CRETUS STAFF

Ángeles val del rio

• Assistant Professor Doctor
• Department: Chemical Engineering
• Center: Escola Técnica Superior de Enxeñaría (USC)
• Research Group: Environmental Biotechnology (BIOGROUP)
• Tel .: +34 8818 16788
• Email: mangeles.val@usc.es
• Group Web: www.usc.es/biogroup
• Personal website: www.usc.es/biogroup/users/angeles-val

Bio

Dr. Angeles Val del Rio is Chemical Engineer (Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), 2006) and holds a PhD in Chemical and Environmental Engineering (USC, 2012) with the thesis entitled “Aerobic granular biomass systems: a challenge for a better wastewater treatment and sludge management ”. During her PhD studies, she performed a stay at Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology (INRA, Narbonne) to study the aerobic granular sludge management by thermal pre-treatment and posterior anaerobic digestion. During the post-doctoral period, she performed two foreign stays at National University of Ireland (Galway), to study advanced UV lamps for wastewater disinfection, and at University of Minho (Braga), to study the application of Quimiometric Image Analysis as a tool to granular monitor sludge in wastewater treatment systems. She’s researche in the Group of Environmental Biotechnology (BioGroup) is devoted to the biological advanced treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater with recovery of valuable products (as biogas, biopolymers and water for reuse), with special focus in the application of aerobic granular sludge and anammox based processes for nitrogen removal.

Lines of investigation
• Advanced technologies for wastewater treatment
– Autotrophic dentrification (anammox process): Application of the anammox process for the treatment of anaerobic digester effluents treating sludge or industrial waste.
– Granular aerobic reactors: Application of aerobic granular biomass for the removal of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus from industrial wastewater (fish canneries, pig slurry, dairy products, etc.).
• Biorefinery
– Production of biopolymers from wastewater: Valorization of organic matter from liquid effluents (glycerol and effluents from the agri-food industry). In particular, production of biopolymers with bioplastic properties.

Current projects
• Reducing the pressure of fish canneries on the marine environment with novel effluent treatment and ecosystem monitoring (SEACAN). (LIFE14 / ENV / ES / 000852 LIFE SEACAN). LIFE program. European Union. € 223,720.00
• Facing the treatment / recovery of saline wastewater to assure future water availability (TREASURE-TECHNOSALT). CTQ2017-83225-C2-1-R. State Research Agency. Spanish Government. IP: Anuska Mosquera-Corral. 229 900.00 €
• Competitive Reference Groups. Consolidation and Structuring Program for competitive research units. GRC GI-1613 Environmental Biotechnology (Biogroup) (2017-PG080). Ref.ED431C 2017/29 Xunta de Galicia. Ministry of culture, education and order. IP: Juan M. Lema. € 400,000

Main Indicators (2005-2015)
• SCI research publications: 36
• H index: 13
• ISI Citation: 504
• Books: 1 (co-editor)
• Book chapters: 10
• Research publications without impact index: 3
• Patents: 3

Most relevant publications

Leal, C., Val del Río, A., Mesquita, D.P., Amaral, A.L., Castro, P.M.L., Ferreira, E.C. 2020. Sludge volume index and suspended solids estimation of mature aerobic granular sludge by quantitative image analysis and chemometric tools. Separation and Purification Technology, 234, 116049.

Fitzhenry, K., Rowan, N., Val del Rio, A., Cremillieux, A., Clifford, E. 2019. Inactivation efficiency of Bacillus endospores via modified flow-through PUV treatment with comparison to conventional LPUV treatment. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 27, 67-76.

Val del Rio, A., Campos, JL, Da Silva, C., Pedrouso, A., Mosquera-Corral, A. 2019. Determination of the intrinsic kinetic parameters of ammonia-oxidizing and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in granular and flocculent sludge . Separation and Purification Technology, 213, 571-577

Val del Rio, A., Pichel, A., Fernandez-Gonzalez, N., Pedrouso, A., Fra-Vázquez, A., Morales, N., Mendez, R., Campos, JL, Mosquera-Corral, A . 2018. Performance and microbial features of the partial nitritation-anammox process treating fish canning wastewater with variable salt concentrations. Journal of Environmental Management, 208, 112-121.

Pedrouso, A., Val del Río, Á., Morales, N., Vázquez-Padín, JR, Campos, JL, Méndez, R., Mosquera-Corral, A. 2017. Nitrite oxidizing bacteria suppression based on in-situ free nitrous acid production at mainstream conditions. Separation and Purification Technology, 186, 55-62

Actividade financiada polo Convenio de Colaboración entre a Consellería de Cultura, Educación e a USC para o desenvolvemento de accións estratéxicas de I+D+i.