Contact Dr Gabriela Dotro
Areas of expertise
- Water Science and Engineering
Background
Dr Gabriela (Gaby) Dotro joined Cranfield University in October 2009 as a postdoctoral researcher and worked as a Senior Research Fellow (2012-2024) and Principal Research Fellow in Ecological Engineering until the end of 2024. She holds an Ecological Engineering degree from Universidad de Flores (Argentina), a Masters degree in Environmental Design from the University of Calgary (Canada), and a PhD in Engineering from the University of Memphis (USA).
Gaby started her work on nature-based solutions (NbS) for wastewater treatment in 2001 and championed innovation on treatment wetlands in the UK water industry during her roles at Severn Trent Water's Research and Development team (five-year secondmend) and through leading research at Cranfield University. She has a robust understanding of hard engineering/"grey" technologies as well as green infrastructure, having worked on understanding pollutant cycling pathways for nutrients and metals across activated sludge through to low energy wastewater treatment processes.
During her time at Cranfield, Gaby co-created the Wastewater Network, a network of water companies and universities that meets regularly to address some of the key challenges and research gaps in wastewater treatment in the UK. Together with a team of internationally-renowned academics and practitioners, she developed a fully-online short course on nature-based solutions in 2020 that still runs annually.
Gaby led the development and delivery of the IWA Task Group on Mainstreaming the Use of Treatment Wetlands (2015-2019), where she co-authored an Open Access textbook on Treatment Wetlands and edited and co-authored specific chapters within the IWA Scientific and Technical Report on Wetland Technology, both of which have been translated into multiple languages.
Aside from her ability to link research to implementation, she is a passionate educator and a certified IUCN Global Standard assessor for Nature-based Solutions.
Research opportunities
nature-based solutions for water management
assessment of multiple benefits from green interventions
microbial cycling of pollutants in engineered and natural ecosystems
greenhouse gas emissions from biological treatment processes
Current activities
Gaby is now a Visiting Fellow, after being a dedicated member of staff for 15 years at Cranfield Water. She remains passionate about knowledge advancement and sharing, bridging practice, research and implementation. She is now an independent consultant on NbS, under the name of NbS Future.
Since 2023, Gaby has been the elected Chair of the Constructed Wetland Association (UK), championing innovative training and the development of industry guidance and mentoring of new professionals in the field. She also serves as an elected member of the Management Committee for the IWA Specialist Group on Wetland Systems for Water Pollution Control since 2012 and contributes to the IWA Working Group on NbS for Water and Sanitation.
Gaby also participates in national and international industry and research events to advance knowledge sharing and continue her own learning journey. She is part of the IWA Climate Smart Utilities CoP Working Group on Greenhouse Gas monitoring and has contributed to guidance developed on monitoring emissions.
Clients
- Severn Trent PLC
- United Utilities Group PLC
- Scottish Water
- Anglian Water
- Southern Water
- Wessex Water
- Thames Water
- Welsh Water
- Northumbrian Water
- Yorkshire Water
- Uisce Éireann (Irish Water)
- Environment Agency
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- Natural Environment Research Council
- Mott MacDonald Group
- Abydoz Environmental Inc
- APEM
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Sarti C, Souleymane AA, Dotro G, Cincinelli A & Lyu T. (2025). Partitioning and removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in full-scale surface flow treatment wetlands with different upstream wastewater treatment. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 71
- Lea-Smith DJ, Hassard F, Coulon F, Partridge N, Horsfall L, .... (2025). Engineering biology applications for environmental solutions: potential and challenges. Nature Communications, 16(1)
- Ilyas H, Rousseau DPL, Vymazal J, Dotro G, Zhao Y, .... (2025). Editorial: Pollutant dynamics and Wetlands (WETPOL 2023). Ecological Engineering, 217
- Hargreaves AJ, Vale P, Whelan J, Constantino C, Dotro G, .... (2025). Retraction notice to “Distribution of trace metals (Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn) between particulate, colloidal and truly dissolved fractions in wastewater treatment” [Chemosphere 175 (2017) Pages 239–246]. Chemosphere
- Savvidou P, Dotro G, Campo P, Coulon F & Lyu T. (2024). Constructed wetlands as nature-based solutions in managing per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): evidence, mechanisms, and modelling. Science of The Total Environment, 934
- Al-Mashaqbeh O, Alsalhi L, Salaymeh L, Dotro G & Lyu T. (2024). Treatment of pharmaceutical industry wastewater for water reuse in Jordan using hybrid constructed wetlands. Science of The Total Environment, 939
- Hassard F, Curtis TP, Dotro GC, Golyshin P, Gutierrez T, .... (2024). Scaling-up engineering biology for enhanced environmental solutions. ACS Synthetic Biology, 13(6)
- Lyu T, Headley T, Kadlec RH, Jefferson B & Dotro G. (2024). Phosphorus removal in surface flow treatment wetlands for domestic wastewater treatment: Global experiences, opportunities, and challenges. Journal of Environmental Management, 369
- Brown GC, MacAdam J, Dotro G & Jefferson B. (2023). A wholelife cost and carbon perspective of alternatives to septic tanks utilising nature-based solutions. H2Open Journal, 6(3)
- Wybrow J, Lyu T, Dotro G & Jefferson B. (2022). Constructed wetlands, micropollutants and climate change. Royal Society of Chemistry ECG Bulletin
- Dale G, Dotro G, Srivastava P, Austin D, Hutchinson S, .... (2021). Education in ecological engineering – A need whose time has come. Circular Economy and Sustainability, 1(1)
