Treatability of olive mill blackwater using physical, chemical, and biological methods

Black-water is generated as a result of oil production and causes major environmental problem. Various physical, chemical, and biological methods were applied for the treatment of blackwater obtained from local olive mill. High organic content and toxic substances in black-water render its treatment difficult and its composition varies with several factors such as the area where the olive trees are grown, the storage duration of the olives until production, and the type of the manufacturing process. In related studies reported in the literature, varying treatment efficiencies were obtained for similar treatment methods. Due to varying black-water characteristics, it is impossible to make a clear comparison between the treatment methods applied. Therefore, in this study, a bulk amount of black-water free oil of which was skimmed has been supplied from an olive mill facility with three-phase olive oil production regime located in the Kozan district of Adana. Different treatment methods were tried for the treatment of these wastewaters and the adequacy of these methods were investigated based on removal performance. A comparison between these methods were also provided.KeyWord: Black-water, Olive mill, Batch reactor, Physical treatment, Chemical treatment