Dr Isabel Douterelo Soler (she/her)

BSc, PhD

School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering

Senior Lecturer in Water & Applied Microbiology

Headshot of Isabel DS
Profile picture of Headshot of Isabel DS
i.douterelo@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 9728
Room MezC4a, Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)

Full contact details

Dr Isabel Douterelo Soler
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
Room MezC4a
Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Profile

My research aims to understand and solve water quality problems in urban water systems to contribute protecting public health and the environment.

Dr Isabel Douterelo-Soler

Isabel's expertise lies in interdisciplinary knowledge that brings together microbial research and water engineering.

She joined the Department of Civil & Structural Engineering in 2010, as a Research Associate in an EPSRC Challenging Engineering funded project and in 2016 she was awarded an independent EPSRC-Living with Environmental Change Fellowship.

During her career to date, she has worked with a range of public bodies, commercial companies, and academic departments delivering impact from her research. Her research has generated cutting-edge discoveries on the impact of climate change on drinking water distribution systems, whilst informing water practitioners on decision making and water management strategies.

Currently, Isabel is investigating public health risks associated with urban flooding, the use of molecular methods to monitor pollution in UK rivers in collaboration with Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency, and the use of constructed wetlands to treat surface runoff pollution.

Research interests

The scope of Isabels work covers drinking water supply, sewage systems, and groundwater, and how these three interact. For example, drinking water supply pipes and sewage infrastructure are often located near each other underground. Extreme weather events such as flooding combined with damaged buried infrastructure can cause cross-contamination from one system to the other and compromise public health.

The ultimate goal of Isabels research is to develop new management, monitoring and risk mitigation technologies to protect public health and enhance climate change adaptation of urban water systems.

Publications

Journal articles

  • Schellart A, Sharp L, Bertrand-Krajewski J-L, Rieckermann J, Anta J, Blumensaat F, Clemens-Meyer F, Dittmer U, Douterelo I, Gruber G , Jensen H et al (2025) . Water Science & Technology, 92(3), 409-425.
  • Smalley AL, Douterelo I, Chipps M & Shucksmith JD (2025) . Science of The Total Environment, 991.
  • Barnhart EP, Douterelo I, Morgan MJ & Puzon GJ (2025) . Frontiers in Microbiology, 16.
  • Karunakaran E, Battarbee R, Tait S, Beltran BM, Berney C, Grinham J, Herrero MA, Omolo R & Douterelo I (2024) . Science of The Total Environment, 912.
  • Calero Preciado C, Soria-Carrasco V, Boxall J & Douterelo I (2022) . Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10.
  • Del Olmo G, Malinowski N, Puzon GJ, Morgan MJ, Calero C & Douterelo I (2021) . Water, 13(21).
  • Calero Preciado C, Husband S, Boxall J, del Olmo G, Soria-Carrasco V, Maeng SK & Douterelo I (2021) . Water Research, 201.
  • Calero Preciado C, Boxall J, Soria-Carrasco V, Mart穩nez S & Douterelo I (2021) . Frontiers in Microbiology, 12.
  • Rosales E, Del Olmo G, Calero Preciado C & Douterelo I (2020) . Frontiers in Microbiology, 11.
  • Douterelo I, Dutilh BE, Calero C, Rosales E, Martin K & Husband S (2020) . Water Research, 187.
  • Del Olmo G, Ahmad A, Jensen H, Karunakaran E, Rosales E, Calero Preciado C, Gaskin P & Douterelo I (2020) . npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, 6(1).
  • Del Olmo G, Husband S, S獺nchez Briones C, Soriano A, Calero Preciado C, Macian J & Douterelo I (2020) . Science of The Total Environment, 754.
  • Del Olmo G, Rosales E, Karunakaran E, Jensen H, Calero C, Ahmad A, Gaskin P & Douterelo I (2020) . Access Microbiology, 2(7A).
  • Carpitella S, Del Olmo G, Izquierdo J, Husband S, Boxall J & Douterelo I (2020) . Water, 12(5).
  • Noh JH, Yoo SH, Son H-J, Fish KE, Douterelo Soler I & Maeng SK (2020) . Journal of Hazardous Materials, 388.
  • Douterelo I, Dutilh BE, Arkhipova K, Calero C & Husband S (2020) . Water Research, 173.
  • AgudeloVera C, Avvedimento S, Boxall J, Creaco E, de Kater H, Di Nardo A, Djukic A, Douterelo I, Fish K, Iglesias Rey PL , Jacimovic N et al (2020) . Water, 12(4).
  • Preciado CC, Boxall J, Soria-Carrasco V & Douterelo I (2019) . Access Microbiology, 1(1A).
  • Douterelo I, Sharpe RL, Husband S, Fish KE & Boxall JB (2019) . Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 6(1).
  • Douterelo I, Calero-Preciado C, Soria-Carrasco V & Boxall JB (2018) . Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, 4(12), 2080-2091.
  • Douterelo I, Fish KE & Boxall JB (2018) . Water Research, 141, 74-85.
  • Park JW, Lee YJ, Meyer AS, Douterelo I & Maeng SK (2018) . Water Research, 144, 36-45.
  • Montoya-Pachongo C, Douterelo I, Noakes C, Alonso Camargo-Valero M, Sleigh A, Escobar-Rivera J-C & Torres-Lozada P (2018) . Science of The Total Environment, 616-17, 345-354.
  • Douterelo I, Jackson M, Solomon C & Boxall JB (2017) . Science of the Total Environment, 581-58, 277-288.
  • Husband S, Fish KE, Douterelo I & Boxall J (2016) . Water Science and Technology: Water Supply, 16(4), 942-950.
  • Douterelo I, Husband S, Loza V & Boxall J (2016) . Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 82(14), 4155-4168.
  • Douterelo I, Jackson M, Solomon C & Boxall J (2015) . Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.
  • Fish KE, Collins R, Green NH, Sharpe RL, Douterelo I, Osborn AM & Boxall JB (2015) . PLoS ONE, 10(2).
  • Douterelo I, Boxall JB, Deines P, Sekar R, Fish KE & Biggs CA (2014) . Water Research, 65, 134-156.
  • Douterelo I, Sharpe R & Boxall J (2014) . J Appl Microbiol, 117(1), 286-301.
  • Douterelo I, Husband S & Boxall JB (2014) . Water Res, 54, 100-114.
  • Douterelo I, Sharpe RL & Boxall JB (2013) . Water Research, 47(2), 503-516.
  • Footitt S, Douterelo-Soler I, Clay H & Finch-Savage WE (2011) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(50), 20236-20241.
  • Douterelo I, Goulder R & Lillie M (2011) Enzyme activities and compositional shifts in the community structure of bacterial groups in English wetland soils associated with preservation of organic remains in archaeological sites. International Biodeterioration Biodegradation.
  • Douterelo I, Goulder R & Lillie M (2011) . International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation, 65(3), 435-443.
  • Douterelo I, Goulder R & Lillie M (2010) . APPL SOIL ECOL, 44(3), 219-227.
  • Douterelo I, Goulder R & Lillie M (2009) . INT BIODETER BIODEGR, 63(6), 795-805.
  • H瓣nfling B, Douterelo-Soler I, Knight L & Proudlove G (2009) Molecular studies on the Niphargus kochianus group (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Niphargidae) in Great Britain and Ireland.. Cave and Karst Science, 35(1), 35-40.
  • H瓣nfling B, Douterelo-Soler I, Knight L & Proudlove G (2008) Molecular studies on the Niphargus kochianus group (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Niphargidae) in Great Britain and Ireland. Cave and Karst Science, 35(1-2), 35-40.
  • Mateo P, Douterelo I, Berrendero E & Perona E (2006) . J PHYCOL, 42(1), 61-66.
  • Douterelo I, Perona E & Mateo P (2004) . ENVIRON POLLUT, 127(3), 377-384.

