Contact Dr Alison Parker
- Tel: +44 (0) 1234 758120
- Email: a.parker@cranfield.ac.uk
- Twitter: @alisonhparker
- Blog: http://www.nanomembranetoilet.org
- ORCID
Areas of expertise
- Carbon, Climate and Risk
- Environment and Health
- Water Science and Engineering
Background
Dr Parker completed a four year Masters degree at the University of Oxford in Earth Sciences.This was followed by a PhD at the University of Leeds studying the hydrogeology of the chalk aquifer of East Yorkshire. Dr Parker started as a Research Fellow at Cranfield University in January 2009 and was promoted to Academic Fellow in October 2010 and to Lecturer in May 2013.
Current activities
Dr Parker currently has a large research activity in technologies for urban sanitation. She is leading Cranfield University's response to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's challenge to "Reinvent the Toilet", using novel membrane technology to treat human waste on-site. She is also involved in developing and testing technologies to treat faecal sludge from pit latrines and container toilets including anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis. This involves characterising the waste and optimising its reuse. She is working at both ends of the technology development process - helping to develop a novel technology for EPSRC and in testing "off the shelf" systems for WSUP.
Supporting stakeholders to provide safe water supplies is another research focus through Alison's work in WASHTech project, a European project aiming to help African decision makers decide which water and sanitation technologies to use in their projects and Community Water Plus, an AusAID funded project aiming to understand what support communities in India need to manage their water supplies.
She also has research students working on Water Safety Plans in Malaysia, Nigeria, Jamaica, India and Uganda and on the transition of urban communities between informal supplies and piped systems in Kenya. She is the Course Tutor of the MSc in Community Water and Sanitation.
Clients
- AusAID
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- EC
- EPSRC
- Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor
- Unilever
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Mercer E, Davey CJ, Campo-Moreno P, Fowler D, Williams L, Kolios A, Parker AH, Tyrrel S, Walton C, Cartmell E, Pidou M & McAdam EJ (2019) Quantification of liquid phase faecal odourants to evaluate membrane technology for wastewater reuse from decentralised sanitation facilities, Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology, 5 (1) 161-171.
- Cooper S, Hutchings P, Butterworth J, Joseph S, Kebede A, Parker A, Terefe B & Van Koppen B (2019) Environmental associated emotional distress and the dangers of climate change for pastoralist mental health, Global Environmental Change Part B, 59 (November) Article No. 101994. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.9332279
- Somorin T, Fidalgo B, Hassan S, Sowale A, Kolios A, Parker A, Williams L, Collins M, McAdam EJ & Tyrrel S (2019) Non-isothermal drying kinetics of human feces, Drying Technology, Avaiilable online 01 October.
- Hennigs J, Parker A, Collins M, Jiang Y, Kolios A, McAdam E, Williams L & Tyrrel S (2019) Planning and communicating prototype tests for the Nano Membrane Toilet: A critical review and proposed strategy [version 1; peer review: 3 approved with reservations], Gates Open Research, 3 Article No. 1532.
- Quinn R, Rushton K & Parker A (2019) An examination of the hydrological system of a sand dam during the dry season leading to water balances, Journal of Hydrology X, 4 (July) Article No. 100035. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.8409491
- Budge S, Hutchings P, Parker A, Tyrrel S, Tulu T, Gizaw M & Garbutt C (2019) Do domestic animals contribute to bacterial contamination of infant transmission pathways? Formative evidence from Ethiopia, Journal of Water and Health, 17 (5) 655-669.
- Whitley L, Hutchings P, Cooper S, Parker A, Kebede A, Joseph S, Butterworth J, Van Koppen B & Mulejaa A (2019) A framework for targeting water, sanitation and hygiene interventions in pastoralist populations in the Afar region of Ethiopia, International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 222 (8) 1133-1144. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.9332279
- Moya B, Parker A & Sakrabani R (2019) Challenges to the use of fertilisers derived from human excreta: The case of vegetable exports from Kenya to Europe and influence of certification systems, Food Policy, 85 (May) 72-78.
- Moya B, Sakrabani R & Parker A (2019) Realizing the circular economy for sanitation: assessing enabling conditions and barriers to the commercialization of human excreta derived fertilizer in Haiti and Kenya, Sustainability, 11 (11) Article No. 3154.
- Mercer E, Davey CJ, Azzini D, Eusebi AL, Tierney R, Williams L, Jiang Y, Parker A, Tyrrel S, Cartmell E, Pidou M & McAdam EJ (2019) Hybrid membrane distillation reverse electrodialysis configuration for water and energy recovery from human urine: an opportunity for off-grid decentralised sanitation, Journal of Membrane Science, 584 (August) 343-352. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.8131562.v1
- Mercer E, Parker A, Cartmell E, McAdam E, Tyrrel S, Pidou M, Kolios A, Williams L & Cruddas P (2019) Selection of screw characteristics and operational boundary conditions to facilitate post-flush urine and faeces separation within single household sanitation systems, Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology, 2 (6) 953-964.
