Abstract
Olive mill wastewater is an important agro-industrial waste with no established treatment method. The authors have developed a phenol separation method that could potentially cover the treatment cost of the waste. The purpose of this study was to identify any economic hotspots in the process, the operational cost and examine the margin of profit for such a process. The equipment cost was scaled for different treatment capacities and then used to estimate the fixed capital investment and the yearly operational cost. The highest purchased equipment cost was identified for the membrane filtration system, while the cost for resin replacement was identified as the highest operational cost. The lifespan of the resin used in the adsorption step was identified as an economic hot spot for the process, with the phenols separation cost ranging from 0.84 to 13.6 €/g of phenols for a resin lifespan of 5–100 adsorption/desorption cycles. The lifespan of the resin proved to be the single most important aspect that determines the phenols separation cost. The price range that was calculated for the product of the process is very promising because of the typical value of antioxidants and the low concentration of phenols that are needed for food supplements and cosmetics.
Highlights
Agro-industrial activity is a major source of waste production
It can be described as a series of steps, first with the pretreatment of the olive mill wastewater (OMW) for the removal of the suspended solids, followed by membrane filtration, for the separation of the dissolved compounds according to their molecular weight, followed by the selective adsorption and desorption of resins for the separation of low molecular weight phenols from the low molecular weight carbohydrates (Figure 2)
From the analysis presented in this work, it is obvious that the resin lifespan is the single most important factor that will dictate the production cost for the separated phenols through the proposed process
Summary
Agro-industrial activity is a major source of waste production These wastes can be in liquid or solid form and contain important phytochemical substances with high added value. An example of such phytochemicals are phenolic compounds characterized by their high antioxidant activity [1]. These compounds are present in most plant materials, with different functions, such as a defense against herbivores or as a response to environmental stress [2], and as a result, in many agro-industrial wastes. OMW is prominently produced around the Mediterranean Sea, where most of the major olive oil producing countries are located [3].
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