USGS Environmental Health Program: Integrating Science for Public Health and Resource Management
The USGS Environmental Health Program seeks to understand how environmental factors, especially contaminants and pathogens, influence human health and ecosystems. It focuses on studying the distribution and effects of toxic substances, environmental stressors, and their pathways. The program prioritizes collaboration with State, Federal and local governments; Tribes; non-government organizations; industry; and academic partners to assess risks and guide resource management.
The Environmental Health Mission
Key areas of research within the USGS Environmental Health Program include water and food security, ecological health, and the life cycles of energy and minerals resources. Utilizing advanced analytical techniques, GIS modeling, and extensive monitoring networks, the program provides critical data that informs regulatory decisions and public policy. Ultimately, the Environmental Health Program aims to protect public health, manage natural resources, and enhance the sustainability of ecosystems for future generations.
The Environmental Health Program integrates the efforts of the Toxic Substance Hydrology (TSH) Program and the Contaminants Biology (CB) Program.
- The TSH Program investigates the movement, fate, and concentration of toxic substances in water and soil, which is crucial for understanding pathways and sources.
- The CB Program studies the biological exposures and effects of contaminants on organisms, providing insights into impacts on receptors and informing risk assessments.
To complete this mission, the two programs develop a comprehensive approach of how contaminants and pathogens move through the environment and their potential exposure and effects on ecosystems, wildlife, and humans. The Environmental Health Program uses a One Health approach that incorporates a "source-to-receptor" framework to understand the impact of contaminants on human health and ecosystems, highlighting the roles of the TSH and CB Programs. A One Health approach is integrated research working at all scales (locally, nationally, regionally, and globally) based on the principle that the health of humans, animals, plants, and ecosystems are interconnected.
- Sources: Identifies where contaminants come from, such as wastewater discharges and agricultural runoff.
- Fate: Evaluates how contaminants change or break down in the environment, including biodegradation, which affects their persistence and toxicity.
- Pathways: Examines how contaminants travel from their sources to various receptors, focusing on transport mechanisms such as air and water.
- Exposure: Assesses how humans and ecosystems encounter contaminants, including through contact and ingestion.
- Effects: Evaluates the biological impacts of contaminants on health and ecosystems using toxicology and ecological assessments.
- Receptors: Identifies the populations and ecosystems affected by contaminants, including vulnerable communities and wildlife.
USGS scientists from both the TSH and CB Programs collaborate closely, bringing together expertise in a wide range of fields, including hydrology, biology, chemistry, toxicology, ecology, and many more. This interdisciplinary approach enables the programs to effectively address critical natural resource issues, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of how contaminants affect ecosystems and human health. Integrated Science Teams (IST) bring together diverse scientific perspectives to evaluate risks, identify effective solutions, and inform resource management strategies. The Unified Core Technology Team (CTT) collaborates with and often leads research with the ISTs by developing advanced analytical methods, providing data management and modeling support, facilitating field studies, and fostering interdisciplinary approaches to enhance research. The collaborative approach between the ISTs and CTT enhances the understanding of environmental challenges and supports the development of informed practices for sustainable resource use and public health protection.
Water Security and Recreation
- Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Integrated Science Team: Examines how contaminants and pathogens move from natural and human sources through water systems, helping to develop tools to reduce health risks for humans and wildlife. By analyzing over 400 chemicals and pathogens, their research and monitoring efforts support the protection of drinking water quality.
- Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Integrated Science Team: Enhances understanding of PFAS by examining their occurrence, fate, transport, and environmental impacts on water quality and wildlife protection. It specifically assesses PFAS levels in U.S. water supplies, and tap water, evaluates their bioaccumulation and effects on aquatic and terrestrial wildlife, and explores biodegradation pathways to improve bioremediation efforts for contaminated ecosystems.
- Toxins and Harmful Algal Blooms Integrated Science Team: Investigates the factors driving algal toxin production and exposures, assessing their effects on aquatic organisms, wildlife, and humans. Provides nationwide assessments and analysis of a large suite of algal toxins in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and finished drinking water. Develops monitoring tools to predict algal blooms, protecting fish and wildlife populations, public safety, and economic interests.
Food Safety and Security
- Food Resources Lifecycle Integrated Science Team: Studies the movement of contaminants and pathogens from food production through the environment, informing tools to assess and mitigate health risks. Research informs risk to food production including studies that improve early detection and prevention of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) by studying its spread through water and migratory corridors, reducing transmission risks to livestock and humans.
