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Description
Olive mill wastewater (OMWW) remains a primary environmental challenge in regions with significant olive oil production. This by-product is rich in polyphenols, organic compounds that, despite their health benefits when consumed in foods, can be environmentally detrimental when released untreated into ecosystems due to their potential toxicity, recalcitrance, and the oxygen depletion they can cause in aquatic environments.
Addressing the twofold challenge of waste management from olive oil production and the treatment of polyphenol-rich OMWW, this study explores the use of biochar, specifically derived from olive mill solid waste, as an innovative and sustainable adsorbent solution. The olive mill waste, which typically comprises residual olive skins, pits, and pulps, is pyrolyzed at a pilot scale under controlled conditions to produce biochar, a porous material known for its impressive adsorptive capabilities.
This research characterized the derived biochar using various techniques, noting its surface area, pore size distribution, and inherent functional groups conducive to adsorption. Systematic experiments were then conducted to assess the biochar's efficiency in adsorbing polyphenols from OMWW, studying variables including contact time, pH, biochar particle size, and initial polyphenol concentration.
Preliminary results indicate that biochar derived from olive mill solid waste exhibited a high affinity for polyphenols, achieving removal efficiencies surpassing many commercial adsorbents. The adsorption process was best described by the total organic carbon, pointing to a multilayer adsorption mechanism. The DCO data closely followed the pseudo-second-order model, suggesting chemisorption as the rate-limiting step.
This study's findings highlight the dual environmental benefits of transforming significant agricultural waste into a value-added product that can, in turn, remediate another environmental concern. The potential scalability and cost-effectiveness of this approach offer a promising avenue for sustainable wastewater treatment in olive oil-producing regions, ensuring both waste valorization and the protection of aquatic ecosystems.
