Biology - Contaminant Biology Program
Welcome to USGS Contaminant Biology ProgramThe USGS Contaminant Biology Program investigates the effects and exposure of environmental contaminants to the Nation's living resources, particularly those under the stewardship of the Department of the Interior. This information helps to:
Major research components of the program include:Chemistry, Toxicology, Contaminated Habitats, Integration and Assessment of Ecological Stressors
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Agricultural Wetlands as Hotspots for Mercury Bioaccumulation - Wetlands provide numerous ecosystem services, but also can be sources of methylmercury production and export. Rice agricultural wetlands in particular may be important sites for methylmercury bioaccumulation due to their worldwide ubiquity, periodic flooding schedules, and high use by wildlife. In a recent issue of Environmental Science and Technology, USGS scientists Dr. Josh Ackerman and Dr. Collin Eagles-Smith assessed methylmercury bioaccumulation within agricultural and perennial wetlands common to California’s Central Valley during summer, when the majority of wetland habitats are shallowly-flooded rice fields. 
Integrating Toxicity Risk in Bird Eggs and Chicks - The concentration of mercury in eggs that causes reduced hatching success is regarded as a critical endpoint for mercury toxicity in birds. However, incorporating effects of in ovo mercury exposure on chick health and survival could improve risk assessment. In a recent issue of Environmental Science and Technology, USGS scientists Dr. Josh Ackerman and Dr. Collin Eagles-Smith provided a means of extrapolating the toxic effects of mercury in eggs to the health and survival of chicks.