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Calcium-modified clinoptilolite as a recovery medium of phosphate and potassium from anaerobically digested olive mill wastewater

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Abstract

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is characterized as a high-strength effluent due to the high organic load, low biodegradability, and presence of phytotoxic compounds. Most of the OMW treatment methods proposed, including adsorption, focus mainly on the reduction of chemical oxygen demand and recovery of polyphenols. Adsorption studies aiming at nutrient removal from OMW are very limited. In the present work, Ca(OH)2-treated zeolite (CaT-Z) in a granular form was used for simultaneous recovery of phosphate (PO43−) and potassium (K+) ions from two samples of anaerobically digested OMW. Nutrient adsorption was investigated as a function of contact time, pH and dilution of OMW with deionized water. The lower removal efficiency of phosphorus (P) by CaT-Z was observed at higher dilution ratios consisted of 3.125–6.25% OMW-1 and 5% OMW-2. The maximum P removal was 73.9% in 25% OMW-1 and 85.9% in 10% OMW-2. Potassium removal, as the predominant cation of OMW samples, increased from 17.3 to 46.1% in OMW-1 and from 15.1 to 57.7% in OMW-2 with increasing dilution. The maximum experimental adsorption capacities were 15.8 mg K and 2.14 mg P per gram of CaT-Z. Five sequential treatments of 50% OMW-2 with fresh CaT-Z at each stage ensured a cumulative removal of 87.5% for P and 74.9% for K. Adsorption kinetics were faster for K than for P. The plant-available P was found to be the predominant fraction on the loaded CaT-Z. Electron Probe Micro-analysis confirmed the enhanced content of K and P on the loaded CaT-Z, whereas X-ray mapping revealed the co-distribution of Ca and P. This study demonstrates the potential usage of CaT-Z as an immobilization medium of P and K from anaerobically treated OMW.

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Acknowledgements

Part of this research (D. Mitrogiannis, Assist. Prof. M. Psychoyou, Dr. M. Brulé) was financed by the General Secretariat of Research and Technology (Greece) in the frame of EranetMed BIOGASMENA project (ID 72-026) entitled “Demonstration of dry fermentation and optimization of biogas technology for rural communities in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region”. Professor M. Kornaros was funded by the General Secretariat of Research and Technology (GSRT, Greece) in the frame of the BIOSOL project (ERANETMED _ENERG-11-75, Grant Agreement No. 609475, MIS Τ3ΕΡΑ-00047) “Development and demonstration of a Hybrid CSP-biomass gasification boiler System”. D. Palles and E.I. Kamitsos acknowledge support of the project “National Infrastructure in Nanotechnology, Advanced Materials and Micro-/Nanoelectronics” (MIS 5002772) which is implemented under the Action “Reinforcement of the Research and Innovation Infrastructure,” funded by the Operational Programme “Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation” (NSRF 2014-2020) and co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855, Athens, Greece

    Dimitris Mitrogiannis, Maria Psychoyou, Mathieu Brulé, Angeliki Papoutsa, Stamatis Xydous & Ioannis Baziotis

  2. Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering & Environmental Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, Rion, GR 26504, Patras, Greece

    Michael E. Kornaros & Konstantina Tsigkou

  3. Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Chemical Process and Energy Resources Institute (CPERI), 52 Egialias str., Maroussi, 15125, Athens, Greece

    Nikolaos Koukouzas & Dimitris Alexopoulos

  4. Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, 11635, Athens, Greece

    Dimitrios Palles & Efstratios Kamitsos

  5. Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration, Olympic Village Acharnae, 13677, Athens, Greece

    Georgios Oikonomou

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  1. Dimitris Mitrogiannis
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  2. Maria Psychoyou
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Mitrogiannis, D., Psychoyou, M., Kornaros, M.E. et al. Calcium-modified clinoptilolite as a recovery medium of phosphate and potassium from anaerobically digested olive mill wastewater. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 2977–2991 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-07212-5

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