- Hennigs J, Ravndal KT, Blose T, Toolaram A, Sindall RC, Barrington D, Collins M, Engineer B, Kolios AJ, McAdam E, Parker A, Williams L & Tyrrel S (2019) Field testing of a prototype mechanical dry toilet flush, Science of the Total Environment, 668 (June) 419-431.
- Parker AH, West LJ & Odling NE (2019) Well flow and dilution measurements for characterization of vertical hydraulic conductivity structure of a carbonate aquifer, Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 52 (1) 74-82.
- Budge S, Parker AH, Hutchings PT & Garbutt C (2019) Environmental enteric dysfunction and child stunting, Nutrition Reviews, 77 (4) 240-253.
- Fidalgo B, Chilmeran M, Somorin T, Sowale A, Kolios A, Parker A, Williams L, Collins M, McAdam EJ & Tyrrel S (2019) Non-isothermal thermogravimetric kinetic analysis of the thermochemical conversion of human faeces, Renewable Energy, 132 (March) 1177-1184.
- Kamranvand F, Davey CJ, Sakar H, Autin O, Mercer E, Collins M, Williams L, Kolios A, Parker A, Tyrrel S, Cartmell E & McAdam EJ (2018) Impact of fouling, cleaning and faecal contamination on the separation of water from urine using thermally driven membrane separation, Separation Science and Technology, 53 (9) 1372-1382.
- Elledge M, Muralidharan A, Parker A, Ravndal K, Siddiqui M, Toolaram A & Woodward K (2018) Menstrual hygiene management and waste disposal in low and middle income countries — a review of the literature, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15 (11) Article No. 2562.
- Kolios A, Jiang Y, Somorin T, Sowale A, Anastasopoulou A, Anthony B, Fidalgo Fernandez B, Parker A, McAdam E, Williams L, Collins M & Tyrrel S (2018) Probabilistic performance assessment of complex energy process systems – The case of a self-sustained sanitation system, Energy Conversion and Management, 163 74-85.
- Jurado N, Somorin T, Kolios AJ, Wagland S, Patchigolla K, Fidalgo B, Parker A, McAdam E, Williams L & Tyrrel S (2018) Design and commissioning of a multi-mode prototype for thermochemical conversion of human faeces, Energy Conversion and Management, 163 507-524.
- Sowale A, Kolios A, Fidalgo B, Somorin T, Parker A, Williams L, Collins M, McAdam E & Tyrrel S (2018) Thermodynamic analysis of a gamma type Stirling engine in an energy recovery system, Energy Conversion and Management, 165 528-540.
- Anastasopoulou A, Kolios A, Somorin T, Sowale A, Jiang Y, Fidalgo B, Parker A, Williams L, Collins M, McAdam E & Tyrrel S (2018) Conceptual environmental impact assessment of a novel self-sustained sanitation system incorporating a Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment approach, Science of the Total Environment, 639 (October) 657-672.
- Quinn R, Avis O, Decker M, Parker A & Cairncross S (2018) An assessment of the microbiological water quality of sand dams in southeastern Kenya, Water (Switzerland), 10 (6) Article No. 708. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.6394112
- Quinn R, Parker A & Rushton K (2018) Evaporation from bare soil: Lysimeter experiments in sand dams interpreted using conceptual and numerical models, Journal of Hydrology, 564 (September) 909-915.
- Omar YY, Parker A, Smith JA & Pollard SJT (2017) Risk management for drinking water safety in low and middle income countries: cultural influences on water safety plan (WSP) implementation in urban water utilities, Science of the Total Environment, 576 (January) 895-906.
- Wang CY, Mercer E, Kamranvand F, Williams L, Kolios A, Parker A, Tyrrel S, Cartmell E & McAdam EJ (2017) Tube-side mass transfer for hollow fibre membrane contactors operated in the low Graetz range, Journal of Membrane Science, 523 235-246.
- Moya B, Parker A, Sakrabani R & Mesa B (2017) Evaluating the efficacy of fertilisers derived from human excreta in agriculture and their perception in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Waste and Biomass Valorization, 10 (4) 941-952.
- Somorin T, Kolios A, Parker A, McAdam E, Williams L & Tyrrel S (2017) Faecal-wood biomass co-combustion and ash composition analysis, Fuel, 203 781-791.
- Hanak DP, Kolios A, Onabanjo T, Wagland ST, Patchigolla K, Fidalgo B, Manovic V, McAdam E, Parker A, Williams L, Tyrrel S & Cartmell E (2016) Conceptual energy and water recovery system for self-sustained nano membrane toilet, Energy Conversion and Management, 126 352-361.
