Aerobic biological treatment of olive mill wastewater previously treated by an ozonation stage

Abstract

In the present work, the degradation of olive mill wastewaters previously treated by an ozonation stage has been studied by an aerobic biological oxidation. The substrate evolution (based on chemical oxygen demand), biomass (measured as volatile suspended solids) and total polyphenolic contents were followed during each experiment. A kinetic study is performed by using the Contois model, which applied to the experimental data, provides the specific kinetic parameters of this model. The deduced kinetic equation for the consume of substrate is q= 17.0 S/(18.2 X + S0 X) g COD/ gVSS. day. Moreover, others interesting biological parameters like the cellular yield coefficient and the kinetic rate constant for the endogenous metabolism were determined, obtaining a values of 0.214 g VSS/g COD and 0.167 day-1, respectively.

Keywords

• activated sludge
• aerobic biological degradation
• chemical oxidation
• kinetics
• olive mill wastewater
• ozonation