Abstract
Cultivation of olive trees and olive oil production have been considered as a legacy for the Mediterranean region. This custom represents a very important benefit for many nations in terms of wealth and health. However, huge amounts of by-products and waste are generated during olive oil production. This represents a serious environmental impact on land and water bodies if not properly handled. Olive oil extraction generates two waste streams, a solid waste called pomace and olive mill wastewater (OMWW), which has been considered as highly pollutant and phytotoxic waste. These wastes have high disposal costs and predominantly generated from small-scale enterprises that have limited financial resources to treat them properly before discharge to the environment. Besides being a serious environmental problem, OMWW has potential economic value that remains to be utilized such as: fertilizers, valuable antioxidants agents and fatty acids needed in human diet. Also, Olive pomace is a valuable renewable energy source with an energy density of 23 MJ/kg and has become an inexpensive alternative for fossil fuels. Aiming at adding value to the olive production sectors and potential valorization options for byproducts in the MENA region, international practices applied in olive mills wastes management’s and treatment methods used in major oil producing countries are presented.
Highlights
Olives trees (Olea europaea L.) cultivation and olive oil production have deep roots in the history of Mediterranean region
Applied electro-coagulation using coupled iron aluminum electrodes accompanied with ozonation for treatment of olive mill wastewater (OMWW) treatment resulted in removal chemical oxygen demand (COD)
Due to favoring warm weather conditions and large open areas in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, liquid waste disposed in evaporations lagoons equipped with suitable mitigation measures such as rubber lining to prevent any leakage to ground water and alleviate any environmental impacts is recommended for OMMW pretreatment followed by constructed wetland treatment which are financially affordable by mill owners
Summary
Olives trees (Olea europaea L.) cultivation and olive oil production have deep roots in the history of Mediterranean region. Guidelines should be set to handle these wastes streams properly by adopting technologies that minimize their generation and increase awareness, motivation within the industry and by introducing cleaner production options for farmers to minimize their environmental impact and increase resource sustainability. Management of this wastewater has been considered in the past three decades with special attention to its safe treatment and possible valorization [13]. Short-term deleterious effects on soil biological activities and chemical properties were noticed after OMWW application but it can be considered insignificant after appropriate waiting time [24]. Aiming at adding value to the olive oil industry in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, international best practices applied to solid waste and wastewaters treatment as well as potential valorization options are highlighted
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