Environmental Scientist, NRDA Consulting Group

Environmental Scientist Molly McLaughlin

Molly McLaughlin, Ph.D.

Environmental Scientist, NRDA Consulting Group
molly.mclaughlin@briwildlife.org

Molly is an environmental scientist with over 12 years of experience in interdisciplinary research at contaminated sites including designing and conducting field sampling surveys and data analysis, review, and interpretation. She has expertise in natural resource damage assessment, environmental chemistry, hydrogeology, and risk assessment. She has worked at sites with a variety of contaminants including radionuclides, heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Molly provides technical and litigation support to federal, state, and tribal and tribal clients as part of the NRDA Consulting Group.

Education & Certifications

Education

  • Colorado State University, 2019 – PhD, Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Colorado State University, 2016 – M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Georgia Institute of Technology, 2011 – B.S., Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Certifications

  • 40-hour HAZWOPER

Research Interests

  • Natural Resource Damage Assessment
  • Environmental support to Indigenous communities
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Hydrogeology
  • Risk Assessment

Journal Articles

  • McLaughlin, M. C., McDevitt, B., Miller, H., Amundson, K. K., Wilkins, M. J., Warner, N. R., Blotevogel, J., & Borch, T. 2021. Constructed wetlands for polishing oil and gas produced water releases. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, 23(12), 1961-1976.
  • McLaughlin, M. C., Borch, T., McDevitt, B., Warner, N. R., & Blotevogel, J. 2020. Water quality assessment downstream of oil and gas produced water discharges intended for beneficial reuse in arid regions. Science of The Total Environment, 713, 136607.
  • McLaughlin, M.C.; Blotevogel, J; Watson, R.A.; Schell, B.; Blewett, T.A.; Folkerts, E. J.; Goss, G.G.; Truong, L.; Tanguay, R.L.; Argueso, J.L.; Borch, T. 2020. Mutagenicity assessment downstream of oil and gas produced water discharges intended for agricultural beneficial reuse. Science of The Total Environment, 715, 136944.
  • Shariq, L., McLaughlin, M. C., Rehberg, R. A., Miller, H., Blotevogel, J., & Borch, T. 2021. Irrigation of wheat with select hydraulic fracturing chemicals: Evaluating plant uptake and growth impacts. Environmental Pollution, 273, 116402.
  • McDevitt, B., McLaughlin, M. C., Blotevogel, J., Borch, T., & Warner, N. R. 2021. Oil & gas produced water retention ponds as potential passive treatment for radium removal and beneficial reuse. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, 23(3), 501-518.
  • McDevitt, B., McLaughlin, M. C., Vinson, D. S., Geeza, T. J., Blotevogel, J., Borch, T., & Warner, N. R. 2020. Isotopic and element ratios fingerprint salinization impact from beneficial use of oil and gas produced water in the Western US. Science of The Total Environment, 716, 137006.
  • Evans, M.V.; Getzinger, G.; Luek, J. L.; Hanson, A.J.; McLaughlin, M.C.; Blotevogel, J.; Welch, S.A.; Nicora, C.D.; Purvine, S.O.; Xu, C.; Cole, D.R.; Darrah, T.H.; Hoyt, D.W.; Metz, T.O.; Ferguson, P.L.; Lipton, M.S.; Wilkins, M.J.; Mouser, P.J. 2019. In situ transformation of ethoxylate and glycol surfactants by shale-colonizing microorganisms during hydraulic fracturing. The ISME journal, 13(11), 2690-2700.
  • Hanson, A. J., Luek, J. L., Tummings, S. S., McLaughlin, M. C., Blotevogel, J., & Mouser, P. J. 2019. High total dissolved solids in shale gas wastewater inhibit biodegradation of alkyl and nonylphenol ethoxylate surfactants. Science of the total environment, 668, 1094-1103.
  • Akyon, B., McLaughlin, M., Hernández, F., Blotevogel, J., & Bibby, K. 2019. Characterization and biological removal of organic compounds from hydraulic fracturing produced water. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, 21(2), 279-290.
  • McDevitt, B.; McLaughlin, M.; Cravotta, C.; Ajemigbitse, M.; Van Sice, K.J.; Blotevogel, J.; Borch, T.; Warner, N.R. 2018. Radium Accumulation in Carbonate River Sediments at Oil and Gas Produced Water Discharges: Implications for Beneficial Use as Disposal Management. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts. 21(2), 324-338.
  • Burgos, W.D.; Meza, L.C.; Tasker, T.L.; Geeza, T.J.; Drohan, P.J.; Liu, X.; Landis, J.; Blotevogel, J.; McLaughlin, M.C.; Borch, T.; Warner, N.R. 2017. Watershed-scale impacts from surface water disposal of oil and gas wastewater in western Pennsylvania. Environmental Science & Technology, 51(15), 8851-8860.
  • Oetjen, K.; Giddings, C.G.S.; McLaughlin, M.; Nell, M.; Blotevogel, J.; Helbling, D.E.; Mueller, D.; Higgins, C.P. 2017. Emerging analytical methods for the characterization and quantification of organic contaminants in flowback and produced water. Trends in Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 15, 12-23.
  • McLaughlin, M. C., Borch, T., & Blotevogel, J. 2016. Spills of hydraulic fracturing chemicals on agricultural topsoil: biodegradation, sorption, and co-contaminant interactions. Environmental Science & Technology, 50(11), 6071-6078.
  • Cerully, K. M., Hite, J. R., McLaughlin, M., & Nenes, A. 2014. Toward the Determination of Joint Volatility-Hygroscopicity Distributions: Development and Response Characterization for Single-Component Aerosol. Aerosol Science and Technology, 48(3), 296–31