- Onabanjo T, Patchigolla K, Wagland S, Fidalgo B, Kolios A, McAdam E, Parker A, Williams L, Tyrrel S & Cartmell E (2016) Energy recovery from human faeces via gasification: A thermodynamic equilibrium modelling approach, Energy Conversion and Management, 118 364-376.
- Onabanjo T, Kolios A, Patchigolla K, Wagland ST, Fidalgo B, Jurado N, Hanak DP, Manovic V, Parker A, McAdam E, Williams L, Tyrrel S & Cartmell E (2016) An experimental investigation of the combustion performance of human faeces, Fuel, 184 (November) 780-791.
- Nussbaumer D, Sutton I & Parker A (2016) Groundwater data management by water service providers in peri-urban areas of Lusaka, Water (Switzerland), 8 (4) 1-12.
- Taylor S, Asimah SA, Buamah R, Nyarko K, Sekuma SP, Coulibaly YN, Wozuame A, Jeffrey P & Parker AH (2016) Towards sustainable water sanitation and hygiene technology use in water sanitation and hygiene in sub-Saharan Africa: the Learning Alliance approach, Water Policy, 8 (4) 1-17.
- Hutchings P, Parker A & Jeffrey P (2016) The political risks of technological determinism in rural water supply: a case study from Bihar, India, Journal of Rural Studies, 45 (June) 252-259.
- Rose C, Parker A, Jefferson B & Cartmell E (2015) The characterization of feces and urine: a review of the literature to inform advanced treatment technology, Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 45 (17) 1827-1879.
- Moir RS, Parker AH & Bown RT (2014) A simple inverse method for the interpretation of pumped flowing fluid electrical conductivity logs, Water Resources Research, 50 (8) 6466-6478.
- Parker A (2014) Membrane technology plays key role in waterless hygienic toilet, Membrane Technology, 2014 (12) 8-8.
- Elster D, Holman IP, Parker A & Rudge L (2014) An investigation of the basement complex aquifer system in Lofa county, Liberia, for the purpose of siting boreholes, Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology, 47 (2) 159-167.
- Heile S, Rosenberger S, Parker A, Jefferson B & McAdam EJ (2014) Establishing the suitability of symmetric ultrathin wall polydimethylsiloxane hollow-fibre membrane contactors for enhanced CO2 separation during biogas upgrading, Journal of Membrane Science, 452 37-45.
- Jimenez-Redal R, Parker A & Jeffrey P (2014) Factors influencing the uptake of household water connections in peri-urban Maputo, Mozambique, Utilities Policy, 28 22-27.
- Parker AH, Smith J, Verdemato T, Cooke J, Webster J & Carter RC (2014) Menstrual management: a neglected aspect of hygiene interventions, Disaster Prevention and Management, 23 (4) 437-454.
- Chakava Y, Franceys R & Parker A (2014) Private boreholes for Nairobi's urban poor: The stop-gap or the solution?, Habitat International, 43 108-116.
- Parker A & Summerill C (2013) Water safety plan implementation in East Africa: Motivations and barriers, Waterlines, 32 (2) 113-124.
- Parker A, Cruddas P, Rowe N, Carter R & Webster J (2012) Tank costs for domestic rainwater harvesting in East Africa, Proceedings of the ICE - Water Management, 166 (10) 536-545.
- Heath TT, Parker AH & Weatherhead EK (2012) Testing a rapid climate change adaptation assessment for water and sanitation providers in informal settlements in three cities in sub-Saharan Africa, Environment and Urbanization, 24 (2) 619-637.
- Parker AH, West LJ, Odling NE & Bown RT (2010) A forward modeling approach for interpreting impeller flow logs, Groundwater, 48 (1) 79-91.
- Parker AH, Youlten R, Dillon M, Nussbaumer T, Carter RC, Tyrrel SF & Webster J (2010) An assessment of microbiological water quality of six water source categories in north-east Uganda, Journal of Water and Health, 8 (3) 550-560.
- Carter RC & Parker A (2009) Climate change, population trends and groundwater in Africa, Hydrological Sciences Journal, 54 (4) 676-689.
Conference Papers
- Adams RJ, Barrington D, Collins M, Hutchings P, Ihasz O, Kolios A, McAdam E, Moreno M, Parker A, Tyrrel S, Vyakarnam, S & Williams L. (2018) A Scoping Review of Business Model Configurations for Diffusing High-Tech Innovations at the Bottom of the Pyramid. In: BAM2018 Conference, University of the West of England, 4-6 September 2018.
- Anastasopoulou A, Kolios A, Somorin T, Sowale A, Jiang Y, Fidalgo B, Parker A, Williams L, Collins M, McAdam EJ & Tyrrel S (2018) Probabilistic life cycle assessment of the nano membrane toilet. In: ICWERS 2018: 20th International Conference on Waste-to-Energy Technologies and Sustainability, Rome, 5-6 March 2018.