CRETUS STAFF

Anuska Mosquera Corral

• Professor of Chemical Engineering
• Department: Chemical Engineering
• Center: Escola Técnica Superior de Enxeñaría (USC)
• Research Group: Environmental Biotechnology (BIOGROUP)
• Tel .: +34 8818 16806
• Email: anuska.mosquera@usc.es
• Group Web: www.usc.es/biogrup
• Personal website: http://www.usc.es/biogroup/users/anuska-mosquera

Bio

My research activity has been focused on the treatment of wastewater through biological processes. More specifically, I have specialized in processes of elimination of organic matter (anaerobic digestion and oxidation of organic matter) and nitrogen (nitrification, heterotrophic and autotrophic denitrification with sulfur and anammox compounds). Furthermore, since 2000 I have developed extensive work in water treatment using aerobic granulation systems combined with the anammox process. As regards aerobic granulation systems, I have focused on their development for the treatment of industrial effluents (canning, dairy, slurry, etc.).

As for the anammox process, I have participated in numerous research works focused on the development of an industrial-scale technology that has materialized under the name ELAN®. Since 2005 I have incorporated molecular biology techniques to identify the main microbial populations present in the biomass in operation in the different reactors used. Since 2011 I have started working on a new line of research, based on the knowledge obtained from aerobic granulation work, focused on the production of biopolymers, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), mainly known as bioplastics from wastewater and active sludge. I have participated in the application for two European patents. One with the company Hidrotec Tecnología del Agua S.L. European in scope has been recently published (EP 2 740 713 A1). Based on the patent commissioning method, the company FCC Aqualia is in the construction and commissioning phase of an industrial-scale ELAN® reactor at the Guillarei (Galicia) water treatment plant for the treatment of return water from the anaerobic mud digester (http://www.usc.es/enxqu/?q=es/node/1141).
The second patent has been applied for jointly with the Autonomous University of Barcelona and is under evaluation (EP13382301). The objective with regard to the anammox process for the period of the project, object of the present application, is to establish the optimal operating conditions for the operation of an anammox biomass-based system for the treatment of the main water line of a WWTP.

Research Lines
• 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.

Projects 

Publicati0ns