Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Agenda: Fracking, Water Quality And Public Health: Examining Current Laws And Regulations, Network For Public Health Law, American Society Of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Public Health Law Research Program

Fracking, Water Quality and Public Health: Examining Current Laws and Regulations (March 20)

Improved technology developments in directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as "fracking," have resulted in an oil and gas production boom nationwide. Fracking involves pumping pressurized water, sand, and chemicals down wells to crack bedrock, freeing petroleum and natural gas. Wastewater discharges, hydraulic fracturing fluid releases, and other accidental spills pose potential water quality risks, sparking concern for public health.

This webinar will examine the laws and regulations governing water quality issues related to fracking, recent state court decisions affecting regulations, and implications for public health.

Slides: Best Management Practices For Oil And Gas Development And Comparative Water Quality Database Of Regulations Relating To Shale Oil And Gas, Matt Samelson, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment. Intermountain Oil And Gas Bmp Project

Fracking, Water Quality and Public Health: Examining Current Laws and Regulations (March 20)

Presenter: Matt Samelson, J.D., Attorney, Consultant for Intermountain Oil and Gas Best Management Practices (BMP) Project, Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment, University of Colorado Law School

34 slides

Still Waters Run Deep: Landscaping Practices, Community Perceptions, And Social Indicators For Stormwater Nonpoint Source Pollution Management In Manatee County, Florida, Ann Rebecca Persaud

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stormwater nonpoint source pollution (NPSP) is a result of diffuse sources of pollutants transported by rainfall and surface runoff into stormwater ponds and drainage systems before percolating into the ground. In particular, the nutrients found in fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides applied in excess by homeowners and landscapers can cause a range of issues in stormwater ponds from fish kills to eutrophication. As a result, Manatee County, Florida has issued a fertilizer ordinance with best management practices (BMPs) and a fertilizer black out period to reduce NPSP. This study is aimed at capturing the perceptions of residents which affect stormwater NPSP …

The Effect Of Non-Fluoride Factors On Risk Of Dental Fluorosis: Evidence From Rural Populations Of The Main Ethiopian Rift, Julia Kravchenko, Tewodros Rango, Igor Akushevich, Behailu Atlaw, Peter G. Mccornick, R. Brittany Merola, Christopher Paul, Erika Weinthal, Courtney Harrison, Avner Vengosh, Marc Jeuland

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Elevated level of fluoride (F⁻) in drinking water is a well-recognized risk factor of dental fluorosis (DF). While considering optimization of region-specific standards for F⁻, it is reasonable, however, to consider how local diet, water sourcing practices, and non-F⁻ elements in water may be related to health outcomes. In this study, we hypothesized that non-F⁻ elements in groundwater and lifestyle and demographic characteristics may be independent predictors or modifiers of the effects of F⁻ on teeth. Dental examinations were conducted among 1094 inhabitants from 399 randomly selected households of 20 rural communities of …

Charting A New Course For The Colorado River: A Summary Of Guiding Principles, Colorado River Research Group

Books, Reports, and Studies

[4] p. : color illustrations ; 28 cm.

Great South Bay, Long Island, New York Summer Water Quality Monitoring Program, Cercom, Molloy University, John Tanacredi Ph.D., Sixto E. Portilla

CERCOM Reports

The Center for Environmental Research and Coastal Oceans Monitoring (CERCOM) visits 15 locations in Great South Bay to monitor for dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, salinity, clarity, total and fecal coliforms and temperature. This monitoring program has been conducted for the past 13 years. These parameters are critical in determining long-term water quality conditions in Long Island estuaries. Methodologies for monitoring parameters are provided by the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater 20th Edition (1998). Criteria for determining water quality conditions in marine eco-systems are based on the type of contact (uses) people have with the water system. …

Water Quality During Two High-Flow Years On The Lower Missouri River: The Effects Of Reservoir And Tributary Contributions, D M. Morris, T R. Gemeinhardt, N.J C. Gosch, D E. Jensen

