Research

How Temperature and Phosphorus Loading Influence E. Coli Growth on Cladophora in Lake Erie Beach Waters of Presque Isle State Park

The 13 public Lake Erie beaches of Presque Isle State Park have been particularly affected by water pollution. In 1991, Presque Isle Bay was designated as the 43rd Great Lakes Area of Concern by the U.S. Department of State. While the bay has now been listed as an Area of Recovery, bacterial contamination of the […]

Developing Quantitative Models for the Removal of Quaternary Ammonium Ions as Representative Cationic Emerging Contaminants by Cation Exchange Resins

Understanding the sorption mechanism of organic contaminants on cation exchange resins (CXRs) will enable application of these resins for the removal of cationic organic compounds from contaminated water. In this study, sorption of a diverse set of 12 organic cations and 8 neutral aromatic solutes on two polystyrene CXRs, MN500 and Amberlite 200, was examined. […]

Occurrence Survey for Emerging Contaminants of Concern in Pennsylvania Tributaries of the Delaware River

The goal of this research project was to increase our understanding of the occurrence of emerging contaminants of concern (ECCs) in surface waters by collecting and analyzing ambient water samples from a targeted area of the Delaware River Basin. Concentrations of ECCs are generally higher in urbanized and industrialized areas as was found in a […]

Innovative Tools for Groundwater Education in Pennsylvania

Over three-million rural residents of Pennsylvania rely on private wells and springs that utilize groundwater for drinking water and more than 50% fail at least one health based drinking water standard. Very few homeowners with contaminated water systems are familiar with the problem or have appropriate water treatment systems to provide safe drinking water. Real […]

Effects of Personal Care, Prescription, and Other Emerging Contaminants on Sentinel Species in Lake Erie Beach Waters of Presque Isle State Park

Chemicals used extensively and intensively in our technological society are currently predicted to have surpassed the 100,000 mark in numbers and depending on their properties, modes, and quantity of use, a large number of these chemicals can reach the environment and have unpredictable but potentially harmful environmental and health impacts. Accurate methods of monitoring the […]

Probabilistic Characterization of Stream Flows in Urbanizing Basins in Pennsylvania Under Climate Change Scenarios

Given the critical role of the streamflow regime for instream, riparian, and floodplain ecosystem sustainability, modeling the long-term effect of urbanization on streamflow is important to predict possible changes in stream ecosystems. Since flow duration curves are largely used to characterize the streamflow regime and define indices for stream ecosystem health, a stochastic model is […]

Establishing a Link Between Hydraulic Fracturing Activities and Stream Water Impacts in North-Central Pennsylvania

The impacts of hydraulic fracturing related natural gas extraction activities on water contamination are poorly understood. Furthermore, while the majority of preliminary studies have focused on the impacts of hydraulic fracturing activities to groundwater little data exists with regards to impacts on overall streamwater quality. This study used a multi‐faceted approach to determine whether there […]

Status of Exotic Round Goby and Tubenose Goby in Pennsylvania

The purposes of this study was to report on the status of the Round Goby, Neogobius melanostomu, in the Lake Erie watershed of Pennsylvania, to determine if there was a shift in diet of the native fishes when Round Goby were present in selected Pennsylvania tributaries of Lake Erie, and to compare the diet of the Tubenose […]

Potential Impact of Climate Change on Bivalves in the Tidal Freshwater Region of the Delaware River

Bivalve shellfish perform numerous ecosystem services but are under threat from a variety of stressors. Climate change will alter the environmental conditions that bivalve shellfish are sensitive to, so restoration efforts should consider how the future climate will evolve. Here, climate model projections and statistical water quality models were used to estimate future changes in […]

Investigating the Role of Contaminants and Parasite Prevalence in the Observed Mortality of Smallmouth Bass in the Susquehanna River Basin

The causes of the decline of smallmouth bass populations observed in some Pennsylvania rivers are unclear. However, it is hypothesized that declines are related to environmental stressors, including pesticides and endocrine-disrupting substances and disease. Thus, additional work is needed to understand the role that contaminants and disease (specifically parasite infection) may be playing in disease […]

Research

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