Megan Plumlee, Ph.D.

Dr. Plumlee's background is in environmental engineering and chemistry, with particular experience in assessment of the fate of organic contaminants in natural and engineered environments. Her expertise includes emerging contaminants, wastewater reuse, aquatic photochemistry, and analytical chemistry. Her Ph.D. research focused on photochemical degradation of emerging contaminants in aqueous environments due to exposure to natural sunlight.

Dr. Plumlee taught a graduate-level laboratory course on organic analyses in environmental science. Her project experience includes investigations of water and wastewater quality, wastewater treatment, groundwater contaminant transport and fate, and environmental remediation. She has also evaluated the environmental toxicology of organic contaminants and has project experience in chemicals regulation.

Driscoll SK, McArdle ME, Plumlee MH, Proctor D. Evaluation of hexavalent chromium in sediment pore water of the Hackensack River, NY. Environ Toxicol Chem 2009, in press. doi: 10.1002/etc.93.

Plumlee MH, Reinhard M, Gurr CJ, Ashktorab H, Larabee J. The use of recycled water for stream flow augmentation. Poster, 27th Biennial Groundwater Conference and 18th Groundwater Resources Association Annual Meeting on Water Crisis and Uncertainty: Shaping Groundwater's Future, Sacramento, CA, October 2009.

Plumlee MH, McNeill K, Reinhard M. Indirect photolysis of perfluorochemicals: Hydroxyl radical-initiated oxidation of N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamido acetate (N-EtFOSAA) and other perfluoroalkanesulfonamides. Environ Sci Technol 2009; 43:3662–3668.

Plumlee MH, Larabee J, Reinhard M. Perfluorochemicals in water reuse. Chemosphere 2008; 72:1541–1547.

Plumlee MH, López-Mesas M, Heidlberger A, Ishida KP, Reinhard M. N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) removal by reverse osmosis and UV treatment and analysis via LC–MS/MS. Water Res 2008; 42:347–355.

Plumlee MH, Reinhard M. Photochemical attenuation of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and other nitrosamines in surface water. Environ Sci Technol 2007; 41:6170–6176.

Hoehn E, Plumlee MH, Reinhard M. Natural attenuation potential of downwelling streams for perfluorochemicals and other emerging contaminants. Water Sci Technol 2007; 56:59–64.

Steinle-Darling E, Zedda M, Plumlee MH, Ridgway HF, Reinhard M. Evaluating the impacts of membrane type, coating, fouling, chemical properties, and water chemistry on reverse osmosis rejection of seven nitrosoalkylamines, including NDMA. Water Res 2007; 41:3959–3967.

Lin AYC, Plumlee MH, Reinhard M. Natural attenuation of pharmaceuticals and alkylphenol polyethoxylate metabolites during river transport: Photochemical and biological transformation. Environ Toxicol Chem 2006; 25(6):1458–1464.

Gundersen DT, Webb MAH, Feist GW, Fitzpatrick MS, Foster EP, Schreck CB, Plumlee M, Wong C. Mercury concentrations in gonad, liver, and muscle of white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus in the Lower Columbia River. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 2006; 50:443–451.

Conference Presentations

Plumlee MH, McNeill K, Reinhard M. Indirect photolysis of perfluorochemicals: Hydroxyl radical-initiated oxidation of N-EtFOSAA and other perfluoroalkanesulfonamides. 6th IWA/GRA Specialized Conference on Assessment and Control of Micropollutants/Hazardous Substances in Water, San Francisco, CA, June 2009.

Plumlee MH, Larabee J, Reinhard M. PFOS, PFOA, and other perfluorinated surfactant residues in recycled water. 12th Annual Water Reuse and Desalination Research Conference, Denver, CO, May 2008.

Gundersen DT, Plumlee M, Wong C, Paar J, Schreck CB, Feist G, Webb MA, Maule AG, Foster E, Fitzpatrick MS. Endocrine disruption and persistent bioaccumulative contaminants in Columbia River white sturgeon. Poster presentation, 42nd National meeting of the Society of Toxicology, Salt Lake City, UT, March 2003.

Water Quality and Wastewater

Assessed water quality data and pertinent regulations for bottled water contaminated with trihalomethanes.

Provided management and technical support in the laboratory and field for a water reuse project involving the enhancement of an impaired, suburban stream via flow augmentation with recycled wastewater.

Planned surface water, groundwater, and/or wastewater sampling campaigns to assess the occurrence of contaminants, including perfluorochemicals (e.g., PFOS, PFOA), nitrosamines (e.g., NDMA), nonionic surfactants, and pharmaceuticals.

Evaluated the viability of reverse osmosis membranes for emerging contaminant removal during advanced wastewater treatment.

Developed analytical methods for water and wastewater analysis.

Conducted laboratory investigations to assess micropollutant sorption, biodegradation, and photolysis in the environment.

Conducted tissue and sediment analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to support a bioavailability study conducted at the Grasse River in New York.

Characterized the occurrence of mercury in reproductive and hepatic tissues of Columbia River white sturgeon.

Evaluated membrane separation of radionuclides from contaminated waste streams.

Developed site-specific Eh-pH diagrams and conducted MINTEQ 2.60 modeling to assess the predicted form of chromium in pore water as part of an assessment of chromium toxicity and mobility in river sediments.

Environmental Investigations

Calculated vadose-zone soil concentrations of BTEX and MTBE, as well as free-product velocity across the site, as part of an investigation of alleged groundwater contamination due to a leaking underground fuel storage tank.

Provided analyses in support of an investigation of the contribution of lead to a small lake from potential watershed, highway, and other sources. Analyses included calculation of estimated sediment volumes meeting various classes for landfill disposal, document review, and development of wind-rose plots using WRPLOT software.

Conducted a literature review of the chemical and microbiological characteristics of landfill leachate and the evolution of leachate over time, as part of an investigation of groundwater contamination from a leaking landfill.

Applied BIOCHLOR, a screening model that simulates natural attenuation of dissolved contaminants at chlorinated solvent release sites, to estimate the degradation rates and plume size for a VOC plume beneath a former industrial facility.

Conducted document and data review, as well as managed a professional site survey, for an investigation of an alleged flood-wall failure near a drainage channel.

Provided analyses, data management, and document review for a large project involving a trichloroethylene (TCE) groundwater plume situated within complex subsurface geology at a former industrial site. Analyses included assessment of TCE behavior over time, calculation of total TCE mass in the subsurface, and development of contour maps (using Surfer 9) for TCE and groundwater levels. Provided assistance on the development of a site groundwater flow and contaminant transport model.

Calculated the electrical power necessary to melt a unit volume of soil given known site characteristics, in support of an investigation of the local effects of a power grounding station.

Environmental Remediation

Participated in the multi-party environmental remediation of a property contaminated with lead. Conducted onsite field screening of soil using portable x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, to facilitate the soil remediation effort.