Potential for Production of Biochar-Based Fertilizers from Olive Mill Waste in Mediterranean Basin Countries: An Initial Assessment for Spain, Tunisia, and Greece

Evan A.N. Marks, Vasiliki Kinigopoulou, Hanene Akrout, Ahmed Amine Azzaz, Charalampos Doulgeris, Salah Jellali, Carlos Rad, Paula Sánchez Zulueta, Evangelos Tziritis, Leila El-Bassi, Camélia Matei Ghimbeu and Mejdi Jeguirim
Additional contact information
Evan A.N. Marks: BETA Technological Center, University of Vic–University of Central Catalonia, Carrer de la Laura 13, 08500 Vic, Catalonia, Spain
Vasiliki Kinigopoulou: Soil & Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation “DEMETER”, 57400 Sindos, Central Macedonia, Greece
Hanene Akrout: Laboratory of Wastewaters and Environment, Centre of Water Researches and Technologies (CERTE) Technopark of Borj Cedria PB 273, Soliman 8020, Tunisia
Ahmed Amine Azzaz: Mulhouse Institute of Materials Sciences, Université de Haute-Alsace, CNRS, IS2M UMR 7361, F-68100 Mulhouse, France
Charalampos Doulgeris: Soil & Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation “DEMETER”, 57400 Sindos, Central Macedonia, Greece
Salah Jellali: PEIE Research Chair for the Development of Industrial Estates and Free Zones, Center for Environmental Studies and Research, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoud, Muscat 123, Oman
Carlos Rad: Composting Research Group UBUCOMP, Universidad de Burgos, Faculty of Sciences, Pl. Misael Bañuelos s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain
Paula Sánchez Zulueta: Composting Research Group UBUCOMP, Universidad de Burgos, Faculty of Sciences, Pl. Misael Bañuelos s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain
Evangelos Tziritis: Soil & Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation “DEMETER”, 57400 Sindos, Central Macedonia, Greece
Leila El-Bassi: Laboratory of Wastewaters and Environment, Centre of Water Researches and Technologies (CERTE) Technopark of Borj Cedria PB 273, Soliman 8020, Tunisia
Camélia Matei Ghimbeu: Mulhouse Institute of Materials Sciences, Université de Haute-Alsace, CNRS, IS2M UMR 7361, F-68100 Mulhouse, France
Mejdi Jeguirim: Mulhouse Institute of Materials Sciences, Université de Haute-Alsace, CNRS, IS2M UMR 7361, F-68100 Mulhouse, France

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: Olive mill wastes continue to be a management challenge due to the large volumes produced, particularly due to their toxicity and impacts on the environment. Thermal conversion through pyrolysis or hydrothermal carbonization techniques can detoxify wastes while conserving nutrient contents. In this work, we produced up-to-date data on olive mill waste flows in Spain, Tunisia, and Greece and characterized representative samples in the laboratory. Assays of thermal conversion of olive mill wastewaters and solid wastes were also performed to understand biochar yields and final properties, and the total quantities of nutrients contained were estimated. Of particular note were the quantities of potassium in Tunisian wastewaters, representing 0.6% of the total mass and an annual flow of approximately 5000 t, and in the Spanish solid wastes, an average of 1.7% of the total mass is potassium, representing an annual flow of approximately 23,000 t. Concerning phosphorus, Spanish solid wastes had the highest contents (0.1%), double that of other countries’ wastes. Annually, olive mill wastes from the three countries are estimated to contain approximately 35 × 10 3 tons of potassium and 2.6 × 10 3 tons of phosphorus. With this resource converted to biochar, each year more than 700 km 2 of soils could be enriched in 0.2% carbon with biochar at an application rate of 7 t ha −1 .

Keywords: olive mill solid waste; olive mill wastewater; Mediterranean Basin; biochar; hydrochar; nutrients; carbon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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