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Olive mill wastewater transformed: From pollutant to bio-fertilizer, biofuel

Date:
September 27, 2017
Source:
American Chemical Society
Summary:
Olive oil has long been a popular kitchen staple. Yet producing the oil creates a vast stream of wastewater that can foul waterways, reduce soil fertility and trigger extensive damage to nearby ecosystems. Now scientists report on the development of an environmentally friendly process that could transform this pollutant into 'green' biofuel, bio-fertilizer and safe water for use in agricultural irrigation.
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Olive oil has long been a popular kitchen staple. Yet producing the oil creates a vast stream of wastewater that can foul waterways, reduce soil fertility and trigger extensive damage to nearby ecosystems. Now in a study appearing in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, scientists report on the development of an environmentally friendly process that could transform this pollutant into "green" biofuel, bio-fertilizer and safe water for use in agricultural irrigation.

During processing, olives are crushed and mixed with water in mills. The oil is separated out of this mixture, and the dirty water and solid residue are discarded. In Mediterranean countries, where 97 percent of the world's olive oil is produced, olive mills generate almost 8 billion gallons of this wastewater annually. Disposing of it has become problematic. Dumping it into rivers and streams can potentially contaminate drinking water and harm aquatic life. Pumping it onto farm land damages the soil and reduces crop yields. Some researchers have tried burning the wastewater with mixtures of solid waste from the mills or waste wood. But these approaches have either been too costly or have produced excessive air pollution. Mejdi Jeguirim and colleagues took a different approach. They wanted to see if they could convert olive mill wastewater (OMW) from a pollutant into sustainable products for practical use.

The researchers first embedded OMW into cypress sawdust -- another common Mediterranean waste product. Then they rapidly dried this mixture and collected the evaporated water, which they say could be safely used to irrigate crops. Next, the researchers subjected the OMW-sawdust mixture to pyrolysis, a process in which organic material is exposed to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. Without oxygen, the material doesn't combust, but it does thermally decompose into combustible gases and charcoal. The researchers collected and condensed the gas into bio-oil, which could eventually be used as a heat source for OMW-sawdust drying and the pyrolysis process. Finally, they collected the charcoal pellets, which were loaded with potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen and other nutrients extracted from the breakdown of OMW-sawdust mixture during pyrolysis. Used as biofertilizers, the researchers found that after five weeks these pellets significantly improved plant growth, including larger leaves, compared to vegetation grown without them.


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Materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Khouloud Haddad, Mejdi Jeguirim, Boutheina Jerbi, Ajmia Chouchene, Patrick Dutournié, Nicolas Thevenin, Lionel Ruidavets, Salah Jellali, Lionel Limousy. Olive Mill Wastewater: From a Pollutant to Green Fuels, Agricultural Water Source and Biofertilizer. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2017; DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b01786

Cite This Page:

American Chemical Society. "Olive mill wastewater transformed: From pollutant to bio-fertilizer, biofuel." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 September 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170927123602.htm>.
American Chemical Society. (2017, September 27). Olive mill wastewater transformed: From pollutant to bio-fertilizer, biofuel. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 4, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170927123602.htm
American Chemical Society. "Olive mill wastewater transformed: From pollutant to bio-fertilizer, biofuel." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170927123602.htm (accessed November 4, 2024).

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