Olive mill wastewaters (OMW) represent an ecological problem of considerable impact especially in the Mediterranean regions, given their high polluting loading, the concentration of all production activities in a shorter time span and the high water consumption because of olive oil production process. The main chemical pollutants in OMW (namely polyphenols) are also very important molecules due to their potential application in the health field. For this reason, the PROGEMA project aims at implementing a process innovation to successfully address OMW management, by including: a) the extraction and repositioning of pharmacologically active organic compounds, b) the abatement of their polluting loading (by photocatalytic and biological processes), and c) possible re-use of the treated water in olive oil production process. In addition, the possibility of energy recovery during OMW treatment through photocatalytic processes (which can also work with solar radiation) will also be evaluated.

These objectives will be pursued through:

1) the design and construction of an algae and microalgae plant that use OMW as a broth for the purification and extraction of active compounds

2) the design and construction of pharmacological interest active compounds extraction plant based on subcritical water process and subsequent effluent treatment by supercritical water process

3) design and construction of photocatalytic and biological plants for reducing the pollutant potential of extraction wastewater (EW)

4) design of integrated treatment plants including the best process combinations of the previous modules.

Therefore, the main expected result is the design and construction of two integrated, innovative and sustainable prototype systems: a) one will exploit more powerful and compact technologies such as extraction with subcritical water and subsequent EW treatment by supercritical and/or photo-Fenton processes and the other one b) will exploit more environmentally sustainable technologies such as extraction with microalgae and subsequent EW treatment by solar photocatalysis. If project outcomes will meet expectations, a first impact will be related to the increased skills and attractiveness of research groups involved in the project. Additionally, the companies involved in the project will benefit from the results obtained by offering innovative technologies that are not yet available in the field of OMW management.

PROJECT START DATE  may 2019

PROJECT END DATE  may 2022