ABSTRACT
The European industry is well-established in the production of olive oil. The valorization of olive pomace by extraction generates pollutant effluent because of waste leaching and processing in these extractor units (OOEIW). The goal of this study was to use the coagulation process to treat OOEIW. The effects of five different coagulants, pH, and flocculant addition were also investigated. Al2(SO4)3, FeCl3 and MgCl2 achieved maximum removal of 98% total phenolic compounds (TPh) and 46% chemical oxygen demand (COD). pH had a significant effect on TPh removal with Al2(SO4)3. Flocculant addition had little impact on pollutant removal but enhanced sludge appearance. The optimal coagulation conditions were 9 g L-1 Al2(SO4)3, pH 7, and 50 mg L-1 Rifloc F45, resulting in the removal of 40% of COD and 80% of TPh.
