Treatment of Olive Mill Waste Water by Adsorption on Hydroxyapatite-Sodium Alginate Composite

Abstract

The olive sector and in particular that of the extraction of olive oil requires large quantities of water, therefore obtaining olive oil generates two by-products, one liquid (OMWW) and the other solid (pomace). The OMWW are the aqueous phase resulting from the crushing of olives, causing worrying environmental problems in particular that it contains large quantities of organic compounds especially phenols compounds which cause many environmental problems such as water pollution. Therefore, the treatment of OMWW is very necessary. The purpose of this work was the investigation of the efficiency of hydroxyapatite-Sodium alginate composite for the adsorption of phenolic compounds, which are contained in OMMW. It showed promising results in reducing the phenol compounds and organic matter by 60% and 64% respectively and the reduction of Hydroxytyrosol and Tyrosol by 100% and 38% respectively, which are the most predominant polyphenols in OMWW. For second cycle of adsorption-desorption, the adsorbent lost slightly its adsorption capacity, reduction rate of phenol compounds and organic matter pass from 64% and 60% to 45% and 50% respectively.