Irene Carra

Dr. Irene Carra is a Senior Lecturer in Chemical Processes at Cranfield University's Cranfield Water Science Institute, specializing in advanced water treatment technologies. Her research focuses on removing pollutants from water sources using methods like Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) and ion exchange. She holds a PhD in Advanced Oxidation Processes from the University of Almería (Spain) and has collaborated with industry partners such as Anglian Water, Thames Water, and Atkins. Her work includes developing resilient water treatment systems and investigating emerging technologies like microbubble ozonation and piezocatalytic reduction.

Research Interests:

• Advanced Oxidation Processes for micropollutant removal
• Fate and by-products of organic micropollutants
• Future water treatment technologies
• Ion exchange for organic matter removal
• Resilient and sustainable water treatment systems

Key Collaborations:

• Anglian Water (Innovation Discovery team)
• Thames Water
• Typhon Treatment Systems
• Drinking Water Inspectorate

Publications: Dr. Carra has authored over 30 peer-reviewed articles, including studies on ozone mass transfer enhancement via microbubbles, charge carrier behavior in photocatalysts, and coagulation-based removal of PFAS compounds. Her work bridges fundamental science and practical water treatment solutions.

Students: She supervises PhD researchers including Lucie Bertolaso, Ananthu Mohan, Samuel Yeboah Nyarko, and Priya Dharwadkar, focusing on topics like photocatalytic systems and ion exchange mechanisms.

Labs/Teams: Active in Cranfield's Water theme, contributing to global research on sustainable water management and advanced treatment technologies.