Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory

Water Quality Surveys

The survey and reconnaissance work consists of measuring pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and their degradation products in ground water, surface water, lakes, reservoirs, rainfall, and other water bodies and relating their occurrences to hydrology, water chemistry, and various geochemical processes.

Background and Facilities

The principle mission of the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, is to investigate the occurrence, quantity, quality, and movement of surface and ground water throughout the Nation. Each State has a USGS office that contributes to these hydrologic studies. The Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory consists of a research team located in the Kansas District office in Lawrence, which is part of the Central Region, and works closely with other USGS District offices on these surveys.

Research Cooperators

• Joint Funding Agreements
• Minnesota
• Florida
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• U.S. Geological Survey
• National Water Quality Assessment Program
• Toxics Program, Headquarters, Reston, VA
• Districts
• California
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Minnesota
• New Jersey
• New York
• South Dakota

Accomplishments of Water-Quality Surveys

• Surface-Water Runoff Triazine Study, 1989-90
• Rainwater Triazine Study, 1990-91
• Storm Events Triazine Study, 1990-91
• Ground Water Triazine Study, 1991-92
• Lakes and Reservoirs Triazine Study, 1992-93
• Mississippi River Flood Triazine Study, 1993
• 2,4-D NAWQA Study, 1993
• Atrazine Label Study 1994-95
• Mississippi Cotton and Rice Study, 1996-98
• Emerging Contaminants and Antibiotics, 1999-2005
• Glyphosate Ground and Surface Water, 2000-2005
• Chlorothalonil Ground and Surface Water, 2003-2005
• Algal Toxins in Surface Water, 2006

Selected Water Quality References

1. Coupe, R.H., Thurman, E.M., and Zimmerman, L.R., 1998, Relation of Usage to the Occurrence of Cotton and Rice Herbicides in Three Streams of the Mississippi Delta: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 32, p. 3673-3680.

2. Dietze, J.E., Scribner, E.A., Meyer, M.T., and Kolpin, D.W., 2005, Occurrence of Antibiotics in Water from 13 Fish Hatcheries, 2001-2003: International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, v. 85, no. 15, December 2005, p. 1141-1152

3. Goolsby, D.A., Battaglin, W.A., Fallon, J.D., Aga, D.S., Kolpin, D.W., and Thurman, E.M., 1996, Persistence of Herbicides in Selected Reservoirs in the Midwestern United States: Some Preliminary Results: Iowa Groundwater Quarterly, v. 7, no. 2, p. 11-16.

4. Kolpin, D.W., Furlong, E.T., Meyer, M.T., Thurman, E.M., Zaugg, S.D., Barber, L.B., and Buxton, H.T., 2002, Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in U.S. Streams, 1999-2000: A National Reconnaissance, Environ. Sci Technol., v. 36, p. 1202-1211.

5. Kolpin, D.W., Kalkhoff, S.J., Goolsby, D.A., Sneck-Fahrer, D.A., and Thurman, E.M., 1997, Occurrence of Selected Herbicides and Herbicide Degradation Products in Iowa's Ground Water, 1995: Ground Water, v. 35, no. 4, p. 679-688.

6. Kolpin, D.W., Nations, B.K., Goolsby, D.A., and Thurman, E.M., 1996, Acetochlor in the Hydrologic System in the Midwestern United States, 1994: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 30, no. 5, p. 1459-1464.

7. Kolpin, D.W., Skopec, Mary, Meyer, M.T, Furlong, E.T., and Zaugg, S.D., 2004, Urban contribution of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants to streams during differing flow conditions, Sci Total Environment, v. 328, p.119-130.

8. Phillips, P.J., Wall, G.R., Thurman, E.M., Eckhardt, D.A, and Vanhoesen J., 1999, Metolachlor and its Metabolites in Tile Drain and Stream Runoff in the Canajoharie Creek Watershed: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 33, no. 20, p. 3531-3537.

9. Scribner, E.A., Battaglin, W.A., Dietze, J.E., and Thurman, E.M., 2003, Reconnaissance Data for Glyphosate, Other Selected Herbicides, Their Degradation Products, and Antibiotics in 51 Streams in nine Midwestern States, 2002: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-217, 101 p.

10. Scribner, E.A., Battaglin, W.A., Goolsby, D.A., Thurman, E.M., 2000, Changes in Herbicide Concentrations in Midwestern Streams in Relation to Changes in Use: The Science of the Total Environment, v. 248, p. 255-263.

11. Scribner, E.A., Dietze, J.E., and Thurman, E.M., 2004, Acetamide Herbicides and Their Degradation Products in Ground Water and Surface Water of the United States, 1993-2003, U.S. Geological Survey, Data Series 88, 252 p.

12. Thurman, E.M., Dietze, J.E., and Scribner, E.A., 2002, Occurrence of Antibiotics in Water from Fish Hatcheries: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet GS-120-02.

13. Thurman, E.M., Goolsby, D.A., Meyer, M.T., and Kolpin, D.W., 1991, Herbicides in Surface Waters of the Midwestern United States--The Effect of Spring Flush: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 25, p. 1794-1796.

14. Thurman, E.M., Goolsby, D.A., Meyer, M.T., Mills, M.S., Pomes, M.L., and Kolpin, D.W., 1992, A Reconnaissance Study of Herbicides and Their Metabolites in Surface Water of the Midwestern United States Using Immunoassay and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 26, no.12, p. 2440-2447.

15. Thurman, E.M., Zimmerman, L.R., Aga, D.S., and Gilliom, R.J., 2001, Regional Water-Quality Analysis of 2,4-D and Dicamba in River Water using Gas Chromatography-Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry, Intern. J. Environ. Anal. Chem., v. 79(3), p. 185-198.

16. Zimmerman, L.R., Schneider, R.J., and Thurman, E.M., 2002, Analysis and Detection of the Herbicides Dimethenamid and Flufenacet and Their Sulfonic and Oxanilic Acid Degradates in Natural Water, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, v. 50, No. 5, p.1045-1052.

17. Zimmerman, L.R., Thurman, E.M., and Bastian, K.C., 2000, Detection of Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Mississippi Delta Using Semipermeable Membrane Devices: The Science of the Total Environment, v. 248, p. 169-180.