USGS Multimedia Gallery for Set: Contaminants

Testing Coal-Tar Sealcoats for Toxic PAH Emissions

jlavista - at - usgs.gov (Jennifer Wilson) — Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EDT

USGS scientists prepare a sampler used to measure emission of polycyclic aromatic carbons (PAHs) into the air.

Testing Coal-Tar Sealcoats for Toxic PAH Emissions

jlavista - at - usgs.gov (Justin McInnis) — Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EDT

A professional applicator applies coal-tar-based sealcoat to a test plot used to measure emission of polycyclic aromatic carbons (PAHs) into the air.

Testing Coal-Tar Sealcoats for Toxic PAH Emissions

jlavista - at - usgs.gov (Pete Van Metre ) — Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EDT

A professional applicator applies coal-tar-based sealcoat to a test plot used to measure emission of polycyclic aromatic carbons (PAHs) into the air.

Testing Coal-Tar Sealcoats for Toxic PAH Emissions

jlavista - at - usgs.gov (Jennifer Wilson) — Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EDT

A USGS scientist adjusts an air pump used to measure emission of polycyclic aromatic carbons (PAHs) into the air.

Coal-tar Sealcoat

jlavista - at - usgs.gov (Jennifer LaVista) — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EDT

USGS scientist Peter Van Metre examines a parking lot where coal-tar sealcoat has been applied.

Contaminants in the Glacial Aquifer Drinking Water System

klwarner - at - usgs.gov (Kelly Warner) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Approximately one-sixth of the United States population, or 41 million people, relied on the glacial aquifer system for drinking water in 2005. However, untreated water from one in five drinking water wells in this aquifer, sampled as part of the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program, exceeded a human-health benchmark for at least one contaminant. Contaminants derived from natural sources are more common and more frequently exceed human-health benchmarks than contaminants derived from the land surface. The types of contaminants and the likelihood of encountering them in untreated drinking water from the glacial aquifer system involves trade-offs that depend on a complex interplay of sources of water to wells from various parts of the hydrologic system.

The Effects of Human Activity versus Natural Processes on U.S. Soil

woodruff - at - usgs.gov (Laurel Woodruff) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Suzanne Nicholson, USGS, collecting soil at one of the sites in New Jersey, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean just south of Atlantic City. The USGS is completing a low-density soil geochemical and mineralogical survey for the conterminous U.S., which is needed as baseline data for environmental investigations and to understand the large-scale processes dominating the distribution of chemical elements at the earth's surface. Current data reveal coherent, continental- to regional-scale patterns that depend on underlying soil parent materials, soil age, land type/land use, and climate. Human-induced modifications to soil geochemistry related to current and historic industrial and agricultural activities are recognized by comparing element concentrations in surface soils to deeper soils at individual sites. However, regional enrichments of some metals of environmental concern resulting from mineralization by natural geologic process can be as high (or even higher) than enrichments from anthropogenic contamination.

A Saharan Dust Storm Over the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Terra Satellite — Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

A large Saharan dust storm leaves the West African coast to move over the Atlantic Ocean and cover downwind islands. Courtesy Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Terra satellite on March 2004.

Ready for Action

srcorsi - at - usgs.gov (Steven Corsi) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

This photo shows a snow plow and road salt application truck that is used to clear snow and ice from roadways for improving traffic and pedestrian safety. The use of salt to deice pavement can be harmful to aquatic life in urban streams. The USGS is involved in studies that focus on the influence of winter runoff on aquatic ecosystems.

Mountain of Salt

srcorsi - at - usgs.gov (Steven Corsi) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

This photo shows a road salt storage stockpile that is awaiting use for pavement deicing, Port of Milwaukee, WI. The use of salt to deice pavement can be harmful to aquatic life in urban streams. The USGS is involved in studies that focus on the influence of winter runoff on aquatic ecosystems.

Processing Emerging-Contaminants Bed-Sediment Sample

caloper - at - usgs.gov (Connie Loper) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

John Clune and Connie Loper, PA Water Science Center, processing an emerging-contaminants bed-sediment sample at Rock Creek near Gettysburg, PA.

Collecting Emerging-Contaminants Bed-Sediment Sample

caloper - at - usgs.gov (Connie Loper) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

John Clune, PA Water Science Center, collecting an emerging-contaminants bed-sediment sample at the Susquehanna River at Danville,PA.

Processing Emerging-Contaminants Bed-Sediment Sample

caloper - at - usgs.gov (Connie Loper) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

John Clune, PA Water Science Center, processing an emerging-contaminants bed-sediment sample at Lititz Run.

Bacteria Keep Out! The Benefits of Producing Mucilage

brosen - at - usgs.gov (Barry Rosen) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Microcystis ehrenbergii epifluorescence microscopy and stained with Sytox Green (a DNA stain that is excluded from live cells).� Bacterial cells on the outer mucilaginous sheath of this colony show as bright green dots.

What's In My Water?

brosen - at - usgs.gov (Barry Rosen) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

This cyanobacterium has radiating filaments and basal heterocysts. Green is Sytox Green (a DNA stain that is excluded from live cells).

2007 WARP Model Estimates of Maximum 21-Day Moving-Average Atrazine Concentrations in Streams

unknown — Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 EDT

This illustration is a map of the U.S. showing 2007 WARP model estimates of atrazine concentrations in streams. The colors on the map refer to the estimated maximum 21-day moving-average concentrations (micrograms per liter) of atrazine.

Collecting parking lot sealant samples

unknown — Tue, 5 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EDT

USGS scientist Barbara Mahler uses a special vacuum (a model HVS3 High Volume Surface Sampler) to collect dust samples to be evaluated for contaminants.