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Person

Geoffrey S Plumlee

Chief Scientist of the USGS
Office of the Director for USGS

Email: gplumlee@usgs.gov
Office Phone: 703-648-6403
Fax: 703-648-4454
ORCID: 0000-0002-9607-5626

Location
John W Powell FB
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston , VA 20192-0002
US

Supervisor: David Applegate
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Distribution of Fibrous Erionite in the United States and Implications For Human Health
Fibrous erionite, a zeolite mineral, has been designated as a human carcinogen by the World Health Organization and is believed to be the cause of extraordinarily high rates of malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos - related diseases in several villages in Central Turkey. A recent study by the University of Hawaii in collaboration with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency in Dunn County, North Dakota has demonstrated similar human exposures to fibrous erionite as those in found in Turkey. The source of these exposures is an erionite - bearing volcanic tuff that has been mined, crushed, and used to gravel hundreds of miles of roads. While elevated rates of mesothelioma are not yet apparent in North Dakota,...
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This data set provides total element concentration and simulated lung and gastric fluid bioaccessibility from previously collected Uranium mineral deposit samples (1971 and 1981, Southwestern U.S.) exploring possible exposures to other hazardous trace metals. Elevated total as well as simulated gastric and lung fluid concentrations were observed for arsenic, cobalt, manganese, thallium, vanadium and uranium.
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Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii are causative agents of Valley fever, a serious fungal disease endemic to regions with hot, arid climate in the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. The environmental niche of Coccidioides spp. is not well defined, and it remains unknown whether these fungi are primarily associated with rodents or grow as saprotrophs in soil. To better understand the environmental reservoir of these pathogens, we used a systematic soil sampling approach, quantitative PCR (qPCR), culture, whole-genome sequencing, and soil chemical analysis to identify factors associated with the presence of C. immitis at a known colonization site in Washington State linked to a human...
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