Fatty acids monitoring in the anaerobic depuration of olive oil mill wastewater

Abstract

Anaerobic digestion of olive oil mill wastewater was investigated using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) pilot plant and a laboratory fixed-bed upflow digester. Fatty acids contained in olive oil mill wastewater undergoing anaerobic treatment were degraded in both plants via hydrogenation of the double bond followed by depolymerisation. A similar behaviour was found to occur in wastewater stored in tanks for several months.