FAIR-CT97-3807 LAGAR: Water recovery from olive mill wastewaters after photocatalytic detoxification and disinfection

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FAIR Area 1.1 - Biomass and Bioenergy Chain

	Type of Project	Shared Cost
	Contract No	FAIR-CT97-3807
	Total Cost
	EC Contribution
	Start Date
	Duration	30 Months

LAGAR: Water recovery from olive mill wastewaters after photocatalytic detoxification and disinfection

Objectives

Olive oil production is a large-scale agricultural activity of the southern regions with very strong economical significance. During olive oil production, waste waters are generated (OMW) giving place to a serious environmental problem due to the presence of recalcitrant compounds with biostatic and toxic action. The objective of this project is the development photochemical detoxification technology for the mineralisation of the recalcitrant contaminants of OMW, allowing water recovery and reuse for agricultural or industrial purposes.

Technical Approach

Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP), such as Photo Fenton type reactions and tio2 photocatalyzed degradation processes, will be used as treatment methods for OMW, using solar irradiation captured by simple, inexpensive and efficient non-concentrating solar collector technology, which seems to be the best technological solution to Solar Detoxification Systems. In fact, initial photocatalytic experiments, at engineering scale, to prove the feasibility of the solar water detoxification systems have already been done at basic research level, with promising results. However, industrial and extensive research on photocatalytic degradation of olive mill wastewaters and the application of sunlight has not been performed yet. So, we propose in this project the development of the following main tasks:

• study the influence of the main parameters involved in the photocatalytic process (reactants, concentrations, reaction rates, irradiation levels, etc.)
• develop the specific technology components not yet available, optimized to the application that is the target of the project
• test these different reactors (4) to detect the possible improvements and select the best available technology
• install the selected reactor prototype in a small pilot plant, integrated in an existing industrial factory, under real working conditions

Expected Results

The skill acquired with the above mentioned activities in addition to the thorough technical, economic and marketing analysis, will lead to the development of environmental European technology that will open a new market, with a huge potential for the next century. Since the major objective of this project is the development of a new process for water detoxification, the project can be considered as environmental-friendly. By applying this process a major environmental problem of small and medium enterprises like olive mills will be eliminated, thus increasing the competitiveness of these companies.

Contacts

Coordinator

• Ana Maria SOARES VIEIRA / DER-INETI PORTUGAL

EC Scientific Officer

• Ciarán MANGAN / European Commission - DG Research Quality of Life Programme - Unit B1.2 / BELGIUM

Participant

• Antonio Pereira Da SILVA / A. Pereira da Silva Lda. PORTUGAL
• Sixto MALATO / Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas Medio Ambientales y Tecnologicas / SPAIN
• Mr. Polychronis BITROS / NAIAS Scientific Analytical Labs S.A. GREECE