Treatment of Pomace Olive Oil Wastewater by Peroxy-Electrocoagulation with Aluminium Sheets

Abstract

The extraction of olive pomace oil is a significant aspect of the edible oil industry in Mediterranean regions where olives are widely cultivated. The resulting wastewater generated from this industry is known to harbor pollutants, including residual solvents, oils, and chemicals from the refining process, that can have adverse effects on the environment and public health. Peroxy-electrocoagulation (PEC) is a method that can be used to treat wastewater from the olive pomace oil extraction industry. The purpose of the work was to reduce the concentration of pollutants in the effluent through the use of PEC with aluminum electrodes as a method of treatment. The Box-Behnken Design was used to study the relationship between hydrogen peroxide dosage (10, 20, and 30 g L-1), electric current density (5, 20 and 35 mA cm-2), and the initial pH (2.5, 3.5, and 4.5), in the PEC process, and the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total phenolic compounds (TPh). The highest removal was obtained with hydrogen peroxide dosage of 30 g L-1, and 20 mA cm-2, and with 29% of TPh removal at pH 2.5, and with 84% COD removal at pH 4.5. The procedure removed an average of 22% COD and 82% TPh. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide was one of the most significant factors in the process. Pre-treatment with other techniques is necessary to reduce harmful elements in the effluent before undergoing biological treatment.