A National Reconnaissance of Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in Wells, 2000

This field reconnaissance is using newly developed laboratory methods to provide baseline information on the environmental occurrence of organic wastewater contaminants in wells susceptible to contamination from wastewater sources. Following the study design of the first phase of this program activity which targeted streams susceptible to animal or human wastewaters, 56 wells were sampled across 17 states in 2000. As with the stream reconnaissance study, site selection was focused on wells suspected to be susceptible to contamination (e.g. downgradient from landfills, etc.). Thus, wells sampled were not necessarily used as sources of drinking water. All samples were collected by U.S. Geological Survey personnel using consistent protocols and procedures designed to obtain a sample representative of the targeted ground water. Data are currently being analyzed and interpreted.

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