Soil based wastewater treatment Effective utilization of olive mill wastewater in Israel and Palestine

Abstract

Cultivated since ancient times, the olive tree is native to Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Around 375 olive mills in the region are operated by a three phase continuous centrifugation process which yields pomace, olive oil and olive mill wastewater (OMW). The Project “Wastewater from Olive Oil Mills in Israel and Palestine: Interactions with Soil, Organic Contaminants and Mechanisms of Incorporation into Soil” (DFG: SCHA 849/13) investigates locational and seasonal dependent application scenarios of OMW to soil. The general objective is to understand processes and mechanisms of OMW-soil interaction affecting soil quality and their temporal dynamics in order to optimize OMW soil application for minimal negative effects.