Staff Profile

Background

I am a senior lecturer in soil science, with extensive experience in biogeochemistry, renewable energy, carbon sequestration and climate change.

My research focuses on urban agriculture, soil carbon, thermal analysis and biochar. I work on a variety of projects towards sustainable use of natural resources for the production of food and renewable energy from land, and a better understanding of carbon sequestration, climate change, and soil organic matter characterisation. I have extensive experience of working with chars (charcoal from fires and biochar from bioenergy production), plant materials and soils under various land managements (including artificial growing medias).

 I'm currently working on the development of urban agrifood systems, and artificial growing medias.

Roles and Responsibilities

Research is soil sciences and urban agriculture

Associate Degree Program Director in Environmental Science 

Teaching in environmental sciences

Supervision of MSc and PhD students

Postgraduate selector (agriculture and environmental science)

Qualifications

2015-Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and Certificate in Advanced Studies in Academic Practice (CASAP)

2014-Newcastle Teaching Award (NTA) toward the Certificate in Advanced Studies in Academic Practice (CASAP)

2008-ITLHE Teaching certificate'Introduction to teaching and learning at higher education'

2003-PhD “Dissipation of pesticides in soils from greenhouses and open fields" supervised by Dr R. Wilkins. Faculty Science, Agriculture, and Engineering, Newcastle University.

1998-BSc (Hons) Agricultural and Environmental Science, Newcastle University. Through this I acquired an understanding of conservation and insect control methods, as well as the role of pesticides in agriculture, and the human impact on the environment.

Previous Positions

Memberships

European Geosciences Union (EGU)
British Society of Soil Science (BSSS)

Languages

English, Spanish, and Catalan.

Research Interests

My expertise is in biogeochemistry, soil sciences, and analytical method development, and I am interested in urban agriculture, carbon abatement technologies, and energy biosciences.

Other Expertise

I studied Agricultural and Environmental Science, and specialised in pesticide behaviour in soils during my PhD. I developed and validated extraction (SPE, SFE, ASE) and analytical methodologies (GC-FID/NPD, HPLC-DAD) to assess sorption and degradation of pesticides in soil.
During my postdoctoral research, I have developed a novel mass spectrometer-thermal balance system (TA-IRMS) for the simultaneous determination of C and O stable isotope, gas analysis, mass balance and energy change for volatile minerals and soil carbon materials. The novel characterisation of Carbon pools by TG-DSC-QMS-IRMS provides fundamental information to model C turnover in soils and sediments. The development of the TA-IRMS system meant the need of well characterised samples to test the system. This enabled us to establish collaborations nationally and internationally.
I have also used a range of analytical techniques (analytical flash pyrolysis with combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), 13C-NMR, and TG-DSC-QMS) to characterise and quantify refractory organic matter such as black carbon and charcoal in soil.

Current Work

My current research focus on ‘Urban Agrifood systems: developing guidelines for future research’ and investigating potential of artificial urban soils to storage and capture carbon.

In this and similar projects we use a multidisciplinary approach to fully understand biofuel production from biomass (including organic waste), and biogeochemical processes taking place in the environment and their implications to C and N cycles, carbon sequestration, CO2 mitigation, soil erosion, and ultimately, climate change.

FUNDING

Research Contracts and Grants 

1. Building Smart Urban Farming data systems: a case study. STFC Food network SFN. PI: Sutiarso L (UGM, Indonesia), Co-I Lopez-Capel E and Souza-Monteiro, £6.5k

2. Novel process for extracting nutrient in food waste for sustainable and resilient urban farming and food packaging. STFC Food network SFN. Lead by IntelliDigest Ltd. Co-I Lopez-Capel E. £7.5k

3. Fertilecity. Agrourban sustainability through rooftop greenhouses. Ecoinnovation on residual flows of energy, water, and CO2 for food production. Fertilecity.com CTM2013-47067-C2-1-R and CTM2016-75772-C3-1-R

