Efficiency of Fenton Process in Olive Oil Mill Wastewater Treatment

Background and purpose: Wastewater olive processing industries have significant amounts of organic compounds resistant to biodegradation which are hazardous if not treated and discharged to the environment. Advanced oxidation processes such as Fenton process have been considered to increase and improve the biological degradability of this type of wastewater. Current study aimed at investigating the efficiency of Fenton process in olive oil mill wastewater treatment. Materials and methods: A laboratory-scale experimental study was carried out. Wastewater properties of olive oil such as COD, BOD5, TOC, color, and turbidity were determined, then the efficiency of Fenton process in wastewater treatment was evaluated. The effects of parameters such as ferrous ion, hydrogen peroxide concentration, pH, time, etc. on the performance of the process were determined. Then, the optimal conditions were found for the Fenton process. All examinations were done according to Standard Methods for the examination of Water and Wastewater. Results: Concentrations of COD and BOD were 67427 and 22400 mg/L, respectively. The highest removal rates in optimum conditions for major pollutants such as COD, BOD, TOC, and color were 81.9%, 60.13%, 57.43%, 44.2%, and 91.7%, respectively obtained at 150 minutes. Conclusion: Fenton process by producing hydroxyl radicals can highly remove pollutants resulting from olive oil waste and can be applied before biological processes.