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Complex socioeconomic and ecological issues, ranging from impaired streams to Gulf of Mexico hypoxia, have made nutrient management an increasingly important issue across the USA. High flows during 2010 and 2011 provided a unique opportunity to investigate trends in discharge, total nitrogen, nitrate/nitrite, total phosphorus, orthophosphorus, suspended sediment and total suspended solids during two distinct high-flow years on the Missouri River. We compared collections taken during 2010 and 2011 at 12 lower Missouri River locations (river kilometers 1212 to 71) and 22 Missouri River tributary locations. During 2011, average concentrations for all sampled parameters were significantly lower, despite significantly higher …

Land Use And Climate Variability Amplify Carbon, Nutrient, And Contaminant Pulses: A Review With Management Implications, Sujay S. Kaushal, Peter M. Mayer, Philippe G. Vidon, Rose M. Smith, Micheal J. Pennino, Tamara A. Newcomer, Shuiwang Duan, Claire Welty, Kenneth T. Belt

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Nonpoint source pollution from agriculture and urbanization is increasing globally at the same time climate extremes have increased in frequency and intensity. We review >200 studies of hydrologic and gaseous fluxes and show how the interaction between land use and climate variability alters magnitude and frequency of carbon, nutrient, and greenhouse gas pulses in watersheds. Agricultural and urban watersheds respond similarly to climate variability due to headwater alteration and loss of ecosystem services to buffer runoff and temperature changes. Organic carbon concentrations/exports increase and organic carbon quality changes with runoff. Nitrogen and phosphorus exports increase during floods (sometimes by an …

On Target For People And Planet: Setting And Achieving Water-Related Sustainable Development Goals, Julie Van Der Bliek, Peter G. Mccornick, James Clarke

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Our specific focus in this book is on securing water for sustainable food production. This links to sustainable water resources management, delivering on the water supply and sanitation requirements and provisioning water for energy and the urban sector. A specific intent is to ensure that the realities in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia are recognized and to provide practical pathways to change that fit these realities and the aspirations of those countries. This will help to prepare for the next step in the SDG [sustainable development goals] process: devolving the SDGs to the national level. It will …

Water Quantity And Quality In The Columbia Basin Trust Region, Janice Brahney

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

This report collects the documents generated as part of a two year effort to catalogue the variety of water quality and quantity data that has been collected in the Columbia Basin Trust region of British Columbia. Through the cataloguing effort, a number of important data and knowledge gaps were identified and specific recommendations developed. The available water quantity and climate data was then used in a number of analyses focused on understanding the relationship between changing climate conditions and stream discharges.

One overall finding is that there is a large variety of data collected and held by various different entities. …

Urban Stream Syndrome In A Small Town: A Comparative Study Of Sager And Flint Creeks, T. S. Wakefield

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Utilizing rapid bioassessment procedures and aquatic physiochemical techniques, a three-year investigation of Sager and Flint creeks was completed. Bioassessment indices and physiochemical parameters of the 2 streams were compared and the effects of urbanization on both watersheds were assessed. Correlating data concerning land usage in both watersheds and alterations of both streams' geomorphology were also utilized to conclude that Sager Creek shows a higher degree of urban stream syndrome than Flint Creek.

Refining Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Community Metrics For The Assessment Of Headwater Streams In New York State, Brian T. Duffy

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The River Continuum Concept describes the structural and functional shift that occurs from sensitive headwater streams to the lowest reaches of large, non-wadeable rivers. New York State (NYS) maintains a long-established biological monitoring program using macroinvertebrate community assemblages for water quality assessment. However, headwater streams are rarely assessed, and no reference models are available, except those calibrated for lower-continuum wadeable streams and rivers. Current patterns of rural landuse change emphasize the need for more accurate assessment of previously neglected headwaters, in order to set natural reference standards for more accurate assessments of water quality. Ecoregion, drainage area (DA), elevation (elev.), …

Are We Approaching Pit Lake Closure From The Wrong Perspective?, Mark A. Lund, Melanie L. Blanchette

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Pit lakes are similar to natural lakes formed by faulting, glacial action, volcanic action and asteroid collisions. These natural lakes have, after thousands of years, developed into environmentally significant ecosystems. As artificial constructs, pit lakes can be modified prior to filling to enhance lake attributes, such as modification of catchment size, creation of littoral zones and addition of organic matter. Significant advances could be made in successful closure and relinquishment of pit lakes, by 1) choosing appropriate model lakes, 2) understanding successional processes, 3) designing pit lakes to enhance ecological values, and 4) recognizing that it will take time to …

