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Energy and Environment Directorate

Hilary Emerson

Hilary Emerson

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
PO Box 999
Richland, WA 99352
(509) 372-6380

Biography

Dr. Hilary P. Emerson has over 8 years of experience in fate and remediation of radionuclides including the actinide elements. She enjoys working on systems spanning from laboratory to field scale. Since joining PNNL in 2019, her work has focused primarily on development of new remediation technologies for radionuclides.

Research Interests

  • Environmental actinide chemistry
  • Fate and transport of radionuclides
  • Development of remediation methods for radionuclides
  • Subsurface geochemical impacts due to in situ remediation technologies

Education and Credentials

  • Ph.D., Environmental Engineering and Earth Science, Clemson University
  • B.S., Environmental Engineering, University of Central Florida

Awards and Recognitions

  • 2016 – DOE-NE Innovations in Fuel Cycle Research, Used Fuel Disposition, 2nd place paper

PNNL Publications

2023

  • Delegard C.H., C.I. Pearce, and H.P. Emerson. 2023. "On Silica's Roles in Controlling Americium Migration in Contaminated Sediments." Applied Geochemistry 154. PNNL-SA-178865. doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2023.105690
  • Katsenovich Y., A.A. Maria, J. Williams, S. Kandel, D. Boglaienko, H.P. Emerson, and T.G. Levitskaia. 2023. "Reductive Removal of Pertechnetate and Chromate by Zero Valent Iron under Variable Ionic Strength Conditions." Journal of Hazardous Materials 445. PNNL-SA-174414. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130546
  • Saslow S.A., E. Cordova, N.M. Escobedo Avalos, O. Qafoku, M.E. Bowden, C.T. Resch, and N. Lahiri, et al. 2023. "Accumulation mechanisms for contaminants on weak-base hybrid ion exchange resins." Journal of Hazardous Materials 459. PNNL-SA-167020. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132165
  • Saslow S.A., T.G. Levitskaia, E. Cordova, N.M. Avalos, D. Boglaienko, Y. Fang, and X. Song, et al. 2023. "Part I: Predicting Performance of Purolite A532E Resins for Remediation of Comingled Contaminants in Groundwater." Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 11, no. 3:Art. No. 109618. PNNL-SA-178092. doi:10.1016/j.jece.2023.109618
  • Saslow S.A., T.G. Levitskaia, E. Cordova, N.M. Avalos, D. Boglaienko, Y. Fang, and X. Song, et al. 2023. "Part II: Predicting Performance of DOWEX 21K Resin for Remediation of Comingled Contaminants in Groundwater." Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 11, no. 3:Art. No. 109620. PNNL-SA-178093. doi:10.1016/j.jece.2023.109620

2022

  • Baumer T., S. Hellebrandt, E. Maulden, C.I. Pearce, H.P. Emerson, M. Zavarin, and A. Kersting. 2022. "Pu distribution among mixed waste components at the Hanford legacy site, USA and implications to long-term migration." Applied Geochemistry 141. PNNL-SA-168490. doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2022.105304
  • Kandel S., Y. Katsenovich, D. Boglaienko, H.P. Emerson, and T.G. Levitskaia. 2022. "Time dependent zero valent iron oxidation and the reductive removal of pertechnetate at variable pH." Journal of Hazardous Materials 424, no. Part B:Art. No. 127400. PNNL-SA-164032. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127400
  • Mazumdar H., M. Murphy, S. Bhatkande, H.P. Emerson, D.I. Kaplan, and H. Gohel. 2022. "Optimized Machine Learning Model for Predicting Groundwater Contamination." In IEEE MetroCon, November 3, 2022, Hurst, TX, 1-3. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-178580. doi:10.1109/MetroCon56047.2022.9971133
  • Szecsody J.E., H.P. Emerson, R.D. Mackley, M. Snyder, C.T. Resch, and S.R. Baum. 2022. Characterization of Contaminants and Mobility in WMA A-AX Boreholes D0006 and D0008. PNNL-33346. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Characterization of Contaminants and Mobility in WMA A-AX Boreholes D0006 and D0008

2021

  • Emerson H.P., C.I. Pearce, C.H. Delegard, K.J. Cantrell, M. Snyder, M. Thomas, and B.N. Gartman, et al. 2021. "Influences on Subsurface Plutonium and Americium Migration." ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 5, no. 2:279-294. PNNL-SA-147891. doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.0c00277

