Areas of expertise
- Applied Informatics
- Environment and Health
- Monitoring and Environmental Informatics
- Water Science and Engineering
Background
Dr Francis Hassard is a Lecturer in Public Health Microbiology at Cranfield Water Science Institute, where he provides technical leadership in potable water microbiology.
Francis has a distinct research agenda
into biofiltration for drinking water treatment. I focus on next-generation
municipal water services (drinking water, wastewater, stormwater) framed around
biofilms and resource recovery (i.e. water and nutrients) for improved
ecohealth and living conditions; integrated with quantitative microbial risk
assessment (QMRA) to identify research gaps and management targets.
His postdoctoral research focused on the study of biogeochemical determinants of water quality and nutrient dynamics taking whole catchment approaches. Francis' PhD research focused on biofilm reactors for wastewater treatment and the study of hazardous micro-pollutants. His first degree was in Marine Biology at the University of Southampton, where he also achieved a distinction in a Masters on the same topic. Before joining Cranfield, Francis worked at Bangor University as a Research Associate and Atkins Global as a technical specialist in water quality and environmental modelling.
Research opportunities
I am currently recruiting for doctoral research students in the area of applied microbiology of drinking water.
Current activities
Research Themes
Francis' research seeks to understand disinfection in drinking water systems and understanding the role of biofilms as reservoirs of resistance to disinfectants such as chlorine and antibiotics.
The use of Next Generation Sequencing technologies for understanding how bacterial community dynamics influence the formation of Disinfection-By-Products.
Understanding the role of bacterial extracellular enzyme activity on water treatment efficacy.
Developing strategies and techniques for enumeration of emerging pathogens.
Peer-Reviewer for:
Scientific Reports
Science of the Total Environment
Environments
Water
Proceedings of the AICE - Water Management
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Conference Organising Committee:
19th UK-IWA Young Water Professionals Conference Towards a Resilient Water Future
10th Conference of the UK Network on Potable Water Treatment & Supply
11th Conference of the UK Network on Potable Water Treatment & Supply
Clients
Natural Environmental Research Council
Severn Trent Water
UK Water Industry Research
Thames Water
Drinking Water Inspectorate
Royal Academy of Engineering
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Castro-Gutierrez V, Hassard F, Vu M, Leitao R, Burczynska B, Wildeboer D, Stanton I, Rahimzadeh S, Baio G, Garelick H, Hofman J, Kasprzyk-Hordern B, Kwiatkowska R, Majeed A, Priest S, Grimsley J, Lundy L, Singer AC & Di Cesare M (2022) Monitoring occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 in school populations: A wastewater-based approach, PLoS ONE, 17 (6) Article No. e0270168.
- Hassard F, Smith TR, Boehm AB, Nolan S, O'Mara O, Di Cesare M & Graham D (2022) Wastewater surveillance for rapid identification of infectious diseases in prisons [Comment], The Lancet Microbe, Available online 7 June 2022.
- Castro-Gutierrez VM, Hassard F & Moir JW (2022) Probe-based qPCR assay enables the rapid and specific detection of bacterial degrading genes for the pesticide metaldehyde in soil, Journal of Microbiological Methods, 195 (April) Article No. 106447.
- Tlhagale M, Liphadzi S, Bhagwan J, Naidoo V, Jonas K, van Vuuren L, Medema G, Andrews L, Béen F, Ferreira ML, Saatci AM, Alpaslan Kocamemi B, Hassard F, Singer AC, Bunce JT, Grimsley JMS, Brown M & Jones DL (2022) Establishment of local wastewater-based surveillance programmes in response to the spread and infection of COVID-19 – case studies from South Africa, the Netherlands, Turkey and England, Journal of Water and Health, 20 (2) 287-299.
- Castro-Gutierrez VM, Pickering L, Cambronero-Heinrichs JC, Holden B, Haley J, Jarvis P, Jefferson B, Helgason T, Moir JW & Hassard F (2022) Bioaugmentation of pilot-scale slow sand filters can achieve compliant levels for the micropollutant metaldehyde in a real water matrix, Water Research, 211 (March) Article No. 118071. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.18412244
- Lundy L, Fatta-Kassinos D, Slobodnik J, Karaolia P, Cirka L, Kreuzinger N, Castiglioni S, Bijlsma L, Dulio V, Deviller G, Yin Lai F, Alygizakis N, Barneo M, Baz-Lomba JA, Béen F, Cíchová M, Conde-Pérez K, Covaci A & Viklander M (2021) Making Waves: collaboration in the time of SARS-CoV-2 - rapid development of an international co-operation and wastewater surveillance database to support public health decision-making, Water Research, 199 (July) Article No. 117167.
- Muleja AA, Mubiayi MP, Hassard F & Mamba BB (2021) Titania containing natural clay doped with carbon nanotubes for enhanced natural photocatalytic discoloration of wastewater, Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 23 (4) Article No. 97.
- Hassard F, Lundy L, Singer AC, Grimsley J & Di Cesare M (2021) Innovation in wastewater near-source tracking for rapid identification of COVID-19 in schools [Comment], The Lancet Microbe, 2 (1, January) e4-e5.
- Cheswick R, Moore G, Nocker A, Hassard F, Jefferson B & Jarvis P (2020) Chlorine disinfection of drinking water assessed by flow cytometry: new insights, Environmental Technology and Innovation, 19 (August) Article No. 101032.
- Rolph CA, Jefferson B, Brookes A, Hassard F & Villa R (2020) Achieving drinking water compliance levels for metaldehyde with an acclimated sand bioreactor, Water Research, 184 (October) Article No. 116084.
