Fundación CARTIF indicates that the food and drinks industry produces great amount of wastewater. Within this sector the industry that greater polluting load contributes is the Olive oil Production. The effluents of this process, calls alpechín (Olive Mill Wasterwater, OMWW), have become an increasing problem in the producing countries located in the area of the Mediterranean. they are formed by its constitution water of olive and waters of washed and processing. It is a liquid of blackish color and disagreeable smell that usually contains, in suspension, rest of the pulp of the olive, mucilage, pectic substances and small amounts of oil (0.5-2%) forming a stable emulsion, that generates a superficial film in waters and soils causing a remarkable additional toxicity. In addition the natural degradation is very difficult, because it contains products with antibacterial properties, like polyphenols , reason why they must treat always to protect environment. Actually, the generalized solution for the treatment of this effluent is natural evaporation, in absence of other effective technical and economic procedures, being stored in lagoons near the production plants causing serious environmental problems. The biological degradation of the organic matter generates a mixture of sludge and water of dark color and intense smell that affect underground waters. An added problem, due to the station of the production (from November to March), is that it requires lagoons of great volume and therefore expensive. Nevertheless, the problem was not only resolute but postponed in time. In order to obtain an idea of the high polluting power of olive mill wastewater, it must be considered that the processing of 1,000 kg of olive causes a contamination equivalent to a 300-500 population people.
In the LIFE Programme framework 2005-2009, CARTIF Foundation has participated in a project where a plant of demonstration for the treatment of olive mill wastewaters through a chemistry-physical process has been developed, of capacity of 1,500 L/h, with which it is reached the diminution of the polluting load in a 95% (speaking in terms of Chemical Demand of Oxygen, DQO), obtaining two main products: Fertilizers from the separated solids in the process and Water for irrigation, recovering between a 80-85% of the present water in the waste, that fulfill the environmental conditions for the region of Andalusia. The conversion of this wastewater in usable product revaluing the olive oil production and as far as possible to improve the surroundings that are deteriorated with the passage of time.
The objective of the project that they now propose is the expansion of the process of treatment of olive mill wastewater, before described, by the region of the Mediterranean, from the construction of an industrial plant with capacity of 10,000 L/h and following a plan of marketing and diffusion to diminish the contamination in the region, to produce fertilizers and to recover water.
Keywords: Eco-innovation 2009, olive process waste, fertiliser, clean water
Contact: Ainhoa GONZALEZ - aingon@cartif.es
Expiry Date: 05/06/2010
The Expiry Date is automatically set to 1 year after the date the partner search form was completed unless otherwise specified by the contact
To find similar reports, click on a keyword below:
Biomass & Bioenergy
: Eco-Innovation Programme
: Energy from Waste
: LIFE+ (2007-2013)
: Renewable Energy Sources & Systems
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