USING MESOCOSMS FOR MITIGATION STUDIES - FROM WASTE TO RESOURCE: RECYCLING OLIVE OIL WASTEWATER FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

The environmental impact of olive mill wastewater (OMWW) is a major concern in the Mediterranean and other regions where olive oil production is a key economic activity. OMWW has a high organic load, high phenolic content, and low biodegradability, which can cause toxicity to aquatic life and disrupt freshwater ecosystems when discharged untreated, especially in areas experiencing water shortages. To address these concerns, the EU PRIMA CYCLOLIVE project (https://www.cyclolive.eu) explores sustainable strategies for recycling olive oil byproducts through both technological innovation and ecological assessment. One critical aim is to develop affordable, nature-based local solutions, such as constructed wetlands, to effectively treat both OMWW and solid waste in a cyclic, sustainable way. Here, we present the first results from mesocosm experiments designed to simulate OMWW discharge scenarios under standardized conditions and quantify the effects of both untreated and treated OMWW on aquatic ecosystems. The experiments serves to: 1) observe short-term responses of planktonic communities and water quality to OMWW inputs, allowing for a better understanding of its ecological effects under controlled, but near-real conditions, and 2) most importantly to investigate what mitigation potential establishing constructed wetlands could have to both decrease the detrimental effects of olive oil byproducts the aquatic environment, while also using the treated wastewater in intelligent low-cost irrigation systems, to mitigate the water shortages and support the farming communities.

Presentation Preference: Lightning Talk with Poster (5 Minutes)

Primary Presenter: Jens Nejstgaard, IGB - Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (jens.nejstgaard@igb-berlin.de)

Authors:

Jens C Nejstgaard, IGB - Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Germany  (jens.nejstgaard@igb-berlin.de)

Stella A Berger, IGB - Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Germany  (stella.berger@igb-berlin.de)

J Rafael Bermúdez Monsalve, IGB - Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Germany  (rafael.bermudez@igb-berlin.de)

Ayoub El Ghadraoui, IGB - Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Germany  (ayoub.elghadraoui@igb-berlin.de)

Aafaf Krimech, IGB - Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Germany  (aafaf.krimech1995@gmail.com)

Massimo Del Bubba, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Italy  (massimo.delbubba@unifi.it)

Zaineb Bakari, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Italy  (zaineb.bakari@unifi.it)

Davide Passaeo, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Italy  (davide.passaseo@unifi.it)

Michelangelo Fichera, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Italy  (michelangelo.fichera@unifi.it)

Faissal Aziz, Cadi Ayyad University, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Laboratory of Water Sciences, Microbial Biotechnologies and Natural Resources Sustainability, Morocco  (f.aziz@uca.ac.ma)

Amine Elleuch, Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, University of Sfax, Tunisia  (amine.elleuch@fss.usf.tn)

Aroua Ammar, Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, University of Sfax, Tunisia  (aroua.ammar@usf.tn)