Application of Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW) to olive orchards One of the major concerns in environmental pollution related to oliviculture

摘要

The total production of Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW) in Mediterranean countries is about 10-12 million m~3/year and their disposal is one of the major concerns about environmental pollution related to oliviculture. The production of such a high amountof OMW in a short period (3-5 months), their high pollution load (40 - 80 g/1 BOD and 50 - 150 g/1 COD) and toxic properties enhance even more the problem of their disposal. Although several methods for OMW treatment have been proposed, their practical application in several cases is limited, due to the high cost and the technological knowledge required, especially in areas like Crete, Greece, where the size of the olive mill (OM) enterprises is small (fruit processed annually around 1,500 ton) with a large dispersion within the island (more than 600 OM in an area of 8,336 km~2). open evaporation ponds causes pollution of water bodies (due to leakage and overflow problems), while it is a source of unpleasant odors and insect proliferation during the peak of the tourist season.