Science Inventory

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Nitrate is a drinking water contaminant regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with a maximum contaminant level of 10 mg L−1 as nitrogen. In the U.S. Midwest, nitrate concentration in many drinking water sources exceeds that threshold due to non-po...

As part of the 2024 Lake Erie Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative field year, staff of EPA-Duluth led water quality sampling, collaborated to generate lower food web data, collected specimens for examination of contaminant bioaccumulation, examined primary producer resp...

Stormwater runoff is a significant contributor of phosphorus (P) loading to waterbodies around the world. Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) that uses filtration media, such as bioretention, can effectively retain suspended solids and associated particulate P, but is commonly ...

This Dataset includes the spatial and temporal measurements of water quality probe parameters taken in the field within the canal and river system of St. Mary's, OH for the years 2023-2025.

An increase in the occurrence of large, high severity wildfires in the western Pacific Northwest (PNW), USA, has created an urgent need for science to better inform forest management and policy decisions to maintain source water quality in the region. The western PNW faces simila...

The Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) is a multi-agency, satellite-enabled program that delivers daily, national-scale monitoring, summary metrics, and forecasting of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) for thousands of U.S. lakes using 300 m Sentinel-3 OLCI obs...

This is a presentation to be given for the HABs, Hypoxia, and Nutrients Research Webinar. The presentation shows that wildfire smoke contains high amounts of nutrients compared to non-smoke days. The elevated phosphorus is particularly notable relative to non-smoke measurements. ...

Cyanobacteria have recently been detected in coastal systems in the U.S., with cyanotoxins measured in shellfish in downstream estuaries at levels of concern for human health. Goal 4 of EPA’s draft Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Strategy highlights EPA’s critical role in the Advanc...

The Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) is a multi-agency, satellite-enabled program that delivers daily, national-scale monitoring, summary metrics, and forecasting of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) for thousands of U.S. lakes using 300 m Sentinel-3 OLCI obs...

In 2024/2025 spatially balanced probability surveys for benthic HABs were conducted in five different systems. Here we use the preliminary results of the survey of the Hanford and Richland Sections of the Columbia River near the Tri-Cities, WA to provide context and an update to ...

Cyanobacterial blooms, once rare in the St. Louis River estuary, are becoming more common. Bloom-associated toxins (cyanotoxins) may cause deleterious effects in humans, but effects are unknown for many other species. This is due in part to the limited number of species used in t...

In 2024 a spatially balanced probability survey for benthic HABs was conducted in the Hanford and Richland Sections of the Columbia River near the Tri-Cities, WA. Thirty nine sites were visited late September and mid October. Surface water grab samples were taken at each. A trans...

Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) is a well-established method for molecular detection and quantification of microorganisms. Molecular detection of toxigenic cyanobacteria using qPCR has also been employed as a useful tool for predicting cyanotoxin production and form...

Publicly available cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHAB) forecasts are now available at www.epa.gov/habs/hab-forecasts, offering water quality and public health managers a tool for anticipating cyanoHAB conditions in the largest United States lakes and reservoirs. T...

HABS-BLOCKS© infused with glucose have been shown to reduce cyanobacterial populations and microcystin (MC) concentrations in laboratory mesocosm studies. An in situ limno-corral (LC) mesocosm study of HABS-BLOCKS© was conducted for two weeks during the 2025 algal bloom...

Area burned by wildfire has increased in the contiguous United States and in many places globally in recent years, impacting communities and ecosystems nearby and even far downwind of fires. We examined the potential effects of smoke on surface chlorophyll-a concentrations in lak...

Spring 2025 Puget Sound Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) algal toxin concentration results from aqueous and solid phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT) samples 

Cyanobacterial blooms, once rare in the St. Louis River estuary, are becoming more common. Bloom-associated toxins (cyanotoxins) may cause deleterious effects in humans, but effects are unknown for many other species. This is due in part to the limited number of species used in t...

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are a hazard for coastal environments worldwide; identifying screening thresholds of chlorophyll-a (chl-a) associated with increased risk of HABs is a management priority. Molecular surveillance of coastal phytoplankton and bivalve biotoxins ...

Compared to the contiguous United States (CONUS), little is currently known about the potential vulnerability of public water systems (PWS) in the State of Alaska to freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs). A Regional-Office of Research and Development (ORD) Applied Research (ROAR...

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) affect global water quality, limiting uses like recreation and consumption because of excessive algal biomass and toxin production. These blooms cause surface scums, taste and odor issues, hypoxia, and negative health and socioeconomic impacts. The US ...

An increase in the occurrence of large, high severity wildfires in the western Pacific Northwest (PNW), USA, has created an urgent need for science to better inform forest management and policy decisions to maintain source water quality in the region. The western PNW faces simila...

An update to the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission's Technical Committee on Ohio River HABs research and monitoring that occurred over 2025 will be provided. Progress for the year includes refinement of the 14 day ahead HABs occurrence forecast, revision of scripts us...

This chapter discusses available information on the occurrence of nitrification during water treatment and its potential impact on distribution system water quality. Nitrification (either intentionally encouraged or unknowingly) as part of the water treatment process can occur wh...

High-severity wildfires can drastically alter hillslope hydrology by removing canopy interception, inducing soil hydrophobicity, and reducing evapotranspiration, thereby amplifying storm-scale and annual streamflow in mountain watersheds. However, the 2016 Southern Appalachian wi...