Reducing the Organic Load of Olive Oil Mill Wastewater using Chemical and Biological Treatment Methods
Subject Areas : آلودگی منابع آب
Hanieh Mirbolooki
1
*
,
Ariamen Ghavidel
2
1 - Department of Environmental Engineering, Environmental Research Institute, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Rasht, Iran
2 - Faculty member, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Rasht, Iran
Keywords: Olive oil mill wastewater, COD, Chemical treatment, Biological treatment,
Abstract :
Contaminant effluent from olive oil production industry, due to high pollution load is a serious ecological challenge. The amount of chemical oxygen demand (COD) is very high in this wastewater and is very resistant to biodegradation due to phenol compounds. In the present experimental- applied work, the chemical coagulation and flocculation treatment method was used to reduce the toxicity of wastewater and then, for complementary treatment procedures and detoxification the final residues, biological treatmen was used for anaerobic and aerobic processes. the results of the laboratory studies showed that chemical method removed more than 50% of wastewater's organic and toxic load and ultimately, the COD removal rate of the effluent from the biological treatment process reached 1100 mg/L, meeting the requirements for discharge into the municipal wastewater treatment plant. Accordingly, the conducted research presents an appropriate solution for addressing the environmental challenges arising from olive processing industries.
Abu-Dalo, M., Abdelnabi, J., Al-Rawashdeh, N. A., Albiss, B., & Al Bawab, A. (2022). Coupling coagulation-flocculation to volcanic tuff-magnetite nanoparticles adsorption for olive mill wastewater treatment. Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management, 15, 100416.
Achak, M., et al. (2023). Performance of olive mill wastewater treatment using hybrid system combining sand filtration and vertical flow constructed wetlands. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 53, 103737.
Al-Asmar, A. (2006). Impact of some industrial activities on the surrounding environment, Damietta, Egypt [Doctoral dissertation, Mansoura University].
American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association, & Water Environment Federation. (2026). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater.
Baransi-Karkaby, K., Hassanin, M., Raanan-Kiperwas, H., Massalha, N., & Sabbah, S. (2025). Methane production from anaerobic pre-treatment of municipal wastewater combined with olive mill wastewater: A demonstration study. Water Science & Technology, 91 (2), 126–2025.
Bharti, M., Das, P. P., & Purkait, M. K. (2023). A review on the treatment of water and wastewater by electrocoagulation process: advances and emerging applications. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 11(6), 111558.
Bouhia, Y., Hafidi, M., Ouhdouch, Y., & Lyamlouli, K. (2023). Olive mill waste sludge: from permanent pollution to a highly beneficial organic biofertilizer: a critical review and future perspectives. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 259, 114997.
Bouigua, H., Bakali, R., Jaber, H., El Kabous, K., Choukri, S., Elyachioui, M., & Ouhssine, M. (2024). A remarkable step in the aerobic biological treatment of Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW): A combination of selected microbial strains that enhance their decolorization and depollution.
Bouyakhsass, R., Souabi, S., Khattabi, S., Taleb, A., & Pala, A. (2023). Optimization of coagulation-flocculation for landfill leachate treatment: An experimental design approach using response surface methodology. Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management, 20, 100841.
El Moussaoui, T. (2022). Studies on the activated sludge process crucial parameters controlling olive mill wastewater treatment. Science of The Total Environment, 838, 156455.
El Sayed, A., Ismail, A., Rabii, A., Hamze, A., Hamza, R. A., & Elbeshbishy, E. (2025). Biochemical Methane Production Potential of Different Industrial Wastes: The Impact of the Food-to-Microorganism (F/M) Ratio. Processes, 13(3), 802.
El Shahawy, A., Ahmed, I. A., Nasr, M., Ragab, A. H., AI-Mhyawi, S. R., & Elamin, K. M. A. (2021). Organic pollutants removal from olive mill wastewater using electrocoagulation process via Central composite design (CCD). Water, 13(24), 3522.
Fahrni, M. S., Bellouk, H., El Harchli, G. H., El Mahjoub, A., El Khammar, F., Chaouch, A., & Khalil, F. (2026). Sequential electrocoagulation-Fungal biotreatment as a pretreatment approach for olive mill wastewater (Fez, Morocco). Scientific African, 31, e03241.
Fleyfel, L. M., et al. (2024). Effects of extraction processes on the physicochemical characteristics and phenolic compound content of olive mill wastewater: a comparative study. Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration, 10(3), 1961-1975.
