PNNL

Katherine Muller is an Earth scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Her research focuses on integrating data with reactive transport modeling to understand, predict, and inform subsurface processes.

Within the Energy and Environmental Directorate, Muller conducts and informs reactive transport simulations across various scales. This work primarily focuses on applications such as in situ critical mineral extraction, supercritical carbon dioxide storage and mineralization, subsurface remediation, organic carbon biogeochemistry, and arsenic mobility in managed aquifer recharge systems.

• Reactive transport modeling
• Environmental chemistry and engineering
• Environmental remediation and remediation technologies
• Environmental subsurface science
• Biogeochemistry
• Data-model integration

• PhD in environmental and water resource engineering, Tufts University
• BS in environmental engineering, Tufts University

• C.A. Ramsburg, C.S. Martin, and K.A. Muller. “Compositions and Methods for Delivery of Active Agents.” US Patent. 11,090,702. Publication Date: August 8, 2021.

2025

• Emerson H.P., and K.A. Muller. 2025. "PART II - Site Assessment and Characterization." In Remediation of Legacy Hazardous and Nuclear Industrial Sites: Perspectives from Hanford, edited by S.T. Arm and H.P. Emerson. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. PNNL-SA-188367. doi:10.1201/9781003329213

2024

• Johnson C.D., K.A. Muller, and H.P. Emerson. 2024. "Part IV: Remedial Action." In Remediation of Legacy Hazardous and Nuclear Industrial Sites: Perspectives from Hanford, edited by S.T. Arm and H.P. Emerson. 169 - 172. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. PNNL-SA-192829.
• Muller K.A., C. Bottenus, and C.D. Johnson. 2024. "Developing a remediation framework." In Remediation of Legacy Hazardous and Nuclear Industrial Sites: Perspectives from Hanford, edited by S.T. Arm and H.P. Emerson. 5 - 27. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. PNNL-SA-180215. doi:10.1201/9781003329213-2
• Muller K.A., P. Jiang, G.E. Hammond, T. Ahmadullah, H. Song, R.K. Kukkadapu, and N.D. Ward, et al. 2024. "Lambda-PFLOTRAN: A Workflow for Incorporating Organic Matter Chemistry Informed by Ultra High Resolution Mass Spectrometry into Biogeochemical Modeling." Geoscientific Model Development 17, no. 24:8955-8968. PNNL-SA-194808. doi:10.5194/gmd-17-8955-2024
• Ward N.D., M.K. Bowe, K.A. Muller, X. Chen, Q. Zhao, R.K. Chu, and Z. Cheng, et al. 2024. "Interactive effects of salinity, redox, and colloids on greenhouse gas production and carbon mobility in coastal wetland soils." PLoS One 19, no. 12: Art. No.: e0316341. PNNL-SA-192847. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0316341

2023

• Cao R., K.A. Muller, Q. Miller, M.D. White, D.H. Bacon, and H.T. Schaef. 2023. "Reactive Transport Modeling of Anthropogenic Carbon Mineralization in Stacked Columbia River Basalt Reservoirs." In Proceedings of the SPE/AAPG/SEG Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, (URTC 2023), June 13-15, 2023, Denver, CO, Paper No. URTEC-3860189-MS. Richardson, Texas: Society of Petroleum Engineers. PNNL-SA-184675. doi:10.15530/urtec-2023-3860189
• Muller, K.A. and C.A. Ramsburg. 2023. “Experiments and Simulations to Describe Alkalinity Release from Particle-Containing Oil-in-Water Emulsions and Particle Suspensions.” Water, 15(8). doi.org/10.3390/w15081611
• Gonsalez, V., Lee, M.D., Muller, K.A., and C.A. Ramsburg. 2023. “Process-Based Model to Describe Treatment of Nitrate-Rich Groundwater Using Emulsified Oil” Environmental Engineering Science, 40(11). doi.org/10.1089/ees.2023.0053
• C.A. Ramsburg, P. Baniahmad, K.A. Muller, A.D. Robinson. 2023. “Emulsion-based recovery of a multicomponent petroleum hydrocarbon NAPL using nonionic surfactant formulations.” Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 255, 104144. doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2023.104144

2022

• Bottenus C., K.A. Muller, K.M. Munson, and M.S. Fountain. 2022. Measurement of Total, Elemental, and Methyl Mercury in Hanford Tank Waste: Technology Transfer from PNNL to Hanford 222-S Laboratory. PNNL-32726. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Measurement of Total, Elemental, and Methyl Mercury in Hanford Tank Waste: Technology Transfer from PNNL to Hanford 222-S Laboratory
• Schwartz G., K.A. Muller, S.S. Rathore, R. Wilpiszeski, A.A. Carrell, M. Cregger, and D.A. Elias, et al. 2022. "Incorporating Concentration-Dependent Sediment Microbial Activity into Methylmercury Production Kinetics Modeling." Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts 24, no. 9:1392-1405. PNNL-SA-164700. doi:10.1039/D1EM00287B

2021

• Muller K.A., L. Zhong, and C.E. Bagwell. 2021. "Characterizing the Influence of Organic Polymers on the Specific Reactivity of Particulate Remedial Amendments." Frontiers in Environmental Science 9. PNNL-SA-162020. doi:10.3389/fenvs.2021.703851
• Carrell A.A., G. Schwartz, M. Cregger, C.M. Gionfriddo, D.A. Elias, R. Wilpiszeski, and D.M. Klingeman, et al. 2021. "Nutrient exposure alters microbial composition, structure, and mercury methylating activity in periphyton in a contaminated watershed." Frontiers in Microbiology 12. PNNL-SA-158901. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.647861

2020

• Muller K.A., C.D. Johnson, C.E. Bagwell, and M.J. Truex. 2020. "Methods for Delivery and Distribution of Amendments for Subsurface Remediation: A Critical Review." Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation 41, no. 1:46-75. PNNL-SA-153478. doi:10.1111/gwmr.12418

2019

• Schwartz G., T. Olsen, K.A. Muller, and S.C. Brooks. 2019. "Ecosystem controls on methylmercury production by periphyton biofilms in a contaminated stream: Implications for predictive modeling." Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 38, no. 11:2426-2435. PNNL-SA-147041. doi:10.1002/etc.4551
• Muller K.A., C.C. Brandt, T.J. Mathews, S.C. Books. 2019. “Methylmercury sorption onto Engineered Materials”. Journal of Environmental Management 245, 481-488 doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.05.100
• Muller, K.A., S.C. Brooks. 2019. “Effectiveness of sorbents to reduce mercury methylation” Environmental Engineering Science 36 (3), 361 -371 doi:10.1089/ees.2018.0375

2018

• Muller, K.A., S. Esfahani, S. Chapra, C.A. Ramsburg. 2018. “Transport and Retention of Concentrated Oil-in-Water Emulsions in Porous Media” Environmental Science & Technology. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.7b06012
• Muller, K.A., C.A. Ramsburg. 2018. “Influence of Non-Wetting Phase Saturation on Dispersivity in Laboratory-Scale Sandy Porous Media”. Environmental Engineering Science doi:10.1089/ees.2017.0444
• Olsen, T.A., K.A. Muller, S.L. Painter, S.C. Brooks. 2018. “Kinetics of Methylmercury Production Revisited” Environmental Science & Technology 52 (4), 2063-2070 doi: 10.1021/acs.est.7b05152