Note that the data published in the 2002 State of the Nation’s Ecosystems Report as well as the 2003 and 2005 Web-Only Updates have been superseded by the 2008 Report and thus should be used with caution. For the most recent data, purchase the 2008 Report from Island Press.

View Data for Contaminant Occurrence

What is This Indicator and Why Is It Important? This indicator reports on contaminants found in streams, groundwater, sediment, and fish tissue. The graphs above report how often different numbers of contaminants are found, and those on the next page report how often these contaminants exceed standards and guidelines for the protection of human health and aquatic life. Contaminants reported here include many pesticides, selected degradation products, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds, other industrial contaminants, trace elements, nitrate, and ammonium. (Because nitrate, ammonium, and trace elements such as cadmium and chromium occur naturally, they are not included in the contaminant occurrence graphs.)