Wastewater Treatment Techniques in Olive Processing
Summary
The processing of olives for oil and table consumption generates substantial volumes of high-strength wastewater characterised by elevated organic load, phenolic substances, salts and variable pH. Untreated effluents pose environmental risks including soil acidification, aquatic toxicity and disruption of microbial ecosystems. Conventional approaches—storage in evaporation ponds or simple aerobic lagoons—offer limited pollutant removal and may exacerbate odours, insect proliferation and groundwater contamination. Advanced techniques span physicochemical, biological and hybrid systems. Membrane technologies such as ultrafiltration and nanofiltration can concentrate phenolic compounds for recovery while reducing chemical oxygen demand and salinity. Biological treatments deploy bacteria, fungi or mixed consortia in aerobic or anaerobic bioreactors to degrade organics and generate biogas. Oxidative methods, including ozonation and advanced oxidation processes, further break down recalcitrant phenolics. Integrated schemes combining pre-treatment oxidation, membrane separation and biological polishing are emerging to deliver regulatory compliance, resource recovery and energy production, thereby aligning with circular-economy principles and addressing global sustainability challenges in Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean olive industries.
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Wastewater Treatment Techniques in Olive Processing publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in wastewater treatment techniques in olive processing across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Chemical oxygen demand (COD): The measure of oxygen required to chemically oxidise organic matter in wastewater.
Phenolic compounds: Aromatic secondary metabolites abundant in olive effluents, responsible for toxicity and antioxidant potential.
Nanofiltration: A membrane process that separates molecules based on size and charge, suitable for concentrating phenolics and reducing salts.
Response surface methodology (RSM): A statistical technique used to model and optimise processing parameters.
Bioremediation: The utilisation of microorganisms to degrade and transform pollutants in wastewater.
References
- Table Olive Wastewater: Problem, Treatments and Future Strategy. A Review. Frontiers in Microbiology (2018).
- Table Olive Wastewater as a Potential Source of Biophenols for Valorization: A Mini Review. Fermentation (2022).
- A Comparative Study on Trichoderma harzianum and a Combination of Candida/Bacillus as Tools for the Bioremediation of Table Olive Processing Water. Microorganisms (2020).
- Optimisation of the nanofiltration process of residual wastewater from table olives using synthetic solutions for the recovery of phenolic compounds. Water Practice & Technology (2021).
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