Catalytic wet air oxidation of olive oil mill effluents 4. Treatment and detoxification of real effluents

• Published in: Applied Catalysis B: Environmental
• Main Authors: Minh, D. P., Gallezot, P., Azabou, S., Sayadi, S., Besson, M.
• Other Authors: Institut de recherches sur la catalyse et l'environnement de Lyon (IRCELYON), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut de Chimie - CNRS Chimie (INC-CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2008
• Subjects: [CHIM.CATA]Chemical Sciences/Catalysis; sami
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00474611; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2008.06.013

Minh, Doan Pharn Gallezot, Pierre Azabou, Samia Sayadi, Sami Besson, Micwe Olive oil mill wastewater (OMW) generated by the olive oil extraction industry constitutes a major pollutant, posing severe environmental threats. It contains a high organic load and phytotoxic and antibacterial phenolic compounds which resist biological degradation. Platinum and ruthenium supported titania or zirconia were studied in the catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) of OMWs in a batch reactor and in a continuous trickle-bed reactor. CWAO experiments at 190 degrees C and 70 bar total air pressure confirmed the effective elimination of the TOC(total organic carbon) and of the phenolic content of actual diluted OMW. Simultaneously, toxicity towards Vibrio fischeri was reduced and a decrease in phytotoxicity occurred. The ruthenium catalysts were found stable over a long period of operation in a trickle-bed reactor. The biodegradability of the oxidized waste has been enhanced and this study also examined the feasibility of coupling CWAO and an anaerobic digestion treatment. The pretreatment of the OMW in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst reduced considerably the total phenolic contents of the wastewater, and produced an effluent suitable to be treated by anaerobic treatment with increased biomethane production compared to the untreated effluent. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.