Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Columbia Environmental Research Center

Welcome to the Columbia Environmental Research Center. Our research focuses on environmental contaminants and the effects of habitat alterations on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. 

News

Friday's Findings - January 26, 2024

Friday's Findings - January 26, 2024

Invasive black carp established in parts of the Mississippi River basin

Invasive black carp established in parts of the Mississippi River basin

Friday's Findings - May 20, 2022

Friday's Findings - May 20, 2022

Publications

Writing SMART objectives for natural resource and environmental management

In natural resource and environmental management, well-written objectives are critical for effective decision-making and the achievement of desired outcomes. This article aims to improve practitioners' ability to identify and write SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) objectives for natural resource and environmental management.We differentiate between research and manage
Authors
Caleb A. Aldridge, Michael Eric Colvin

Microplastic-mediated new mechanism of liver damage: From the perspective of the gut-liver axis

Microplastics (MPs) are environmental contaminants that are present in all environments and can enter the human body, accumulate in various organs, and cause harm through the ingestion of food, inhalation, and dermal contact. The connection between bowel and liver disease and the interplay between gut, liver, and flora has been conceptualized as the “gut-liver axis”. Microplastics can alter the st
Authors
Xiaomei Wang, Kaili Deng, Pei Zhen Zhang, Qiqing Chen, Jason Tyler Magnuson, Wenhui Qiu, Yuping Zhou

Guide to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) sampling within Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals with a nondegradable fluorinated carbon backbone that have been incorporated in countless industrial and commercial applications. Because PFAS are nondegradable, they have been detected in all environmental media, indicating extensive global contamination. The unique physiochemical properties of PFAS and their complex interactions
Authors
Erin L. Pulster, Sarah R. Bowman, Landon Keele, Jeffery Steevens

Science

Bringing Back Mussels: CERC's Restoration Efforts in the Clinton Watershed

CERC scientists plan to reintroduce mussels in an area where species have diminished.
link

Bringing Back Mussels: CERC's Restoration Efforts in the Clinton Watershed

CERC scientists plan to reintroduce mussels in an area where species have diminished.
Learn More
link

6PPD-Quinone

6PPD-Q is a compound used to make tires more durable and is also linked to toxicity for Coho Salmon and other aquatic species.
Learn More

6PPD Exposure and Effects Research at Columbia Environmental Research Center

N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N' -phenyl-p-phenylenediamine or 6PPD is a chemical additive that protects tires from damage due to certain reactive oxygen species. 6PPD, when in contact with ozone, reacts to form the derivative 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q). As tires wear with time, this derivative is dispensed into the environment, travels through drainage systems when it rains and, eventually, finds its way into...
link

6PPD Exposure and Effects Research at Columbia Environmental Research Center

N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N' -phenyl-p-phenylenediamine or 6PPD is a chemical additive that protects tires from damage due to certain reactive oxygen species. 6PPD, when in contact with ozone, reacts to form the derivative 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q). As tires wear with time, this derivative is dispensed into the environment, travels through drainage systems when it rains and, eventually, finds its way into...
Learn More