National Water-Quality Assessment

National Analysis of Trace Elements
in ground water, streams, stream and reservoir sediment, and fish and clam tissue across the United States

Trace elements are inorganic chemicals usually occuring in small amounts in nature. Water managers and scientists across the US rate trace elements among the highest-priority issues for the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. NAWQA is studying 31 metals, metalloids, and radionuclides with the goal of understanding their distribution and release by human and natural influences.

Arsenic in ground water of the United States

Publications on trace elements

Data

Other current work

Coring reservoir sediments to reconstruct trace-element trends

Trace elements in the news

NY Times 05/03 -- Study Outlines Arsenic Risk in Some New England Well Water
ES&T 6/02-- Ice cores reveal 270 years of atmospheric mercury deposition
Mobile Register 5/02-- Mercury Task Force announced at forum
Washington Post 2/02-- Use of arsenic in wood products to end
ATSDR 12/01-- Arsenic, lead, mercury are top Priority Hazardous Substances
LA Times 11/01-- Arsenic MCL lowered to 10ppb
Greenville News 9/01-- High uranium in SC private wells

Trace element links

Conferences
NEWMOA Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association
USGS Radon Homepage
UN Arsenic Report
USEPA Mercury Website
CDC ToxFAQs
NAS: Toxicological effects of methylmercury
Health Canada: Limits on radionuclides in drinking water
U. of Sheffield Periodic Table of the Elements

National Water-Quality Assessment
Water Resources of the United States
U.S. Geological Survey

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