Ottavia Burzi, predoctoral researcher at Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi) is focused on evaluating the feasibility of an innovative process such as the biologic autotrophic nitrogen removal process to the treatment of the liquid fraction of the digestate from the organic fraction with the goal of promoting the energy recovery of the organic fraction through its anaerobic digestion. The completely autotrophic nitrogen removal process is made up of two separate stages: in the first one (Partial Nitritation, PN) about half of the loaded ammonium is oxidized to nitrate in an aerated tank by ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB); the effluent from the process is then fed to the second stage (anammox process): anammox bacteria then use the left ammonium and nitrite from the first stage for their growth resulting in the production of molecular nitrogen that is discharged in the atmosphere

Ottavia will stay for three months at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) in the GENOCOV research group in view of optimizing the first stage of a complete autotrophic nitrogen removal process for an effluent from the anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of urban wastes (i.e. partial nitritation). Ottavia’s staying will serve to analyze the bacterial kinetic and the potentiality of the process, the characteristics of the effluent (nitrate concentration and the ratio between the nitrite and the ammonium concentration) with the aim of coupling PN process with the following anammox process that is going on in Milan.

Welcome to UAB Ottavia!!