Conference proceedings

  • Scutt S, Shucksmith J & Douterelo I (2022) . Access Microbiology, Vol. 4(5). virtual, 26 April 2021 - 30 April 2021.
  • Olmo GD, Puzon GJ, Preciado CC & Douterelo I (2022) . Access Microbiology, Vol. 4(5). virtual, 26 April 2021 - 30 April 2021.
  • Douterelo I, Calero C & Husband S (2018) Monitoring biofilm communities in operational drinking water distribution systems and the impact on water quality. 1st International Wdsa Ccwi 2018 Joint Conference
  • Furnass WR, Douterelo, I , Collins, RP , Mounce & Boxall, JB (2014) . Procedia Engineering, Vol. 89 (pp 135-142)
  • Lillie M, Soler I & Smith R (2012) . Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites, Vol. 14(1-4) (pp 126-149)
  • husband , douterelo , fish & Boxall JB () Biofilms and Discolouration Material Accumulation Processes in Drinking Water Distribution Systems and Modelling the Hydraulic. IWA Specialist Conference Biofilms in Drinking Water systems from treatment to tap. Arosa, Switzerland, 23 August 2015 - 26 August 2015.
  • Fish K, Douterelo , husband & Boxall JB () The impact of hydraulic conditions upon drinking water distribution system biofilms. biofilms IWA Specialist Conference Biofilms in Drinking Water systems from treatment to tap. Arosa, Switzerland, 23 August 2015 - 26 August 2015.
  • Speight V, Douterelo I, Sharpe R, Fish K & Boxall JB () Impact of hydraulic events on organic and inorganic material in distribution systems. AWWA Water Quality Technology Conference. Long Beach, California, USA, 4 November 2013 - 7 November 2013.

Other

  • Speight V, Quintiliani C, Bosch A, Rajnochova M, Schaap P, Husband S, Rucka J, Suchacek T, Ivetic D, Vasilic Z , Jacimovic N et al () .

Preprints

  • Montoya-Pachongo C, Noakes C, Camargo MA, Sleigh A & Douterelo I () .
Research group

Groundwater Protection & Restoration

SuDS (Sustainable drainage systems) & Uran Drainage

Water Distribution Systems & Infrastructure

Catchments & River Engineering

Grants

NBIC proposal with Welsh Water

The aim of this project is to facilitate novel research investigating the impact of phosphate dosing and lead leaching on drinking water quality and safety. Phosphate is added to control plumbosolvency and corrosion in metallic pipes hence it is used to protect consumers health and water quality.

The Addition of Phosphate Dosing to Dwr Cymru Welsh Water zone B10

This provides an opportunity to investigate how the addition of phosphate can impact the microbial community and subsequent water quality interactions. The project will also benefit with support from the PODDS project that will investigate the impact of phosphate dosing on discolouration risk. This project therefore offers multiple mutual benefits to both parties investigating the poorly understood impact of phosphate dosing.

CIVVSNSF CBET

This research is developing a fundamental understanding of the microbial ecology of intermittently operated water distribution systems to inform operational or construction risk reduction strategies. Funded by US NSF and EPSRC, this project is a collaboration between the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Sheffield.

Teaching activities

CIV235 Water and Wastewater

CIV61015 Water Quality Processes and Treatment

Potential PhD offerings

Unfortunately I am not seeking any PhD Students at this time, however please contact me if you are interested in doing a project in my research area.

Links

Water Engineering Discipline  Pennine Water Group