Pollution and Water Quality

According to the United Nations, declining water quality has become a global issue of concern as human populations grow, industrial and agricultural activities expand, and climate change threatens to cause major alterations to the hydrological cycle. Resources available in this sub-theme include manuals describing water quality testing and treatment, reports and assessments of water quality from around the world, methods of maintaining water quality and managing pollution, and other resources that support enabling environments for effective water quality control.

Pollution and Water Quality Resources

Tuul River Basin Report Card

Publication date:
July 16, 2021
The Tuul River Basin Report Card, the first of its kind in Mongolia, assesses the basin's health through social, environmental and economic values that can be tracked over time in response to management actions and/or external pressures. Although much research has been conducted on the water...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
Mongolia

WWF and Royal Caribbean Partnership: 2016 Annual Report

Publication date:
July 16, 2021
WWF and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. launched a partnership in 2016 to help ensure the health of our oceans. Marking the one-year anniversary of our five-year partnership, we have made much progress towards achieving our first set of 2020 goals (WWF Description). Read more
Regional/Country focus:
Philippines

Living Blue Planet Report

Publication date:
July 16, 2021
WWF's Living Blue Planet Report takes a deep look at the health of our oceans and the impact of human activity on marine life. Data on marine ecosystems and human impacts upon them is limited, reflecting the lack of attention the ocean has received to date. Nevertheless, the trends shown here...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
Global

Pesticides and Water Quality

Publication date:
July 21, 2021
Pesticides are used in agriculture, in homes and businesses, on lawns and gardens, along roads, in recreational areas, and on pets and livestock. There are hundreds of different pesticide chemicals in use in the United States. In 2007, about 390 million kilograms (430,000 tons) of pesticides,...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States

Recreational Water Quality

Publication date:
July 21, 2021
This web page provides an overview of USGS's research about recreational water quality. It includes related research, publications, news, and a collection of data and tools. The water quality of a nearby lake, a watershed, or along the coast can be enhanced only by collecting good information...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States

Groundwater/Surface-Water Interaction

Publication date:
July 21, 2021
USGS Integrated Watershed Studies seek to better understand and quantify the exchanges at the surface water/groundwater interface. This understanding is used to forecast how the chemical quality of water will change in response to changes in climate, land use, or management practices. Integrated...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States

Water Quality After Wildfire

Publication date:
July 21, 2021
Relatively new research has been aimed at the impacts of wildfires on the quality of drinking water and on water-dependent natural resources. Wildfires are devastating and can lead to long-term changes to the landscape. With a significant amount of our Nation's drinking water sources...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States

Groundwater Quality

Publication date:
July 21, 2021
Even though the ground is an excellent mechanism for filtering out particulate matter, such as leaves, soil, and bugs, dissolved chemicals and gases can still occur in large enough concentrations in groundwater to cause problems. Underground water can get contaminated by industrial, domestic, and...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States

GLRI Urban Stormwater Monitoring

Publication date:
July 21, 2021
The GLRI Urban Stormwater Monitoring effort brings together the expertise of the USGS with local and national partners to assess the ability of green infrastructure to reduce stormwater runoff in Great Lakes urban areas. The term "urban stormwater" refers to rainfall or snowmelt that is...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States

Community-Based Approaches Combined with National Policy Implications Represent the Future of Environmental Justice Research

Publication date:
July 22, 2021
From its earliest days, environmental justice research has been rooted in the social movement that gave its name to the field. Grassroots activists against income and racial discrimination in the placement of environmental pollutants—and the overlooking of low-income and communities of color for...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States

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