cBN) model is used to link watershed development and climate change to stream ecosystem indicators. A graphical model, reflecting our understanding of the connections between climate change, weather condition, loss of natural land cover, stream flow characteristics, and stream ecosystem indicators is used as the basis for...
Assessing the ecological functionality and integrity of natural ponds, excavated ponds and stormwater basins for conserving amphibian diversity
Kelly L. Smalling, Sara E. Breitmeyer, John F. Bunnell, Kim J Laidig, Patrick Burritt, Marilyn Sobel, Jonathan Cohl, Michelle L. Hladik, Kristin M. Romanok, Paul M. Bradley
2021, Global Ecology and Conservation (30)
Wetlands provide ecological functionality by maintaining and promoting regional biodiversity supporting quality habitat for aquatic organisms. Globally, habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation due to increases in agricultural activities and urban development have reduced or altered geographically isolated wetlands, thus reducing biodiversity. The objective...
Simulation of water-table response to sea-level rise and change in recharge, Sandy Hook unit, Gateway National Recreation Area, New Jersey
Glen B. Carleton, Emmanuel G. Charles, Alex R. Fiore, Richard B. Winston
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5080
The Sandy Hook Unit, Gateway National Recreation Area (hereafter Sandy Hook) in New Jersey is a 10-kilometer-long spit visited by thousands of people each year who take advantage of the historical and natural resources and recreational opportunities. The historical and natural resources are threatened by global climate change, including sea-level...