The Potential Release Of Phosphorus In Floodplains, Maria S. Rossetti, Nicole K. Ownby, Erin Scott, Brian E. Haggard

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

In the Illinois River Watershed, there has been growing concern over elevated phosphorus concentrations in the water column. This study evaluated how much phosphorus is contributed from floodplain soils into surface waters, examining the relationship between the flux of phosphorus released and the amount of phosphorus stored in the soil. This was investigated by artificially inundating soil cores from four sites and determining the soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations of the overlying water and the levels of Water and Mehlich-3 extractable phosphorus in the soil. The flux of phosphorus to the overlying water ranged from 0.43 to 6.61 mg m-2 hr-1 …

Reducing Water Extractable Phosphorus In Poultry Litter Using Chitosan Treatment, Zachary Simpson, Brina Smith, David A. Zaharoff, Brian E. Haggard

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Phosphorus (P) is an important factor in the eutrophication of freshwater, and watershed sources include effluent discharges and the landscape. Poultry litter applied to the landscape can be a potential source of P, which is dependent on rainfall, runoff and dissolution. Chitosan, the deacetylated form of the biopolymer chitin, has been shown to have an effect on reducing water extractable phosphorus (WEP) in poultry litter when applied as a powder. The intent of this study was to measure the effect that poultry litter treatment (PLT), acetic acid and incubation time have on chitosan’s ability to reduce WEP in poultry litter. …

Predicting Phosphorus Dynamics In Complex Terrains Using A Variable Source Area Hydrology Model, Amy S. Collick, Daniel R. Fuka, Peter J.A. Kleinman, Anthony R. Buda, Jennifer L. Weld, Mike J. White, Tamie L. Veith, Ray B. Bryant, Carl H. Bolster, Zachary M. Easton

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural watersheds has long been a critical water quality problem, the control of which has been the focus of considerable research and investment. Preventing P loss depends on accurately representing the hydrological and chemical processes governing P mobilization and transport. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a watershed model commonly used to predict run-off and non-point source pollution transport. SWAT simulates run-off employing either the curve number (CN) or the Green and Ampt methods, both assume infiltration-excess run-off, although shallow soils underlain by a restricting layer commonly generate saturation-excess run-off from variable source areas …

Sedimentation And Barnacle Recruitment And Growth In A Shallow Coastal Lagoon Of South Texas, John Jack Gray

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, one of this nation’s greatest concerns to the receiving waters of an aquatic system is the impairment of water quality due to sediment transport. Thus, an aquatic system whose receiving waters are subject to unrestrained sediment transport from a spoil bank, which is an unstabilized depository for sediment acquired during a dredge, should be a concern. In this study an attempt was made to assess sedimentation and its effect on the life cycle of sessile aquatic life over a year. South Bay was chosen for the study site because it is adjacent …

Dissolved Oxygen Dynamics And Modeling - A Case Study In A Subtropical Shallow Lake, Zhen Xu

LSU Master's Theses

As one of the most valued and treasured natural resources, today many lakes in the world face degradation of their water quality due to nutrient enrichment, toxic contamination, and hydrological modification from their drainage areas. Among various water quality impairments, dissolved oxygen (DO) depletion is often a leading stressor in lake systems. Despite numerous studies on DO in deep water lakes in temperate regions, the knowledge of DO dynamics in eutrophic shallow lakes in subtropical regions is still limited. This thesis research conducted intensive DO monitoring in an eutrophic shallow lake in south Louisiana to characterize diel cycles of DO …

Comparative Water Quality Of Cozine, Gooseneck And Mill Creeks, Shelby Hollenbeck, Emily Isaac, Suzannah Klaniecki, Zach Lea, Meghan Lockwood, Xavier Reed

Papers from ENVS 385 (Research Methods in Environmental Science)

The environmental research methods class of fall 2013 analyzed the water quality of three creeks in the Yamhill (Oregon) Watershed: Cozine, Gooseneck, and Mill Creeks. Our research builds on data collected by previous years' classes (Colahan et al. 2011; Weinbender and Crane 2011; Bailey et al. 2012). The goals of the project were to gain a better understanding of water quality at each site, see how the sites differ, determine causes for any differences, and examine changes in water quality over time. Because Cozine is surrounded by an urban environment, whereas both Gooseneck and Mill are in a rural setting, …