- Zeb MA, Murtaza G, Hussain MA, Kubra KT, Muvhiiwa R, De Kock LA & Hassard F (2020) A comprehensive adsorption study of 1-Hydroxy-2-Naphthoic acid using cost effective engineered materials, Environmental Technology and Innovation, 19 (August) Article No. 100881.
- Budge S, Barnett M, Hutchings P, Parker A, Tyrrel S, Hassard F, Garbutt C, Moges M, Woldemedhin F & Jemal M (2020) Risk factors and transmission pathways associated with infant Campylobacter spp. prevalence and malnutrition: A formative study in rural Ethiopia, PLoS ONE, 15 (5) Article No. e0232541. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.9907385
- Freeman D, Fernández YB, Wilson A, McKew BA, Whitby C, Clark DR, Jefferson B, Coulon F & Hassard F (2020) Nitrogen oxidation consortia dynamics influence the performance of full-scale rotating biological contactors, Environment International, 135 (February) Article No. 105354.
- Hassard F, Biddle J, Cartmell E, Coulon F & Stephenson T (2020) Biosolids recycling impact on biofilm extracellular enzyme activity and performance of hybrid rotating biological reactors, Science of the Total Environment, 706 (March) Article No. 135865.
- Rolph CA, Villa R, Jefferson B, Brookes A, Choya A, Iceton G & Hassard F (2019) From full-scale biofilters to bioreactors: Engineering biological metaldehyde removal, Science of the Total Environment, 685 (October) 410-418. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.8869580.v1
- Jarvis P, Autin O, Goslan EH & Hassard F (2019) Application of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LED) to full-scale drinking-water disinfection, Water (Switzerland), 11 (9) Article No. 1894.
- Wood M, Simmonds L, MacAdam J, Hassard F, Jarvis P & Chalmers RM (2019) Role of filtration in managing the risk from Cryptosporidium in commercial swimming pools – a review, Journal of Water and Health, 17 (3) 357-370.
- Denman S, Doonan J, Ransom-Jones E, Broberg M, Plummer S, Kirk S, Scarlett K, Griffiths AR, Kaczmarek M, Forster J, Peace A, Golyshin PN, Hassard F, Brown N, Kenny JG & McDonald JE (2018) Microbiome and infectivity studies reveal complex polyspecies tree disease in Acute Oak Decline, The ISME Journal, 12 (2) 386-399.
- Farrell C, Hassard F, Jefferson B, Leziart T, Nocker A & Jarvis P (2018) Turbidity composition and the relationship with microbial attachment and UV inactivation efficacy, Science of the Total Environment, 624 (May) 638-647.
- Rolph CA, Jefferson B, Hassard F & Villa R (2018) Metaldehyde removal from drinking water by adsorption onto filtration media: mechanisms and optimisation, Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology, 4 (10) 1543-1552. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.4702747
- Hassard F, Biddle J, Harnett R & Stephenson T (2018) Microbial extracellular enzyme activity affects performance in a full-scale modified activated sludge process, Science of the Total Environment, 625 (June) 1527-1534.
- Hassard F, Sharp JH, Taft H, LeVay L, Harris JP, McDonald JE, Tuson K, Wilson J, Jones DL & Malham SK (2017) Critical Review on the Public Health Impact of Norovirus Contamination in Shellfish and the Environment: A UK Perspective, Food and Environmental Virology, 9 (2).
- Farkas K, Hassard F, McDonald JE, Malham SK & Jones DL (2017) Evaluation of Molecular Methods for the Detection and Quantification of Pathogen-Derived Nucleic Acids in Sediment, Frontiers in Microbiology.
- Hassard F, Andrews A, Jones DL, Parsons L, Jones V, Cox BA, Daldorph P, Brett H, McDonald JE & Malham SK (2017) Physicochemical factors influence the abundance and culturability of human enteric pathogens and fecal indicator organisms in estuarine water and sediment, Frontiers in Microbiology, 8 Article No. 1996.
- Hassard F, Biddle J, Cartmell E & Stephenson T (2016) Mesh rotating reactors for biofilm pre-treatment of wastewaters – influence of media type on microbial activity, viability and performance, Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 103 (Part A, September) 69-75.
- Hassard F, Gwyther C, Farkas K, Andrews A, Jones V, Cox B, Brett H, Jones D, McDonald J & Malham S (2016) Abundance and distribution of enteric bacteria and viruses in coastal and estuarine sediments - A review, Frontiers in Microbiology, 7 Article No. 1692.
- Hassard F, Biddle J, Cartmell E, Jefferson B, Tyrrel S & Stephenson T (2015) Rotating biological contactors for wastewater treatment - A review, Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 94 285-306.
- Hassard F, Cartmell E, Biddle J & Stephenson T (2014) Performance of permeable media rotating reactors used for pretreatment of wastewaters, Water Science and Technology, 69 (9) 1926-1931.
- Petrie B, McAdam EJ, Hassard F, Stephenson T, Lester JN & Cartmell E (2014) Diagnostic investigation of steroid estrogen removal by activated sludge at varying solids retention time, Chemosphere, 113 101-108.
Conference Papers
- Jago C, Howlett E, Hassard F, Jackson S, Malham S, Rajko-Nenow P, Robins P, (2017) Turbulence control of the flux of particulate matter, nutrients and pathogens in the river-estuary transition zone of a shallow macrotidal estuary. In: 19th European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2017 (EGU2017), Vienna, 23-28 April 2017.