4. Fell Sandstone. Environmental Agency, PI: Taylor,J; Co-I: Cooper, J; RA-Co-I Lopez-Capel, E. £9,7k

5. Food security and urbanisation in South East Asia. Global Excellence Fund, PI: Lynn Frewer, Co-I E Lopez-Capel, £9.8k ( I wrote the grant)

6. Bio-informing urban gardening community project. Institute for Sustainability funded, PI: Claire Walsh, Co-I: E Lopez-Capel, £50k

7. CESSAF “Centre of Excellent of Science for Sustainability in Africa”, Partnership: University Agostinho Neto. Planet Earth Institute (PEI-BESA) funded £485k. PI: Amezaga, J ( project coordinated: Lopez-Capel, E)

8. Capturing the impact of urban soil systems. EPSRC impact award, Prof D.A.C. Manning, named investigator, awarded £29.3 k

9. SElf Conserving URban Environments-SECURE. EPSRC, PI: Prof Margaret Bell, awarded £2,224k

10. Determining biogenic and non-biogenic mass components in MSW streams by thermal decomposition analysis. DEFRA-TSB. PI: Richard Mair-Graphite Resources, named investigator, £17.5k.

11. Vegetation acclimatisation during Al-Andalus. Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia-MEC PI: Dr Helena Kirchner, £40k. (I wrote the Newcastle contribution).

12. Impact of fires on carbon and nitrogen stabilization in Mediterranean forest systems “.Joint project Royal Society-CSIC.  PI: David Manning and FJ Gonzalez-Vila award £12k (named investigator, I wrote the grant)

13. Engineering the soil carbon sink: a novel approach to carbon emission abatement. EPSRC EP/F02777X/1. Prof D.A.C. Manning, named investigator, awarded £240 k

14. Nitrogen isotope heterogeneity in soil organic matter towards the characterisation of the N cycle in terrestrial system. BBSRC BB/E006663/1, Prof D.A.C. Manning, named investigator, awarded £115k

15. Are biological cycles enhanced in organically managed soils? BBSRC 13/D19376.  PI: Tony O’Donnell, named investigator, awarded £380k

16. Development of a novel mass spectrometer-thermal balance system (TAIRMS). EPSRC GR/R34332/01. PI: David Manning, awarded £220k

Projects Awarded as PI

1. Development of sustainable hydroponic growing media for use under reduced irrigation conditions. N8 Agrifood Resilience Pump Priming Fund, PI: Lopez-Capel E; Co-I: Prashar A & Knight H. £6.1k

2. Green cities. N8 AgriFood Resilience Research Pump Priming Fund, PI: Lopez-Capel E, Co-I: Frewer, L, £1.9k.

3. Optimisation of food production, energy, water and waste management in buildings through integrated Rooftop greenhouses. Enviresearch fund, PI: Lopez-Capel, E,  £2.8k

4. Urban Agriculture and Green Infrastructures Sandpit (UAGRIS, 6 & 7 July 2015) Science Central Strategy fund, PI: Lopez-Capel E, Co-I: Edwards, R, £29.8k

5. Evaluate the potential and feasibility of urban food production at Science Central.  Developing guidelines for future research. Science Central Strategy fund, PI: E Lopez-Capel, Co-I: Edwards R, £9.9k

6. NE Schools: Understanding Energy and Sustainability (2011-12), PI: Dr Elisa Lopez-Capel. £5k NE Beacon, £10K Newcastle Science City, £2.1K Newcastle City Council

7. Biochar: climate saving soils Oct 2009-Sept 2013 EU InterregIVb project (€3 million and 17EU partners, Newcastle award £50k, Dr Lopez-Capel as Biochar expert consultant)

8. Swan Primary Schools Energy project (2010-11), NE Beacon, PI: Lopez-Capel, E £4.6k

9. Nuffield Foundation vacation scholarship, PI: Dr. Elisa Lopez-Capel, award £1400

10. Biochar: a review for research. CSIRO contract, £6.7k PI: Newcastle PI: Lopez-Capel, E

11. Conference travel grant. Royal Academy of Engineering.,2007. PI: Lopez-Capel, £800

12. Conference travel grant. Royal Society May 2006. PI: Dr. Elisa Lopez-Capel, award £700

Undergraduate Teaching

Environment and Land Resources (ACE1008), Module leader

Environmental Impact Assessment (ACE3080), Module Leader

Sustainable Solutions (ACE2077), Module leader

Contribute to ACE1040, ACE1041, ACE1045; ACE1057, and ACE3907 (undergraduate dissertation)

Postgraduate teaching

 Project management appreciation (SPG8027), Module leader

 Contributions to  postgraduate modules  NES8002 and NES8007.

