Microbial communities of the olive mill wastewater sludge stored in evaporation ponds: The resource for sustainable bioremediation
Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW) is a polluting residue from the olive oil industry. It is usually stored in open-air unprotected evaporation ponds where their sediments accumulate. This study compares the characteristics of OMW sludges stored for long-time in evaporation ponds and assesses their impac...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10835/15024 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111810 |
| Summary: | Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW) is a polluting residue from the olive oil industry. It is usually stored in open-air
unprotected evaporation ponds where their sediments accumulate. This study compares the characteristics of
OMW sludges stored for long-time in evaporation ponds and assesses their impact on the underlying soil layer.
Physicochemical parameters, toxicity bioassays, and full characterization of the microbial community were
analyzed. The extension of the polluting effects was assessed by analysis of toxicity, microbial biomass carbon,
and respiration. Geostatistics was used to predict their spatial distribution. Organic matter and polyphenol
content besides toxicity levels determine variations between OMW sludges and have a high impact on the
microbiota they contain. The microbial community was abundant, diverse, and functionally active. However, the
biodegradability of the sludges was hindered by the toxicity levels. Toxicity and biomass carbon were higher on
the surface of the ponds than in the soil layer revealing a reduced leach flow and depletion of contaminants. The
natural microbiota might be biostimulated by means of applying sustainable and feasible biological treatments in
order to favor the OMW sludges bioremediation. These results open up the possibility of solving the environmental concern caused by its storage in similar scenarios, which are common in olive oil-producing countries. |
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