Mass Bays Resource Inventory: Summary And Findings From The Review Of Plans And Assessments, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

The Massachusetts Bays Program (MBP) contracted with the Urban Harbors Institute (UHI) of the University of Massachusetts Boston to conduct a review of papers, presentations, reports, and other relevant material produced from 1996 (the last CCMP) to present, that might inform the MBP’s update of their Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The review focused on five topics identified as priority topics by the MBP: water quality, invasive species, climate change/vulnerability, continuity of estuarine habitat, and estuarine habitat protection in the geographic region of the Mass Bays Program, particularly the 47 nearshore estuaries and embayments identified in the 2012 MBP …

Sources Of Nutrient And Fecal Microbe Pollution In Otter Creek, Madison County, Kentucky, Kandice L. Smith, Walter S. Borowski

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

We measured nutrient (nitrate, ammonium, phosphate) and fecal microbe concentrations in surface waters of the Otter Creek watershed, Madison County, Kentucky to access sources of these contaminants. The watershed is approximately 12.5 miles long covering ~169 km² (41,832 acres). The watershed includes East Fork, West Fork, and Dreaming Creek, all tributaries to the main trunk of Otter Creek. The upper portion of the main trunk and Dreaming Creek drain urban areas of Richmond, but 85% of total watershed area is agricultural land, used mainly for grazing cattle. Rural residential areas and woodlands also occur.

The principle contaminants are nutrients …

Getting Salmon Back In Salmon Creek: Systematizing Comparative Water Quality Analysis For Targeted Restoration, Zbigniew J. Grabowski, Sarah Janjua, Michael Swamer, Heejun Chang, Eric Watson

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on water quality restoration efforts in Salmon Creek

Understanding Basin Specific Life History Characteristics Of Lake Mead Quagga Mussels (Dreissena Bugensis) And A Potential Treatment Using Uv Radiation In Laboratory Studies, Melissa Thaw

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis) is an aquatic invasive species that is spreading throughout Lake Mead and other western waterways. Unlike their native waters in Eurasia, Lake Mead exhibits year round warm temperatures, high calcium levels and a lack of natural predators, all of which are very favorable conditions for their growth and spread. Dreissena bugensis reproduce and colonize hard surfaces rapidly, where they filter large amounts of water. They disrupt the aquatic food chain and interfere with infrastructure that is exposed to lake water. There is an urgent need to understand Dreissena bugensis life history characteristics within this new …

Slides: Is There A Dust Bowl In Our Future?: Projections For The Eastern Rockies And Central Great Plains, Dennis Ojima

Water, Climate and Uncertainty: Implications for Western Water Law, Policy, and Management (Summer Conference, June 11-13)

Presenter: Dennis Ojima, Senior Research Scientist, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University (NREL/CSU)

30 slides

Evaluating Alternatives For Augmented Water Quality Improvement Utilizing Oyster Restoration As Best Management Practice (Bmp), Stephanie Roberts Long

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Due to several anthropogenic influences, the Chesapeake Bay has experienced a marked decrease in water quality since the colonists arrived at the Jamestown settlement in Virginia during the 1600s. Higher concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus have enriched the estuaries and coastal waters via point sources (sewage treatment plants and industrial wastes), nonpoint sources (agricultural run-off and septic tank discharges) and the atmosphere (Newell et al., 2005). Restoring oyster beds is considered a Best Management Practice (BMP) to improve water quality as well as provide physical habitat for aquatic species and a healthier estuarine system (USACE Native Oyster Restoration Master …

Water Supply, Demand, And Quality Indicators For Assessing The Spatial Distribution Of Water Resource Vulnerability In The Columbia River Basin, Heejun Chang, Il-Won Jung, Angela L. Strecker, Daniel Wise, Martin Lafrenz, Vivek Shandas, Hamid Moradkhani, J. Alan Yeakley, Yangdong Pan, Robert Allen Bean, Gunnar Johnson, Mike Psaris