2020

  • Boglaienko D., J.A. Soltis, R.K. Kukkadapu, Y. Du, L.E. Sweet, V.E. Holfeltz, and G.B. Hall, et al. 2020. "Spontaneous Redox Continuum Reveals Sequestered Technetium Clusters and Retarded Mineral Transformation of Iron." Communications Chemistry 3, no. 1:Article No. 87. PNNL-SA-148992. doi:10.1038/s42004-020-0334-x
  • Di Pietro S., H.P. Emerson, Y. Katsenovich, N. Qafoku, and J.E. Szecsody. 2020. "Phyllosilicate mineral dissolution upon alkaline treatment under aerobic and anaerobic conditions." Applied Clay Science 189. PNNL-SA-149956. doi:10.1016/j.clay.2020.105520
  • Emerson H.P., A.T. Gebru, D. Boglaienko, Y. Katsenovich, S. Kandel, and T.G. Levitskaia. 2020. "Impact of zero valent iron aging on reductive removal of technetium-99." Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 8, no. 3:Article No. 103767. PNNL-SA-149885. doi:10.1016/j.jece.2020.103767
  • Maloubier M., H.P. Emerson, K. Peruski, A. Kersting, M. Zavarin, P.M. Almond, and D.I. Kaplan, et al. 2020. "Impact of natural organic matter on plutonium vadose zone migration from an NH4Pu(V)O2CO3(s) source." Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 54, no. 5:2688-2697. PNNL-SA-145027. doi:10.1021/acs.est.9b05651
  • Szecsody J.E., H.P. Emerson, C.I. Pearce, B.N. Gartman, C.T. Resch, and S. Di Pietro. 2020. "In situ reductive dissolution to remove Iodine-129 from aquifer sediments." Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 216. PNNL-SA-142245. doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106182

2019

  • Zengotita F., H.P. Emerson, F. Stanley, T. Dittrich, M.K. Richmann, D.T. Reed, and J. Swanson. 2019. "Potential for biocolloid transport of cesium at high ionic strength." Chemosphere 235. PNNL-SA-142323. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.06.222

Selected Publications

2019

  • Emerson, H.P., Kaplan, D.I., and Powell, B.A. (2019) "Plutonium binding affinity to sediments increases with contact time." Chemical Geology, 505, 100-107. 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2018/11/009

2018

  • Emerson, H.P., Di Pietro, S., Katsenovich, Y., and Szecsody, J. (2018) "Uranium immobilization in the presence of minerals following remediation via base treatment with ammonia gas," Journal of Environmental Management, 223, 1, 108-114. 10:1016/jenvman.2018.06.12
  • Emerson, H.P., Zengotita, F., Dittrich, T., Richmann, M., Katsenovich, Y., and Reed, D. (2018) "Retention of neodymium by dolomite at variable ionic strength as probed by batch and column experiments," Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. 190-191, 89-96. 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.05.007

2017

  • Emerson, H.P., Di Pietro, S., Katsenovich, Y., and Szecsody, J. (2017) "Effect of Ammonium on Uranium Partitioning and Kaolinite Mineral Dissolution." Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. 167, 150-159. 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.11.029

2016

  • Emerson, H.P., Hickok, K.A., and Powell, B.A. (2016) "Experimental Evidence for Ternary Colloid-facilitated Transport of Th(IV) with Hematite (α-Fe2O3) Colloids and Suwannee River Fulvic Acid." Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. 165, 168-181. 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.10.001.

2015

  • Emerson, H.P. and Powell, B.A. (2015) "Observations of surface-mediated reduction of Pu(VI) to Pu(IV) on hematite nanoparticles by ATR FT-IR." Radiochimica Acta, 103, 8, 553-563. 10.1515/ract-2014-2372

2014

  • Emerson, H.P., Hart, A.E., Baldwin, J.A., Waterhouse, T.C., Kitchens, C.L., Mefford, O.T., and Powell, B.A. (2014) "Characterization of physical transformations of iron oxide and silver nanoparticles from an intermediate scale field transport study." Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 16, 2. 10.1007/s11051-014-2258-9
  • Emerson, H.P., Xu, C., Ho, Y.-F., Zhang, S., Schwehr, K.A., Lilley, M., Kaplan, D.I., Santschi, P.H., and Powell, B.A. (2014) "Geochemical controls of iodine uptake and transport in Savannah River Site subsurface sediments." Applied Geochemistry, 45, 105-113, 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2014.03.002

Energy and Environment

Core Research Areas

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