- Fishing, Hunting, and Subsistence Living Integrated Science Team: Focuses on how contaminant and pathogen exposure impacts fish and wildlife populations that are vital for commercial, recreational, and subsistence activities. Research supports wildlife management, ecological balance, tourism, and cultural practices on American Heritage lands.
Resource Life Cycle and Management
- Energy Resources Life Cycle Integrated Science Team: Studies the energy lifecycle by informing safe and cost-effective methods for reusing and managing production byproducts, which helps minimize waste, reduce disposal costs, and lower land remediation expenses. It also provides data and models to understand the health effects of energy-related materials, which helps reduce exposures and improve energy production practices.
- Minerals Resources Life Cycle Integrated Science Team: Research focuses on the life cycle of mineral resources to promote safe handling, the reuse of mining by-products, and an understanding of the risks associated with mining activities, including those at abandoned sites. It also investigates environmentally sound extraction methods for critical minerals and rare earth metals, aiming to maximize recovery and promote beneficial reuse efforts.
Ecological Health and Security
- Ecologically-Driven Exposure Pathways Integrated Science Team: Science focuses on how contaminants and pathogens move through the environment, including processes like biomagnification and infections from zoonotic diseases. Provides scientific data to help manage these risks effectively and economically, particularly on public and Department of the Interior (DOI)-managed lands.
- Immunomodulation Integrated Science Team: Explores how contaminants and various stressors influence wildlife immune systems and their connection to humans in a shared environment. Studies on substances like 6PPD-quinone help identify the levels of contaminants that pose toxicity risks to fish, amphibians, and other wildlife.
The collective work of TSH and CB Programs integrates multidisciplinary research to address the environmental challenges impacting the nation’s natural resource assets. Through comprehensive research and data analysis, the programs evaluate both actual and perceived risks associated with environmental contaminants and pathogens while supporting various uses of our invaluable natural resources. By investigating the complexities of contaminants, the Environmental Health Program enables informed decisions in agriculture, enhances drinking water quality, and safeguards fishing and wildlife resources crucial for both economic vitality and community health.
To learn more about how these integrated science teams support these natural resource issues:
Want to learn more about the Environmental Health Program?
The USGS Environmental Health Program seeks to understand how environmental factors, especially contaminants and pathogens, influence human health and ecosystems. It focuses on studying the distribution and effects of toxic substances, environmental stressors, and their pathways. The program prioritizes collaboration with State, Federal and local governments; Tribes; non-government organizations; industry; and academic partners to assess risks and guide resource management.
The Environmental Health Mission
Key areas of research within the USGS Environmental Health Program include water and food security, ecological health, and the life cycles of energy and minerals resources. Utilizing advanced analytical techniques, GIS modeling, and extensive monitoring networks, the program provides critical data that informs regulatory decisions and public policy. Ultimately, the Environmental Health Program aims to protect public health, manage natural resources, and enhance the sustainability of ecosystems for future generations.
The Environmental Health Program integrates the efforts of the Toxic Substance Hydrology (TSH) Program and the Contaminants Biology (CB) Program.
- The TSH Program investigates the movement, fate, and concentration of toxic substances in water and soil, which is crucial for understanding pathways and sources.
- The CB Program studies the biological exposures and effects of contaminants on organisms, providing insights into impacts on receptors and informing risk assessments.
To complete this mission, the two programs develop a comprehensive approach of how contaminants and pathogens move through the environment and their potential exposure and effects on ecosystems, wildlife, and humans. The Environmental Health Program uses a One Health approach that incorporates a "source-to-receptor" framework to understand the impact of contaminants on human health and ecosystems, highlighting the roles of the TSH and CB Programs. A One Health approach is integrated research working at all scales (locally, nationally, regionally, and globally) based on the principle that the health of humans, animals, plants, and ecosystems are interconnected.
- Sources: Identifies where contaminants come from, such as wastewater discharges and agricultural runoff.
- Fate: Evaluates how contaminants change or break down in the environment, including biodegradation, which affects their persistence and toxicity.
- Pathways: Examines how contaminants travel from their sources to various receptors, focusing on transport mechanisms such as air and water.
- Exposure: Assesses how humans and ecosystems encounter contaminants, including through contact and ingestion.
