Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Treatment of table olive washing water using trickling filters, constructed wetlands and electrooxidation

  • Advances and trends in Advanced Oxidation processes
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The production of table olives is a significant economic activity in Mediterranean countries. Table olive processing generates large volumes of rinsing water that are characterized by high organic matter and phenol contents. Due to these characteristics, a combination of more than one technology is imperative to ensure efficient treatment with low operational cost. Previously, biological filters were combined with electrooxidation to treat table olive washing water. Although this combination was successful in reducing pollutant loads, its cost could be further reduced. Constructed wetlands could be an eligible treatment method for integrated table olive washing water treatment as they have proved tolerant to high organic matter and phenol loads. Two pilot-scale horizontal subsurface constructed wetlands, one planted and one unplanted, were combined with a biological filter and electrooxidation over a boron-doped diamond anode to treat table olive washing water. In the biological filter inlet, chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations ranged from 5500 to 15,000 mg/L, while mean COD influent concentration in the constructed wetlands was 2800 mg/L. The wetlands proved to be an efficient intermediate treatment stage, since COD removal levels for the planted unit reached 99 % (mean 70 %), while the unplanted unit presented removal rates of around 65 %. Moreover, the concentration of phenols in the effluent was typically below 100 mg/L. The integrated trickling filter-constructed wetland-electrooxidation treatment system examined here could mineralize and decolorize table olive washing water and fully remove its phenolic content.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akratos CS, Tsihrintzis VA (2007) Effect of temperature, HRT, vegetation and porous media on removal efficiency of pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands. Ecol Eng 29:173–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • APHA (1989) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 19th edn. American Public Health Association, Washington D.C

    Google Scholar 

  • Beltran-Heredia J, Torregrosa J, Dominguez JR, Garcia J (2000) Aerobic biological treatment of black table olive washing wastewater: effect of an ozonation stage. Process Biochem 35:1183–1190

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Benitez FJ, Acero JL, Gonzalez T, Garcia J (2001) Organic matter removal from wastewater of the black olive industry by chemical and biological procedures. Process Biochem 37:257–265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benitez FJ, Beltran-Heredia J, Torregrosa J, Acero JL, Cercas V (1997) Aerobic degradation of olive mill wastewaters. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 47:185–188

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton JR, Bircher KG, Tumas W, Tolman CA (2001) Figures-of-merit for the technical development and application of advanced oxidation technologies for both electric- and solar-driven systems. Pure Appl Chem 73:627–637

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Borja R, Martin A, Garrido A (1993) Anaerobic digestion of black olive wastewater. Bioresour Technol 45:27–32

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bubba MD, Checchini L, Pifferi C, Zanieri L, Lepri L (2004) Olive mill wastewater treatment by a pilot-scale subsurface horizontal flow (SSF-h) constructed wetland. Ann Chim 94:875–887

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Comninellis C, Kapalka A, Malato S, Parsons SA, Poulios I, Mantzavinos D (2008) Advanced oxidation processes for water treatment: advances and trends for R&D. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 83:769–776

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ganzenko O, Huguenot D, van Hullebusch ED, Esposito G, Oturan MA (2014) Electrochemical advanced oxidation and biological processes for wastewater treatment: a review of the combined approaches. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21:8493–8524

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gazette of the Government (GR) 2011/354Β. (In Greek)

  • Gikas GD, Tsakmakis ID, Tsihrintzis VA (2013) Treatment of olive mill wastewater in pilot-scale natural systems. Proc. of 8th Int. Con. of EWRA “Water resources management in an interdisciplinary and changing context”, Porto, Portugal, 26–29 June 2013, paper #232, pp 1207–1216

  • Grafias P, Xekoukoulotakis NP, Mantzavinos D, Diamadopoulos E (2010) Pilot treatment of olive pomace leachate by vertical-flow constructed wetland and electrochemical oxidation: an efficient hybrid process. Water Res 44:2773–2780

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Herouvim E, Akratos CS, Tekerlekopoulou AG, Vayenas DV (2011) Treatment of olive mill wastewater in pilot-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands. Ecol Eng 37:931–939

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • International Olive Council (2002) The world market for table olives. Olivae 92:24–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Kapellakis IE, Paranychianakis NV, Tsagarakis KP, Angelakis AN (2012) Treatment of olive mill wastewater with constructed wetlands. Water 4:260–271