Postgraduate supervision

3 PhD students and various MSc projects in environmental science and urban agriculture 

• Fernandes Zani C, Lopez-Capel E, Abbott GD, Taylor JA, Cooper JM. Effects of integrating grass-clover leys with livestock into arable crop rotations on soil carbon stocks and particulate and mineral-associated soil organic matter fractions in conventional and organic systems. Soil Use and Management 2022, 38(1), 448-465.
• Purvis G, Sano N, van der Land C, Barlow A, Cumpson P, Gray N, Lopez-Capel E. A comparison of the molecular composition of plant and fungal structuralbiopolymer standards with the organic material in early cretaceous OntongJava Plateau Tuff. Chemical Geology 2021, 565, 120078.
• Aldana GO, Hazlerigg C, Lopez-Capel E, Werner D. Agrochemical leaching reduction in biochar‐amended tropical soils of Belize. European Journal of Soil Science 2021, 72(3), 1243-1255.
• Parada F, Ercilla-Montserrat M, Arcas-Pilz V, Lopez-Capel E, Carazo N, Montero JI, Gabarrell X, Villalba G, Rieradevall J, Munoz P. Comparison of organic substrates in urban rooftop agriculture, towards improving crop production resilience to temporary drought in Mediterranean cities. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 2021, 101(14), 5888-5897.
• Zani Caio, Gowing John, Abbott Geoffrey, Taylor James, Lopez-Capel Elisa, Cooper Julia. Grazed temporary grass‐clover leys in crop rotations can have a positive impact on soil quality under both conventional and organic agricultural systems. European Journal of Soil Science 2021, 72(4), 1513-1529.
• Kennard N, Stirling R, Prashar A, Lopez-Capel E. Evaluation of Recycled Materials as Hydroponic Growing Media. Agronomy 2020, 10(8), 1-27.
• Muñoz-Liesa J, Royapoor M, López-Capel E, Cuerva E, Rufí-Salís M, Gassó-Domingo S, Josa A. Quantifying energy symbiosis of building-integrated agriculture in a mediterranean rooftop greenhouse. Renewable Energy 2020, 156, 696-709.
• Racioppi M, Tartaglia M, De la Rosa JM, Marra M, Lopez-Capel E, Rocco M. Response of Ancient and Modern Wheat Varieties to Biochar Application: Effect on Hormone and Gene Expression Involved in Germination and Growth. Agronomy 2020, 10(1), 5.
• Purvis G, Sano N, van der Land C, Barlow A, Lopez-Capel E, Cumpson P, Hood J, Sheriff J, Gray N. Combining thermal hydrolysis and methylation-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to characterise complex organic assemblages in geological material. MethodsX 2019, 6, 2646-2655.
• Muñoz-Liesa J, Royapoor M, López-Capel E, Cuerva E, Gassó-Domingo S, Josa A. Improving urban metabolism: Bi-directional energy and environmental benefits of rooftop greenhouse and building integration. In: 16th IBPSA Conference. 2019, Rome, Italy.
• Carrick J, Abdul Rahim MSAB, Adjei C, Ashraa Kalee HHH, Banks SJ, Bolam FC, Campos Luna IM, Clark B, Cowton J, Domingos IFN, Golicha DD, Gupta G, Grainger M, Hasanaliyeva G, Hodgson DJ, Lopez-Capel E, Magistrali AJ, Merrell IG, Oikeh I, Othman MS, Ranathunga Mudiyanselage TKR, Samuel CWC, Sufar EKH, Watson PA, Zakaria NNAB, Stewart G. Is planting trees the solution to reducing flood risks?. Journal of Flood Risk Management 2019, 12(S2), e12484.
• Purvis G, van der Land C, Sano N, Cockell C, Barlow A, Cumpson P, Lopez-Capel E, Gray N. The organic stratigraphy of Ontong Java Plateau Tuff correlated with the depth‐related presence and absence of putative microbial alteration structures. Geobiology 2019, 17(3), 281-293.
• Llorach-Massana P, Lopez-Capel E, Pena J, Rieradevall J, Montero JI, Puy N. Technical feasibility and carbon footprint of biochar co-production with tomato plant residue. Waste Management 2017, 67, 121-130.
• Nadal A, Llorach-Massana P, Cuerva E, López-Capel E, Montero JI, Josa A, Rieradevall J, Royapoor M. Building-integrated rooftop greenhouses: An energy and environmental assessment in the mediterranean context. Applied Energy 2016, 187, 338-351.
• Strachan T, Lopez-Capel E. Young people and their experience of place in the city. In: Justice and Fairness in the City: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to 'Ordinary' Cities. Policy Press, 2016, pp.149-166.
• Edmondson JL, Stott I, Potter J, Lopez-Capel E, Manning DAC, Gaston KJ, Leake JR. Black Carbon Contribution to Organic Carbon Stocks in Urban Soil. Environmental Science and Technology 2015, 49(14), 8339–8346.
• Jorat ME, Kolosz BW, Sohi S, Lopez-Capel E, Manning DAC. Changes in geotechnical properties of urban soils during carbonation. In: 15th Pan-American Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2015, Buenos Ares, Argentina: IOS Press.
• Washbourne C-L, Lopez-Capel E, Renforth P, Ascough PL, Manning DAC. Rapid removal of atmospheric CO₂ by urban soils. Environmental Science and Technology 2015, 49(9), 5434-5440.
• Johnson KL, Purvis G, Lopez-Capel E, Peacock CL, Gray ND, Wagner T, März C, Bowen L, Ojeda J, Finlay NC, Robertson SR, Worrall F, Greenwell C. Towards a mechanistic understanding of carbon stabilization in manganese oxides. Nature Communications 2015, 6, 7628.
• Johnson KL, Peacock CL, Gray ND, Purvis GW, Lopez-Capel E. Stabilisation and fractionation of carbon in manganese oxides. In: 247th ACS National Meeting and Exposition. 2014, Dallas, TX, USA: American Chemical Society.
• Manning DAC, Renforth P, Lopez-Capel E, Robertson S, Ghazireh N. Carbonate precipitation in artificial soils produced from basaltic quarry fines and composts: an opportunity for passive carbon sequestration. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 2013, 17, 309-317.
• Sohi SP, Krull E, Lopez-Capel E, Bol R. A review of biochar and its use and function in soil. Advances in Agronomy 2010, 105(-), 47-82.
• Dungait J, Bol R, Lopez-Capel E, Bull I, Chadwick D, Amelung W, Granger S, Manning D, Evershed R. Applications of stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry in cattle dung carbon cycling studies. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 2010, 24(5), 495-500.
• Huang SS, Lopez-Capel E, Manning DAC, Rickard D. The composition of nanoparticulate nickel sulfide. Chemical Geology 2010, 277(3-4), 207-213.
• Renforth P, Manning DAC, Lopez-Capel E. Carbonate precipitation in artificial soils as a sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. Applied Geochemistry 2009, 24(9), 1757-1764.
• Arranz JMD, Gonzalez-Vila FJ, Lopez-Capel E, Manning DAC, Knicker H, Gonzalez-Perez JA. Structural properties of non-combustion-derived refractory organic matter which interfere with BC quantification. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 2009, 85, 1-2(1-2), 399-407.
• Manning DAC, Lopez-Capel E. Test procedures for determining the quality of biochar within soils. In: Lehmann, J; Joseph, S, ed. Biochar for Environmental Management: Science and Technology. London: Earthscan, 2009, pp.301-316.
• Manning DAC, Lopez-Capel E, White ML, Barker S. Carbon isotope determination for separate components of heterogeneous materials using coupled thermogravimetric analysis/isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 2008, 22(8), 1187-1195.