Fleyfel, L. M., Matta, M., Sayegh, N. F., & El Najjar, N. H. (2024). Olive mill wastewater treatment using coagulation/flocculation and filtration processes. Heliyon, 10 (4), e40348.
Gonçalves, M. R., Costa, J. C., Marques, I. P., & Alves, M. M. (2012). Strategies for lipids and phenolics degradation in the anaerobic treatment of olive mill wastewater. Water Research, 46 (5), 1684–1692.
Haddaji, C., Ennaciri, K., Driouich, A., Digua, K., & Souabi, S. (2022). Optimization of the coagulation–flocculation process for vegetable oil refinery wastewater using a full factorial design. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 160, 803–816.
Jamrah, A., AI-Zghoul, T. M., & Darwish, M. M. (2023). A comprehensive review of combined processes for olive mill wastewater treatments. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, 8, 100493.
Jamrah, A., Al-Zghoul, T. M., AI-Qodah, Z., & Al-Karablieh, E. (2025). Performance of combined Olive Mills wastewater treatment system: electrocoagulation-assisted adsorption as a post polishing sustainable process. Water, 17(11), 1697.
Jyia, H., Mohssine, A., Belouafa, S., & EL Harfaoui, S. (2024). Modeling and optimization of olive mill wastewater dephenolization by a process combining coagulation and advanced oxidation using an activated lime coagulant and hydrogen peroxide. Heliyon, 10(4), e100929.
Khani, MR. Mahvi, AH. Zazouli, MA. Yousefi, Z. Dadban Shahamat, Y. (2019). Investigating the treatment and mineralization of olive oil mill wastewater by using electrocoagulation and novel various advanced oxidations: a kinetic study. Iranian Journal of Health and Environment;12(1):47-62.
Koutsos, T. M., Chatzistathis, T., & Balampekou, E. I. (2018). A new framework proposal, towards a common EU agricultural policy, with the best sustainable practices for the re-use of olive mill wastewater. Science of the Total Environment, 622–623, 42–953.
Manthos, G., Zagklis, D., Papavasileiou, V., Gkountou, N. A., Saita, Z., Zafiri, C., & Kornaros, M. (2023). High-rate upflow anaerobic sludge blanket bioreactor for the treatment of olive mill effluents: Laboratory and pilot scale systems investigation. Renewable Energy, 217, 119215.
Micoli, L., Di Rauso Simeone, G., Turco, M., Toscano, G., & Rao, M. A. (2023). Anaerobic digestion of olive mill wastewater in the presence of biochar. Energy, 16(7), 3259.
Mohssine, A., Zmirli, Z., El, S., Belouafa, S., Sallek, B., & Chaair, H. (2023). Wastewater remediation using multi-soil layering (MSL) Eco-technology: A comprehensive and critical review. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 178 (September), 1045–1082.
Pelendridou, K., Michailides, M. K., Zagklis, D. P., Tekerlekopoulou, A. G., Paraskeva, C. A., & Vayenas, D. V. (2014). Treatment of olive mill wastewater using a coagulation–flocculation process either as a single step or as post-treatment after aerobic biological treatment. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 89 (12), 1866–1874.
Pluschke, J., Faßlrinner, K., Hadrich, F., Loukil, S., Chamkha, M., Geißen, S.-U., & Sayadi, S. (2023). Anaerobic Digestion of Olive Mill Wastewater and Process Derivatives—Biomethane Potential, Operation of a Continuous Fixed Bed Digester, and Germination Index. Applied Sciences, 13(17), 9613.
Salah Souabi, A. A. (2023). Wastewater from Olive Oil Production. Springer International Publishing.
Singh, S. K., Singh, A., Singh, B., & Vashistha, P. (2020). Application of thermo-chemically activated lime sludge in production of sustainable low clinker cementitious binders. Journal of Cleaner Production, 264, 121570.
Turna, T., & Yıldız, Y. (2024). Treatment of vegetable oil industry wastewaters with coagulation–flocculation methods. Düzce University Journal of Science and Technology, 15(2), 533–540.
Vaz, T., Quina, M. M. J., Martins, R. C., & Gomes, J. (2024). Olive mill wastewater treatment strategies to obtain quality water for irrigation: a review. Science of The Total Environment, 931, 172676.
Zhao, C., Zhou, J., Yan, Y., Yang, L., Xing, G., Li, H., Wu, P., Wang, M., & Zheng, H. (2021). Application of coagulation/flocculation in oily wastewater treatment: A review. Science of the Total Environment, 765, 142795.