- Barak J, Dotro G & Jefferson B. (2019). The role of concentrations gradients on phosphorus and iron dynamics from chemically-dosed horizontal flow wetlands for tertiary sewage treatment. Water Science and Technology, 79(11)
- Khomenko O, Dotro G, Jefferson B, Coulon F & Bajón Fernández Y. (2019). Influence of sludge layer properties on the hydraulic behaviour of gravel-based vertical flow constructed wetlands for primary treatment of sewage. Science of The Total Environment, 691
- Hargreaves AJ, Constantino C, Dotro G, Cartmell E & Campo P. (2018). Fate and removal of metals in municipal wastewater treatment: a review. Environmental Technology Reviews, 7(1)
- Hargreaves AJ, Vale P, Whelan J, Alibardi L, Constantino C, .... (2018). Correction to: Coagulation–flocculation process with metal salts, synthetic polymers and biopolymers for the removal of trace metals (Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn) from municipal wastewater. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 20(5)
- Hargreaves AJ, Vale PCJ, Whelan J, Alibardi L, Constantino C, .... (2018). Coagulation–flocculation process with metal salts, synthetic polymers and biopolymers for the removal of trace metals (Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn) from municipal wastewater. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 20(2)
- Dotro G, Mander Ü & Rousseau D. (2017). WETPOL 2015: Closing the gap between natural and constructed wetlands research. Ecological Engineering, 98
- Hargreaves AJ, Vale PCJ, Whelan J, Alibardi L, Constantino C, .... (2017). Impacts of coagulation-flocculation treatment on the size distribution and bioavailability of trace metals (Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn) in municipal wastewater. Water Research, 128
- Hargreaves AJ, Dotro G & Campo Moreno P. (2017). Distribution of trace metals (Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn) between particulate, colloidal and truly dissolved fractions in wastewater treatment. Chemosphere, 175
- Butterworth E, Richards A, Jones M, Dotro G & Jefferson B. (2016). Assessing the potential for tertiary nitrification in sub-surface flow constructed wetlands. Environmental Technology Reviews, 5(1)
- Butterworth E, Richards A, Jones M, Mansi G, Ranieri E, .... (2016). Performance of four full-scale artificially aerated horizontal flow constructed wetlands for domestic wastewater treatment. Water, 8(9)
- Butterworth E, Richards A, Jones M, Brix H, Dotro G, .... (2016). Impact of aeration on macrophyte establishment in sub-surface constructed wetlands used for tertiary treatment of sewage. Ecological Engineering, 91
- Hargreaves AJ, Vale PCJ, Whelan J, Constantino C, Dotro G, .... (2016). Mercury and antimony in wastewater: fate and treatment. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 227(3)
- Le Corre Pidou K, Dotro G & Jefferson B. (2016). Assessment of activated sludge, membrane bioreactors and vertical flow wetlands for upgrading sewage treatment works. Environmental Technology, 38(2)
- Stafford B, Dotro G, Vale P, Jefferson B & Jarvis P. (2014). Removal of phosphorus from trickling filter effluent by electrocoagulation. Environmental Technology, 35(24)
- Black G, Jones M, Vale P, Johnson N, Nocker A, .... (2014). Biofilm Responses to Toxic Shocks in Closed Pipes: Using Nitrous Oxide Emissions as an Early Warning of Toxicity Ahead of a Wastewater Treatment Works. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 225(2)
- Aboobakar A, Jones M, Vale P, Cartmell E & Dotro G. (2014). Methane Emissions from Aerated Zones in a Full-Scale Nitrifying Activated Sludge Treatment Plant. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 225(1)
- Mander Ü, Dotro G, Ebie Y, Towprayoon S, Chiemchaisri C, .... (2014). Greenhouse gas emission in constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment: A review. Ecological Engineering, 66
- Aboobakar A, Cartmell E, Stephenson T, Jones M, Vale P, .... (2013). Nitrous oxide emissions and dissolved oxygen profiling in a full-scale nitrifying activated sludge treatment plant. Water Research, 47(2)
- Butterworth E, Dotro G, Jones M, Richards A, Onunkwo P, .... (2013). Effect of artificial aeration on tertiary nitrification in a full-scale subsurface horizontal flow constructed wetland. Ecological Engineering, 54
- Dotro G, Castro S, Tujchneider O, Piovano N, Paris M, .... (2012). Performance of pilot-scale constructed wetlands for secondary treatment of chromium-bearing tannery wastewaters. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 239-240
- Nivala J, Knowles P, Dotro G, García J & Wallace S. (2012). Clogging in subsurface-flow treatment wetlands: Measurement, modeling and management. Water Research, 46(6)
- Dotro G, Jefferson B, Jones M, Vale P, Cartmell E, .... (2012). ChemInform Abstract: Impact and Potential of Intermittent Aeration on Continuous Flow Nitrifying Activated Sludge. ChemInform, 43(25)
- Dotro G, Jefferson B, Jones M, Vale P, Cartmell E, .... (2011). A review of the impact and potential of intermittent aeration on continuous flow nitrifying activated sludge. Environmental Technology, 32(15)
- Dotro G, Larsen D & Palazolo P. (2011). Treatment of chromium‐bearing wastewaters with constructed wetlands. Water and Environment Journal, 25(2)
- Knowles P, Dotro G, Nivala J & García J. (2011). Clogging in subsurface-flow treatment wetlands: Occurrence and contributing factors. Ecological Engineering, 37(2)
- Dotro G, Larsen D & Palazolo P. (2011). Preliminary Evaluation of Biological and Physical–Chemical Chromium Removal Mechanisms in Gravel Media Used in Constructed Wetlands. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 215(1-4)
- Dotro G, Palazolo P & Larsen D. (2009). Chromium Fate in Constructed Wetlands Treating Tannery Wastewaters. Water Environment Research, 81(6)
- Dotro G, Palazolo P & Larsen D. (2008). Chromium Fate in Constructed Wetlands Treating Tannery Wastewaters. Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 2008(11)