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

We investigated water resource vulnerability in the US portion of the Columbia River basin (CRB) using multiple indicators representing water supply, water demand, and water quality. Based on the US county scale, spatial analysis was conducted using various biophysical and socio-economic indicators that control water vulnerability. Water supply vulnerability and water demand vulnerability exhibited a similar spatial clustering of hotspots in areas where agricultural lands and variability of precipitation were high but dam storage capacity was low. The hotspots of water quality vulnerability were clustered around the main stem of the Columbia River where major population and agricultural centres are …

Effect Of Implementing Best Management Practices On Water And Habitat Quality In The Upper Strawberry River Watershed, Fulton County, Arkansas, Usa, Teresa R. Brueggen-Boman

Student Theses and Dissertations

A study was conducted, May 2008-August 2012, to determine the impact of BMPs on streams located in the upper subwatersheds of the Strawberry River, Arkansas (AR). Multiple BMPs, including fencing, alternative drinking sources, planting of native grasses and brush, nutrient and pest management, were implemented in a whole watershed approach in attempts to alleviate the impacts of cattle grazing on surrounding waterways. Six locations were monitored for chemical, bacteriological, biological and physical responses to BMPs. Water quality variables used to assess the effectiveness of implemented BMPs included pH, turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), NO2-, NO3-, PO43-, Escherichia coli and Chlorophyll-a. …

Urban Impact Of Dissolved Metals In The Paso Del Norte Segment Of The Rio Grande, Sumayeh Ahmad Freiwan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Paso del Norte segment of the Rio Grande experiences two seasons per year; the (wet) irrigation season and the (dry) non-irrigation season. The goal of this study was to improve the understanding of occurrence and contribution of dissolved metals in this region during the non-irrigation season. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the impact of anthropogenic sources of metals on the Rio Grande water quality during the non-irrigation season, and (2) estimate the metal loads carried by the flow to the downstream region of El Paso. In order to evaluate the surface water quality of the …

Performance Of Human Fecal Anaerobe-Associated Pcr-Based Assays In A Multi-Laboratory Method Evaluation Study, Blythe A. Layton, Yiping Cao, Darcy L. Ebentier, Kaitlyn Hanley, Elisenda Balleste, Joao Brandao, Muruleedhara Byappanahalli, Reagan Converse, Andreas H. Farnleitner, Jennifer Gentry-Shields, Maribeth L. Gidley, Michele Gourmelon, Chang Soo Lee, Jiyoung Lee, Solen Lozach, Tania Madi, Wim G. Meijer, Rachel Noble, Lindsay Peed, Georg H. Reischer, Raquel Rodrigues, Joan B. Rose, Alexander Schriewer, Chris Sinigalliano, Sangeetha Srinivasan, Jill Stewart, Laurie C. Van De Werfhorst, Dan Wang, Richard Whitman, Stefan Wuertz, Jenny Jay, Patricia A. Holden, Alexandria B. Boehm, Orin Shanks, John F. Griffith

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

A number of PCR-based methods for detecting human fecal material in environmental waters have been developed over the past decade, but these methods have rarely received independent comparative testing in large multi-laboratory studies. Here, we evaluated ten of these methods (BacH, BacHum-UCD, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (BtH), BsteriF1, gyrB, HF183 endpoint, HF183 SYBR, HF183 Taqman^®, HumM2, and Methanobrevibacter smithii nifH (Mnif)) using 64 blind samples prepared in one laboratory. The blind samples contained either one or two fecal sources from human, wastewater or non-human sources. The assay results were assessed for presence/absence of the human markers and also quantitatively while …

A Review Of Environmental Impacts Of Salts From Produced Waters On Aquatic Resources, Aida M. Farag, David D. Harper

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Salts are frequently amajor constituent ofwastewaters produced during oil and gas production. These produced waters or brines must be treated and/or disposed and provide a daily challenge for operators and resourcemanagers. Some elements of salts are regulated with water quality criteria established for the protection of aquatic wildlife, e.g. chloride (Cl⁻), which has an acute standard of 860 mg/L and a chronic standard of 230 mg/L. However, data for establishing such standards has only recently been studied for other components of produced water, such as bicarbonate (HCO3 ⁻), which has acute median lethal concentrations (LC50s) ranging from …