Phenolic compounds recovery to treat and valorize olive mill wastewater: Technologies overview

Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW) is an effluent characterized by high organic matter content and a rich concentration of phenolic compounds (PhC). These compounds hold significant economic value across industries such as pharmaceuticals and food production. Recovering PhC from agro-industrial effluents offers an environmentally friendly method of obtaining these valuable compounds. Effective OMW management should involve pre-treatment processes to recover PhC prior to implementing oxidation technologies for further water purification. This approach reduces the effluent’s toxicity, enabling the use of less aggressive chemical treatments or even biological treatments. The study identified adsorption and solid–liquid extraction as the most effective technologies for PhC recovery due to their high efficiency. However, the solid–liquid extraction method necessitates an additional step to recover the solvent used, which adds complexity to the process. Economically, the use of adsorption enhances the profitability of PhC recovery, making it appealing for industrial applications.