Emerging Contaminants in the Environment

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During the National Stream Reconnaissance for Emerging Contaminants Project USGS scientists collected water samples from a network of 139 streams across 30 states during 1999 and 2000

The USGS collected water samples from 11 stream sites in the Croton Wateshed (a drinking-water resource for New York City) during 2000 for the National Stream Reconnaissance for Emerging Contaminants Project

Hydraulic technician collecting a water sample from the Jordan River, UT, for the National Stream Reconnaissance for Emerging Contaminants Project

Downstream view of the Little Arkansas River near Sedqwick, KS, where sediment and water samples were collected for an Emerging Contaminants Investigation

This location on the North Branch Boardman River, MI, was used to represent “background” conditions (theoretical uncontaminated conditions) for the National Stream Reconnaissance for Emerging Contaminants Project

Field technicians measuring field parameters with a multiparameter meter in a stream during a reconnaissance study of emerging contaminants in the environment

Experienced personnel use proven methods that enable representative environmental samples to be collected from a well in the well network for the National Ground-Water Reconnaissance for Emerging Contaminants Project

View of a wellhead in Idaho that was sampled for the National Ground-Water Reconnaissance for Emerging Contaminants Project

Filling a sample bottle for analysis of emerging contaminants during the National Ground-Water Reconnaissance for Emerging Contaminants Project

Idaho Department of Environmental Quality scientist and a landowner (behind the first person) are taking a water-level measurement from a well that’s part of the network used for the National Ground-Water Reconnaissance for Emerging Contaminants Project

USGS scientists sample for bacteria in ground water at Clinch Beach, Traverse City, MI

USGS scientist with a sediment sampler on the banks of the South Platte River, CO, during a sampling trip for the National Streambed-Sediment Reconnaissance for Emerging Contaminants Project

USGS scientist sampling sediments from the South Platte River, CO, for the National Streambed-Sediment Reconnaissance for Emerging Contaminants Project

During 2001, 76 water samples were collected upstream and downstream of selected towns and cities during the Iowa Urban Study of emerging contaminants

Sample processing of water collected at a drinking-water-plant intake with a cone splitter -- Caloosahatchee River, FL. USGS has conducted a national reconnaissance of the occurrence of emerging contaminants in source waters

As part of the USGS’s national reconnaissance of the occurrence of emerging contaminants in source waters, scientists collected water samples near intake structures for water-supply plants. Here a USGS technician on a water-quality sampling boat is operating a crane with a water-quality sampler attached -- Duck River, TN

An intake structure for a water-supply plant on the Duck River, TN, where USGS scientists collected water samples for a national reconnaissance of the occurrence of emerging contaminants in source waters

USGS scientists use state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and technologies to test for traces of emerging contaminants in water, sediment, and animal tissue

USGS scientist operating a liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) instrument used to measure emerging contaminants in water

USGS scientist examining results of chromatographic analysis for emerging contaminants in water

An accelerated solvent extractor used to process soil samples for the determination of pesticides and pharmaceuticals in soil

USGS scientists use an automated accelerated solvents extractor to prepare soil samples from a confined animal feeding operation for analysis of antibiotics

A liquid chromatograph coupled to a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer (LC/MS/MS) that is used for the quantitative analysis of polar organic molecules, such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals

USGS scientists analyze water samples for pharmaceuticals at environmentally relevant concentrations with an LC/MS/MS instrument capable of detecting ultra-trace concentrations

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is one of several types of DNA-based methods used to detect genes (white bands in this picture) in bacteria

Emerging contaminants can originate from a variety of animal- and human-waste sources such as this hog production facility

Emerging contaminants can originate from a variety of animal- and human-waste sources such as this wastewater treatment plant

Wastewater discharges, such as this one in Arizona, were sampled by USGS scientists as part of a study of the persistence of selected emerging contaminants in streams receiving wastewater effluent

USGS scientists sampled manures from confined animal feeding operations, such as this one in New York, as part of the Source Characterization Study

Manures from confined animal feeding operations, such as this chicken house in Ohio, were sampled as part of the Source Characterization Study for Emerging Contaminants Project

Field technicians retrieved samples from sewers for analysis of emerging contaminants as part of the Source Characterization Study for Emerging Contaminants Project

The USGS conducted a study to determine the persistence of selected emerging contaminants in streams receiving wastewater effluent

The USGS and its partners conducted a study to determine the temporal occurrence and persistence of emerging contaminants in an effluent-dependent stream

The USGS and its partners conducted a study to determine the diel variability of emerging contaminants in an effluent-dependent stream

Waste samples being collected from an onsite wastewater system for analysis of emerging contaminants. A strict protocol was followed to prevent contamination of the samples (Photo courtesy of the Colorado School of Mines)

Researchers from the USGS collected ground-water samples for analysis of emerging contaminants upgradient and downgradient of the Norman Municipal Landfill, OK

Waste samples being collected from a swine manure holding pond in Iowa for a study of veterinary antibiotics in the environment

Filling sample bottles with liquid collected from a municipal holding pond in Colorado as part of the Source Characterization Study for Emerging Contaminants Project. The multiple sample bottles are required for the analysis of different classes of emerging contaminant compounds

Measuring field parameters (pH, temperature, specific conductance) of a sample liquid waste collected from a municipal holding pond in Colorado as part of the Source Characterization Study for Emerging Contaminants Project

USGS scientist using a long sampling device to collect a sample of liquid from a municipal holding pond in Colorado as part of the Source Characterization Study for Emerging Contaminants Project

USGS scientists collecting a manure sample for the analysis of antibiotics from a farm in Iowa as part of the Source Characterization Study for Emerging Contaminants Project

Typical fish hatchery sampled for emerging contaminants to determine the occurrence of antibiotics in water from fish hatcheries

A fish tank used to expose fish to wastewater effluent in a controlled laboratory experiment for the Emerging Contaminants Investigation

The hydraulics of the two stream reaches, Boulder Creek, CO, and Fourmile Creek, IA, being investigated to determine the hydrologic and geochemical processes that govern the distribution and transport of emerging contaminants in streams

Adding Rhodamine WT dye to Fourmile Creek, IA, during a dye-tracing test to determine traveltimes used to understand the distribution and transport of emerging contaminants in streams

Bacteria are tested for resistance to antimicrobials using standard assays. Here the bacteria are resistant to one of three antibiotics

Collecting soil samples for laboratory experiments on the transport of emerging contaminants through soil

Laboratory equipment used for soil-column experiments on the transport of emerging contaminants through soil

View of the base of a soil column used to study the transport of emerging contaminants through soil. Effluent that traveled through the soil column was collected at the base of the column. The sensor inserted into the column on the right side monitored the temperature of the effluent

Splitting a large-volume sample from a soil-column study on the transport of emerging contaminants through soil into smaller samples for later analysis

Pressurized filtration unit used to filter liquid waste samples from the Source Characterization Study for Emerging Contaminants Project. Filtered samples were analyzed for a suite of human pharmaceuticals and household and industrial compounds