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Katsoni A, Mantzavinos D, Diamadopoulos E (2014a) Coupling digestion in a pilot-scale UASB reactor and electrochemical oxidation over BDD anode to treat diluted cheese whey. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21:12170–12181

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Katsoni A, Mantzavinos D, Diamadopoulos E (2014b) Sequential treatment of diluted olive pomace leachate by digestion in a pilot scale UASB reactor and BDD electrochemical oxidation. Water Res 57:76–86

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kopsidas GC (1992) Wastewater from the preparation of table olives. Water Res 26:629–631

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kotsou M, Kyriakou A, Lasaridi K, Pilidis G (2004) Integrated aerobic biological treatment and chemical oxidation with Fenton’s reagent for the processing of green table olive wastewater. Process Biochem 39:1653–1660

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kyriacou A, Lasaridi KE, Kotsou M, Balisa C, Pilidis G (2005) Combined bioremediation and advanced oxidation of green table olive processing wastewater. Process Biochem 40:1401–1408

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martínez-Huitle CA, Rodrigo MA, Sirés I, Scialdone O (2015) Single and coupled electrochemical processes and reactors for the abatement of organic water pollutants: a critical review. Chem Rev 115:13362–13407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michailides M, Panagopoulos P, Akratos CS, Tekerlekopoulou AG, Vayenas DV (2011) A full-scale system for aerobic biological treatment of olive mill wastewater. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 86:888–892

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Radjenovic J, Sedlak DL (2015) Challenges and opportunities for electrochemical processes as next-generation technologies for the treatment of contaminated water. Environ Sci Technol 49:11292–11302

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rivas FJ, Beltran FJ, Gimeno O (2000) Joint treatment of wastewater from table olive processing and urban wastewater. Integrated ozonation-aerobic oxidation. Chem EngTechnol 23:177–181

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rivas FJ, Beltran FJ, Gimeno O, Alvarez P (2001) Chemical-biological treatment of table olive manufacturing wastewater. J Environ Eng 127:611–619

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rivas FJ, Beltran FJ, Gimero O, Alvarez P (2003) Treatment of brines by combined Fenton’s reagent-aerobic biodegradation. II. Process modeling. J Hazard Mater 96:277–290

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shutes RBE (2001) Artificial wetlands and water quality improvement. Environ Int 26:441–447

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sultana M-Y, Mourti C, Tatoulis T, Akratos CS, Tekerlekopoulou AG, Vayenas DV (2016) Effect of hydraulic retention time, temperature, and organic load on a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland treating cheese whey wastewater. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 91:726–732

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tatoulis TI, Zapantiotis S, Frontistis Z, Akratos CS, Tekerlekopoulou AG, Pavlou S, Mantzavinos D, Vayenas DV (2016) A hybrid system comprising an aerobic biological process and electrochemical oxidation for the treatment of black table olive processing wastewaters. Int Biodeterior Biodegrad 109:104–112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Waterman PG, Mole S (1994) Analysis of phenolic plant metabolites. In: Lawton JH, Likens GE (eds) Methods in ecology. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheatley A (1990) Anaerobic digestion: a waste treatment technology. Elsevier Applied Science, Barking

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The second author gratefully acknowledges a post-doctoral scholarship from the Hellenic State Scholarships Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental & Natural Resources Management, University of Patras, 2 Seferi St, GR-30100, Agrinio, Greece

    Triantafyllos Tatoulis, Alexandros Stefanakis, Christos S. Akratos & Athanasia G. Tekerlekopoulou

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, Caratheodory 1, University Campus, GR-26504, Patras, Greece

    Zacharias Frontistis, Dionissios Mantzavinos & Dimitrios V. Vayenas

  3. Institute of Chemical Engineering and High Temperature Chemical Processes (FORTH/ ICE-HT), Stadiou St., Platani, GR-26504, Patras, Greece

    Dimitrios V. Vayenas

Authors
  1. Triantafyllos Tatoulis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alexandros Stefanakis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zacharias Frontistis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Christos S. Akratos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Athanasia G. Tekerlekopoulou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Dionissios Mantzavinos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Dimitrios V. Vayenas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christos S. Akratos.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tatoulis, T., Stefanakis, A., Frontistis, Z. et al. Treatment of table olive washing water using trickling filters, constructed wetlands and electrooxidation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 1085–1092 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7058-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7058-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation