Earth Scientist
Earth Scientist

Biography

Nancy Escobedo is an Earth scientist in the Subsurface Science group who holds a MS in environmental science from Washington State University Tri-Cities. Since joining Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 2017, Escobedo’s focus has been in assessing materials performance for use in environmental remediation of subsurface contaminants and in waste form development for geologic disposal of radioactive waste. Escobedo is often sought out to perform batch and column sorption/desorption experiments, bulk X-ray diffraction analysis, and reductive capacity studies. Her research interests include superfund sites (e.g., Hanford Site), contaminant fate and transport in the environment, and understanding interactions between contaminants and treatment materials that lead to sequestration using a combination of solid-state characterization techniques.

Research Interest

  • Mobility and fate of contaminants of concerns in the environment
  • Environmental remediation
  • Waste form durability
  • Contaminant immobilization

Education

  • MS in environmental science, Washington State University Tri-Cities, 2020
  • BS in environmental science, Washington State University Tri-Cities, 2017
  • AA in Arts and Science, Columbia Basin College, 2015

Publications

2025

2024

  • Boglaienko D., M.E. Bowden, N.M. Escobedo Avalos, Q.M. Collins, A.R. Lawter, T.G. Levitskaia, and C.I. Pearce. 2024. "Different Routes of Bismuth Mineral Transformation during Pertechnetate and Perrhenate Uptake for Subsurface Remediation." Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology 10, no. 11:2646-2654. PNNL-SA-198425. doi:10.1039/d4ew00496e

2023

  • 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

  • Abramson J.E., N.M. Avalos, A. Bourchy, S.A. Saslow, and G.T. Seidler. 2022. "An Exploration of Benchtop X-ray Emission Spectroscopy for Precise Characterization of the Sulfur Redox State in Cementitious Materials." X-Ray Spectrometry 51, no. 2:151-162. PNNL-SA-165710. doi:10.1002/xrs.3276
  • Ewing R.G., M.K. Nims, K.A. Morrison, G.L. Hart, N.M. Avalos, and E.H. Denis. 2022. "Vapor detection and vapor pressure measurements of fentanyl and fentanyl hydrochloride salt at ambient temperatures." Analyst 147. PNNL-SA-174452. doi:10.1039/d2an01149b
  • Reiser J., A.R. Lawter, N.M. Avalos, J.F. Bonnett, B.J. Riley, S. Chong, and N.L. Canfield, et al. 2022. "Review and Experimental Comparison of the Durability of Iodine Waste Forms in Semi-Dynamic Leach Testing." Chemical Engineering Journal Advances 11. PNNL-SA-165785. doi:10.1016/j.ceja.2022.100300

2021

  • Adiga P.P., N. Doi, C. Wong, D.M. Santosa, L. Kuo, G.A. Gill, and J.A. Silverstein, et al. 2021. "The Influence of Transitional Metal Dopants on Reducing Chlorine Evolution During the Electrolysis of Raw Seawater." Applied Sciences 11, no. 24:Art. No. 11911. PNNL-SA-165321. doi:10.3390/app112411911
  • Avalos N.M., T. Varga, S.T. Mergelsberg, J.A. Silverstein, and S.A. Saslow. 2021. "Behavior of iodate substituted ettringite during aqueous leaching." Applied Geochemistry 125. PNNL-SA-152089. doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2020.104863
  • Ewing R.G., E.H. Denis, M.K. Nims, G.L. Hart, and N.M. Avalos. 2021. Interfacing Atmospheric Flow Tube to Ion Mobility Spectrometry: FY 2021 Final Report. PNNL-32466. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Interfacing Atmospheric Flow Tube to Ion Mobility Spectrometry: FY 2021 Final Report
  • Gillispie E.C., S.T. Mergelsberg, T. Varga, S.M. Webb, N.M. Avalos, M. Snyder, and A. Bourchy, et al. 2021. "Competitive TcO4-, IO3-, and CrO42- Incorporation into Ettringite." Environmental Science & Technology 55, no. 2:1057-1066. PNNL-SA-151816. doi:10.1021/acs.est.0c06707

2020

  • Wang G., J.E. Szecsody, N.M. Avalos, N. Qafoku, and V.L. Freedman. 2020. "In situ precipitation of hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) for remediation of subsurface iodine contamination." Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 235. PNNL-SA-147880. doi:10.1016/j.jconhyd.2020.103705

2019

  • Asmussen R.M., J.V. Ryan, J. Matyas, J.V. Crum, J. Reiser, N.M. Avalos, and E.M. McElroy, et al. 2019. "Investigating the Durability of Iodine Waste Forms in Dilute Conditions." Materials 12, no. 5:Article No. 686. PNNL-SA-140280. doi:10.3390/ma12050686
  • Saslow S.A., S.N. Kerisit, T. Varga, K.C. Johnson, N.M. Avalos, A.R. Lawter, and N. Qafoku. 2019. "Chromate Effect on Iodate Incorporation into Calcite." ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 3, no. 8:1624-1630. PNNL-SA-141592. doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.9b00047