Chemistry

Chemistry research in the Contaminant Biology Program is focused at the Columbia Environmental Research Branch. Environmental chemistry researchers develop analytical methods and techniques for measuring chemicals in biota and aquatic, terrestrial and atmospheric environments and for estimating the potential for chemical pollutants to concentrate in fish and other aquatic life. This information is an integral part of many risk assessments and hazard assessments at contaminated sites. Continual improvements in the performance of the analytical methods enable research to measure new chemical pollutants, improve the detection of contaminants, and improve the value (lower the cost) of analysis.

Analytical Chemistry

• Brominated Flame Retardants in the Environment. Download the fact sheet. (1.85 MB, PDF) (CERC) (keywords: PBDE, HBCD, BFR)

• Chemical Stressors in Great Lakes Biota (GLSC)
  
  
• Contaminant Biology, Great Lakes Science Center (Fact Sheet) (GLSC)
  
  
• Mark Twain NationalForest: Investigation of Elemental Bioaccumulation in Springs, Streams, and Rivers of the Due to Mining Impacts (CERC)
  
  
• Missouri Department of Conservation Fish Contaminants Monitoring Program 2005-2008: PCBs, Pesticides, Toxic Elements and Brominated Flame Retardants (CERC)
  
  
• Mokapu:Diphacinone Residues in Sea Water, Invertebrates, Vertebrates and Bait Pellet Formulations Following February 2008 Eradication of Polynesian Rats (Rattus exulans) from Mokapu Island, Hawaii (CERC)
  
  
• Review of BEST Methods Suite (CERC)
  
  
• Shenandoah River: Investigation of fish kills and intersex phenomenon in the North Fork of the Shenandoah River (CERC)

Passive Samplers/Membrane Devices as Exposure Surrogates

Knowledge of the types and amounts of biologically available trace contaminants in the environment is a fundamental part of assessing the overall quality of ecosystems and critical habitats. Unfortunately, this key information is often unavailable because of the transient nature of chemical spills, pesticide applications and effluent discharges, and the limited ability to detect very low levels of environmental contaminants. USGS researchers have developed a suite of passive samplers to use in these situations. Examples of such technologies include semi permeable membrane devices (SPMDs), polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS), stabilized liquid membrane devices (SLMDs).

• Columbia Environmental Research Center's Passive Sampling (CERC)
  
  
  • SPMD  semipermeable membrane device
    Development and Application of Semipermeable Membrane Devices (SPMDs) as Environmental Dosimeters for Contaminants in Water, Air, Sediment and Soil
    
    
  • POCIS  polar organic chemical integrative sampler 
    Download POCIS info sheet (PDF), plus a slide show (currently unavailable)
    
    
  • PIMS  passive integrative mercury sampler  (PIMS info sheet)
    
    
  • SLMD  stabilized liquid membrane device  (SLMD info sheet)
    
    
• Development and Validation of a Potentially Non-lethal Sampling Strategy for Environmental Contaminants of Concern in the NPS Ozark National Scenic Riverways (CERC)
  
  
• Emerging Contaminants: Chemical Sampling and Measurement Approaches (CERC)
  
  
• Estrogenic Activity Levels in Chemicals Sequestered by Passive Samplers from Lake Mead, NV (CERC) (Also related to Toxicology: Aquatic Toxicity Information)
  
  
• Evaluation of Contaminant Risks to the Endangered Tumbling Creek Cavesnail (CERC)
  
  
• Investigation of Contaminant Effects of Frog Development at Kenai NWR, Alaska (CERC)
  
  
• Lake Mead Endocrine Disrupting Contaminants Investigation: Passive Sampling of Estrogenics, Method Development, Contaminants Analyses (CERC)
  
  
• Ozark Cavefish: Monitoring their Water Quality (PWRC)
  
  
• Potential Endocrine Disruptors in the Potomac River Watershed Using Passive Samplers (PWRC) (Also related to Toxicology: Endocrine Disruption)
  
  
• Shenandoah River: Investigation of fish kills and intersex phenomenon in the North Fork of the Shenandoah River (CERC)
  
  
• Bryant, W.L., Goodbred, S.L., Leiker, T.L., Inouye, Laura, and Johnson, B.T., 2007, Use of chemical analysis and assays of semipermeable membrane devices extracts to assess the response of bioavailable organic pollutants in streams to urbanization in six metropolitan areas of the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5113  - USGS scientists from Biology Discipline and the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program conducted a collaborative study to assess the occurrence and potential toxicity of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in urban streams from six metropolitan areas in the U.S. in 2003 and 2004. The results released in this scientific investigation report show that PAHs were the most common class of HOCs detected and concentrations predictably increased in streams as the percentage of urban land use increased in the basin. Although 79 compounds were detected only three, anthracene, diazinon and dieldrin, had concentrations above toxicological benchmarks.
  
  
• Virtual Fish:  SPMD Basics (CERC)