Dr Gaia Boniardi
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology
Researcher biography
Gaia Boniardi is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB). She completed her PhD in Environmental Engineering in 2024 investigating phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge derived matrices. Her primary research focuses on nutrients recovery from waste streams and CO2 electrolysis for converting emissions into valuable chemicals, with the goal of promoting a circular economy for a more sustainable future. She has published more than 10 papers in international scientific journals and collaborated on several research projects with industry (wastewater and mining sector). As a member of the International Water Association (IWA), she actively participates in international conferences.
Book Chapter
Canziani, Roberto, Boniardi, Gaia and Turolla, Andrea (2023). Phosphorus recovery—recent developments and case studies. Sustainable and circular management of resources and waste towards a green deal. (pp. 269-281) edited by Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad and Marzena Smol. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-323-95278-1.00007-3
Journal Articles
Boniardi, Gaia, Rackham, Paige, Gan, Albie and Oehmen, Adrian (2025). Targeting phosphorus recovery strategies for activated sludge: DoE and multi-objective optimisation to analyse key process factors and associated costs. Water Research, 288 124670, 124670. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2025.124670
Esposito, Lorenzo, Boniardi, Gaia, Frigerio, Marco, Guembe, Maitane, García-Zubiri, Íñigo X., El Chami, Daniel, Canziani, Roberto and Turolla, Andrea (2024). Development of a multi-objective support tool for optimizing phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge ash: A step towards process feasibility. Journal of Cleaner Production, 485 144378, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.144378
Boniardi, Gaia, Esposito, Lorenzo, Pesenti, Marco, Catenacci, Arianna, Guembe, Maitane, Garcia-Zubiri, Inigo X., El Chami, Daniel, Canziani, Roberto and Turolla, Andrea (2024). Optimizing phosphorus precipitation from acidic sewage sludge ash leachate: use of Mg-rich mining by-products for enhanced nutrient recovery. Journal of Environmental Management, 370 122943, 122943. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122943
Žnidarčič, A., Turolla, A., Boniardi, G., Canziani, R. and Seljak, T. (2024). The impact of struvite presence on the thermal decomposition of sewage sludge, including formation of NOx emissions. Applied Thermal Engineering, 255 123976. doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.123976
Boniardi, Gaia, Volonterio, Alessandro, Canziani, Roberto, Punta, Carlo, Riva, Laura and Turolla, Andrea (2024). Cellulose-based nanostructured aerogels for leachate decontamination: Towards sustainable phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge ash. Journal of Cleaner Production, 475 143638, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.143638
Boniardi, G., Sessolo, L., Gelmi, E., Turolla, A. and Canziani, R. (2024). Targeting phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge while preventing contaminant spread via combined hydrothermal carbonization and wet chemical extraction. Separation and Purification Technology, 339 126620, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.seppur.2024.126620
Boniardi, Gaia, Paini, Elia, Seljak, Tine, Azzellino, Arianna, Volonterio, Alessandro, Canziani, Roberto and Turolla, Andrea (2024). Optimization of phosphorus wet acid extraction from sewage sludge ashes: Detailed process insight via multi-variate statistical techniques. Journal of Cleaner Production, 458 142491, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142491
Boniardi, Gaia, Close, Kylie, Turolla, Andrea, Canziani, Roberto and Oehmen, Adrian (2024). Assessment of three different approaches for integrating phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge and derived products in existing wastewater treatment plants. Bioresource Technology, 402 130822, 130822. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130822
Catenacci, Arianna, Boniardi, Gaia, Mainardis, Matia, Gievers, Fabian, Farru, Gianluigi, Asunis, Fabiano, Malpei, Francesca, Goi, Daniele, Cappai, Giovanna and Canziani, Roberto (2022). Processes, applications and legislative framework for carbonized anaerobic digestate: opportunities and bottlenecks. A critical review. Energy Conversion and Management, 263 115691, 1-29. doi: 10.1016/j.enconman.2022.115691
Boniardi, G., Turolla, A., Fiameni, L., Gelmi, E., Bontempi, E. and Canziani, R. (2022). Phosphorus recovery from a pilot-scale grate furnace: influencing factors beyond wet chemical leaching conditions. Water Science and Technology, 85 (9), 2525-2538. doi: 10.2166/wst.2022.132
Boniardi, Gaia, Turolla, Andrea, Fiameni, Laura, Gelmi, Enrico, Malpei, Francesca, Bontempi, Elza and Canziani, Roberto (2021). Assessment of a simple and replicable procedure for selective phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge ashes by wet chemical extraction and precipitation. Chemosphere, 285 131476, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131476
Fiameni, Laura, Assi, Ahmad, Fahimi, Ario, Valentim, Bruno, Moreira, Karen, Predeanu, Georgeta, Slăvescu, Valerica, Vasile, Bogdan Ş., Nicoară, Adrian I., Borgese, Laura, Boniardi, Gaia, Turolla, Andrea, Canziani, Roberto and Bontempi, Elza (2021). Simultaneous amorphous silica and phosphorus recovery from rice husk poultry litter ash. RSC Advances, 11 (15), 8927-8939. doi: 10.1039/d0ra10120f
Conference Paper
Boniardi, Gaia, Guembe, Maitane, García-Zubiri, Iñigo, Esposito, Lorenzo, Pesenti, Marco, Canziani, Roberto and Turolla, Andrea (2024). Towards Cost-Effective and Sustainable Phosphorus Recovery from Sewage Sludge Ashes Using a Mining By-Product as Innovative Precipitating Agent. International Conference on Wider-Uptake of Water Resource Recovery from Wastewater Treatment: ICWRR 2024, Palermo, Italy, 18-21 June 2024. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-63353-9_28