BA BSc (Hons) PhD

  • Efficiency of water treatment technologies for the removal of priority pollutants from wastewater streams (e.g. stormwater, household wastewater, industrial wastewater, municipal wastewater and associated sludges)
  • Chemical and biological assessment of metal sorption and fixation in constant and variable charge soils
  • Treatment/recycling of waste products such as sewage sludge and industrial by-products
  • Transport and fate of pollutants in environmental systems
  • Assessment and remediation of contaminated environments
  • Sources and fluxes of xenobiotics within the environment
  • Applications of lux-marked bacterial biosensors for environmental monitoring
  • The effects of floodplain land-use on the chemistry and hydrology of coastal acid sulfate soils
  • The use of agent-based simulation modelling as a decision support tool for environmental management

Soil chemistry; Environmental pollution
Curriculum/subject area
Environmental chemistry

Current work including administrative and professional duties/roles etc

Erica is employed as a Research Fellow with the FHRC and UPRC and is currently working on the EU Framework 6 funded project SCOREPP (Source Control Options for Reducing Emissions of Priority Pollutants). The SCOREPP research consortium aims to support policy-makers, regulators, water authorities, and industry in meeting the ambitious targets of the EU Water Framework Directive by developing comprehensive and appropriate source control strategies to reduce emissions of priority pollutants (PPs) from urban areas into receiving waters. Erica is also participating in COST Action 636 - Xenobiotics in the Urban Environment.

Links to current projects

SCOREPP (Source Control Options for Reducing the Emissions of Priority Pollutants); EU Framework 6.

COST 636 (Xenobiotics in the Urban Water Cycle); EU Frameworks 6 and 7

Professional membership

Member of the British Soil Science Society
Member of the South East England Soils Discussion Group 

Selected Publications

Donner E, Scholes L, Revitt DM, Holten Luuml;tzhoslash;ft H-C and Eriksson E. Use and applicability of partitioning coefficients for predicting the behaviour of priority pollutants in natural aquatic systems. COST Action 636 - Xenobiotics in the Urban Environment. Sep 10-12, 2007, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Steen Mikkelsen P, Holten Luuml;tzhoslash;ft H-C, Eriksson E, Ledin A, Donner E, Scholes L, Revitt M, Lecloux A, Wickman T, Atanasova N, Kompare B and Banovec P. Source Control Options for Reducing Emission of Priority Pollutants from Urban Areas - Source Characterisation. 11th Int. Conference on Diffuse Pollution and 1st Joint Meeting of the IWA Diffuse Pollution and Urban Drainage Specialist Groups, Belo Horisonte, Brazil, 26-31 August 2007.

Donner, E.N.S., Nortcliff, S., Hodson, M.E., Zhao, F. (2005). The sorption and ageing of zinc in constant and variable charge soils. 8th International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements. Adelaide, Australia, April 2005.

Quirk, R., Melville, M., Waite, D., Desmier, R., Kinsela, A., Reynolds, J., Smith, J., Keene, A., Macdonald, B., White, I., Donner, E. (2005). Acid Sulfate Soils: Their drainage, oxidation, and best management. Project NSC007 Final Report, Attachment A, Australian Government Sugar Research and Development Corporation. Presented by R. Quirk at The International Society of Sugarcane Technologists Conference, Guatemala, January 2005, and to Sugarcane Industry Groups in Brazil.

Donner, E., Keene, A., Kinsela, A., Smith, J., Desmier, R., Reynolds, J., Macdonald, B., White, I., Tunks, M., Quirk, R., Melville, M. (2004). Is artificial drainage the cause of acid sulfate soil profile oxidation? Supersoil 2004, Sydney, Australia.

Donner, E.N.S., and Melville, M.D. (2002). The effects of floodplain land use on the chemistry and hydrology of coastal acid sulfate soils. 5th International Acid Sulfate Soils Conference. Tweed Heads, Australia, September 2002.