- Effects: Evaluates the biological impacts of contaminants on health and ecosystems using toxicology and ecological assessments.
- Receptors: Identifies the populations and ecosystems affected by contaminants, including vulnerable communities and wildlife.
USGS scientists from both the TSH and CB Programs collaborate closely, bringing together expertise in a wide range of fields, including hydrology, biology, chemistry, toxicology, ecology, and many more. This interdisciplinary approach enables the programs to effectively address critical natural resource issues, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of how contaminants affect ecosystems and human health. Integrated Science Teams (IST) bring together diverse scientific perspectives to evaluate risks, identify effective solutions, and inform resource management strategies. The Unified Core Technology Team (CTT) collaborates with and often leads research with the ISTs by developing advanced analytical methods, providing data management and modeling support, facilitating field studies, and fostering interdisciplinary approaches to enhance research. The collaborative approach between the ISTs and CTT enhances the understanding of environmental challenges and supports the development of informed practices for sustainable resource use and public health protection.
Water Security and Recreation
- Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Integrated Science Team: Examines how contaminants and pathogens move from natural and human sources through water systems, helping to develop tools to reduce health risks for humans and wildlife. By analyzing over 400 chemicals and pathogens, their research and monitoring efforts support the protection of drinking water quality.
- Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Integrated Science Team: Enhances understanding of PFAS by examining their occurrence, fate, transport, and environmental impacts on water quality and wildlife protection. It specifically assesses PFAS levels in U.S. water supplies, and tap water, evaluates their bioaccumulation and effects on aquatic and terrestrial wildlife, and explores biodegradation pathways to improve bioremediation efforts for contaminated ecosystems.
- Toxins and Harmful Algal Blooms Integrated Science Team: Investigates the factors driving algal toxin production and exposures, assessing their effects on aquatic organisms, wildlife, and humans. Provides nationwide assessments and analysis of a large suite of algal toxins in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and finished drinking water. Develops monitoring tools to predict algal blooms, protecting fish and wildlife populations, public safety, and economic interests.
Food Safety and Security
- Food Resources Lifecycle Integrated Science Team: Studies the movement of contaminants and pathogens from food production through the environment, informing tools to assess and mitigate health risks. Research informs risk to food production including studies that improve early detection and prevention of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) by studying its spread through water and migratory corridors, reducing transmission risks to livestock and humans.
- Fishing, Hunting, and Subsistence Living Integrated Science Team: Focuses on how contaminant and pathogen exposure impacts fish and wildlife populations that are vital for commercial, recreational, and subsistence activities. Research supports wildlife management, ecological balance, tourism, and cultural practices on American Heritage lands.
Resource Life Cycle and Management
- Energy Resources Life Cycle Integrated Science Team: Studies the energy lifecycle by informing safe and cost-effective methods for reusing and managing production byproducts, which helps minimize waste, reduce disposal costs, and lower land remediation expenses. It also provides data and models to understand the health effects of energy-related materials, which helps reduce exposures and improve energy production practices.
- Minerals Resources Life Cycle Integrated Science Team: Research focuses on the life cycle of mineral resources to promote safe handling, the reuse of mining by-products, and an understanding of the risks associated with mining activities, including those at abandoned sites. It also investigates environmentally sound extraction methods for critical minerals and rare earth metals, aiming to maximize recovery and promote beneficial reuse efforts.
Ecological Health and Security
- Ecologically-Driven Exposure Pathways Integrated Science Team: Science focuses on how contaminants and pathogens move through the environment, including processes like biomagnification and infections from zoonotic diseases. Provides scientific data to help manage these risks effectively and economically, particularly on public and Department of the Interior (DOI)-managed lands.
- Immunomodulation Integrated Science Team: Explores how contaminants and various stressors influence wildlife immune systems and their connection to humans in a shared environment. Studies on substances like 6PPD-quinone help identify the levels of contaminants that pose toxicity risks to fish, amphibians, and other wildlife.
The collective work of TSH and CB Programs integrates multidisciplinary research to address the environmental challenges impacting the nation’s natural resource assets. Through comprehensive research and data analysis, the programs evaluate both actual and perceived risks associated with environmental contaminants and pathogens while supporting various uses of our invaluable natural resources. By investigating the complexities of contaminants, the Environmental Health Program enables informed decisions in agriculture, enhances drinking water quality, and safeguards fishing and wildlife resources crucial for both economic vitality and community health.