Origin, Fate, and Transport of Organic Compounds in Surface and Ground Waters and Their Effect on Water Quality

There is a general lack of knowledge of fundamental processes governing the fate and transport of anthropogenic organic compounds in surface and ground waters. Interactions of organic contaminants with natural organic coatings on sediments and aquifer porous media are not well understood. Furthermore, abiotic and biological transformations of organic contaminants in surface and ground waters require extensive fundamental investigations if their effects on Water Quality are to be understood. Objectives are to (1) determine physicochemical and biological processes, controlling the fate and transport of organic compounds in surface and ground waters; (2) determine bioavailability of hydrophobic organic contaminants to stream biota; and (3) study transport of organic compounds from rivers through estuarine systems.

REPORTS PUBLISHED 2000-2002

Hostettler, F.D., and Kvenvolden, K.A., 2002, Alkylcyclohexanes in environmental geochemistry: Proceedings of the Twenty-fifth Arctic and Marine Oilspill Program (AMOP) Technical Seminar, June 11-13, 2002, Alberta, Canada, Vol. 1, p. 489-502.

Kvenvolden, K.A., Hostettler, F.D., Rosenbauer, R.J., Lorenson, T.L., Castle, W.T., and Sugarman, S., 2002, Hydrocarbons in recent sediment of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary: Marine Geology, v. 181, p. 101-113. (on-line abstract)

Lorensen, T.D., Kvenvolden, K.A., Hostettler, F.D., Rosenbauer, R.J., Orange, D.L., and Martin, J.B., 2002, Hydrocarbon geochemistry of cold seeps in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary: Marine Geology, v. 181, p. 285-304. (on-line abstract)

Stanley, G.R., Jachens, R.C., Lillis, P.G., Mclaughlin, R.J., Kvenvolden, K.A., Hostettler, F.D., McDougall, K.A., and Magoon, L.B., 2002, Subsurface and petroleum geology of the Southwestern Santa Clara Valley ("Silicon Valley"), California: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1663, 55p.

Taylor, C.J., and Hostettler, F.D., 2002, Hydrogeologic framework and geochemistry of ground water and petroleum in the Silurian-Devonian carbonate aquifer, south-central Louisville, Kentucky: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4123, 3 sheets.

Hostettler, F.D., Rostad, C.E., Kvenvolden, K.A., Delin, G.N., Putnam, L.D., Kolak, J.J., Chaplin, B.P., and Schaap, B.D., 2001, Hydrologic setting and geochemical characterization of free-phase hydrocarbons in the alluvial aquifer at Mandan, North Dakota, November 2000: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 01-4108, 117 p. (on-line abstract)

Hostettler, F.D., Rosenbauer, R.J., and Kvenvolden, K.A., 2000, Reply to Comment by Bence et al.: Organic Geochemistry, v. 31, p. 939-943.

Kvenvoiden, K.A., Rosenbauer, R.J., Hostettler, F.D., and Lorenson, T.D., 2000, Application of Organic Geochemistry to coastal tar residues from Central California: International Geology Review, v. 22, p. 1-14. (on-line abstract)

For information on additional projects in the National Research Program, see Indexes to NRP projects and bibliographies.