• De La Rosa J, Knicker H, Lopez-Capel E, Manning DAC, González-Perez J, González-Vila F. Direct detection of black carbon in soils by Py-GC/MS, carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric techniques. Soil Science Society of America Journal 2008, 72(1), 258-267.
• Lopez-Capel E, Krull E, Bol R, Manning DAC. Influence of recent vegetation on labile and recalcitrant carbon soil pools in central Queensland, Australia: evidence from thermal analysis-quadrupole mass spectrometry-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 2008, 22(11), 1751-1758.
• De la Rosa J, González-Pérez J, González-Vázquez R, Knicker H, Lopez-Capel E, Manning DAC, González-Vila F. Use of pyrolysis/GC-MS combined with thermal analysis to monitor C and N changes in soil organic matter from a Mediterranean fire affected forest. Catena 2008, 74(3), 296-303.
• Hammes K, Schmidt M, Smernik R, Currie L, Ball W, Nguyen T, Louchouarn P, Houel S, Gustafsson O, Elmquist M, Cornelissen G, Skjemstad J, Masiello C, Song J, Peng P, Mitra S, Dunn J, Hatcher P, Hockaday W, Smith D, Hartkopf-Fröder C, Böhmer A, Lüer B, Huebert B, Amelung W, Brodowski S, Huang L, Zhang W, Gschwend P, Flores-Cervantes D, Largeau C, Rouzaud J, Rumpel C, Guggenberger G, Kaiser K, Rodionov A, Gonzalez-Vila F, Gonzalez-Perez J, de la Rosa J, Manning DAC, Loopez-Capeel E, Ding L. Comparison of quantification methods to measure fire-derived (black-elemental) carbon in soils and sediments using reference materials from soil, water, sediment and the atmosphere. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 2007, 21(3), -.
• Bardgett RD, Richter A, Bol R, Garnett MH, Baumler R, Xu XL, Lopez-Capel E, Manning DAC, Hobbs PJ, Hartley IR, Wanek W. Heterotrophic microbial communities use ancient carbon following glacial retreat. Biology Letters 2007, 3(5), 487-490.
• Etok S, Valsami-Jones E, Wess T, Hiller J, Maxwell C, Rogers K, Manning DAC, White ML, Lopez-Capel E, Collins M, Buckley M, Penkman K, Woodgate S. Structural and chemical changes of thermally treated bone apatite. Journal of Materials Science 2007, 42(23), 9807-9816.
• Lopez-Capel E, Abbott GD, Thomas KM, Manning DAC. Coupling of thermal analysis with quadrupole mass spectrometry and isotope ratio mass spectrometry for simultaneous determination of evolved gases and their carbon isotopic composition. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 2006, 75(2), 82-89.
• Rickard D, Griffith A, Oldroyd A, Butler I, Lopez-Capel E, Manning DAC, Apperley D. The composition of nanoparticulate mackinawite, tetragonal iron(II) monosulfide. Chemical Geology 2006, 235(3-4), 286-298.
• Lopez-Capel E, Bol R, Manning DAC. Application of simultaneous thermal analysis mass spectrometry and stable carbon isotope analysis in a carbon sequestration study. In: Meeting of the Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry Users Group. 2005, York University, Toronto: Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
• Kennedy A, Lopez-Capel E, Manning D, Wilkins R. Characterization of the sorption of an anthranilate fungicide in soil using thermal analytical and mineralogical techniques. Pest Management Science 2005, 61(7), 705-714.
• Manning DAC, Lopez-Capel E, Barker S. Seeing soil carbon: Use of thermal analysis in the characterization of soil C reservoirs of differing stability. Mineralogical Magazine 2005, 69(4), 425-435.
• Lopez-Capel E, Sohi S, Gaunt J, Manning DAC. Use of thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry to characterize modelable soil organic matter fractions. Soil Science Society of America Journal 2005, 69(1), 136-140.