title: Effects of olive mill wastewater physico-chemical treatments on polyphenol abatement and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) germinability.
abstract: Direct spreading on agricultural lands may represent an environmentally friendly disposal method and a possible use of water and nutrients from olive mill wastewaters (OMWs). However, the agronomic use of OMWs is limited, among others by polyphenols, which exert phytotoxic effects. Activated charcoal (AC) has been recognized as a very effective agent for polyphenol abatement, as it enables an irreversible process of phenol adsorption. Addition of calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) has also been described as a cheap and effective method in polyphenols abatement. However, the effects of Ca(OH)2 addition to OMW on seed germination are unclear. In this paper, the effects of AC and/or Ca(OH)2 on OMW polyphenols abatement, and Lolium multiflorum seed germination have been investigated. The highest polyphenols removal, approximately 95%, was observed when 80 g L(-1) of AC was added to OMWs (the maximum dose in this investigation). The addition of Ca(OH)2 not only improved the effectiveness of the AC treatment but also resulted in a significant rise in Lolium seed germination at the highest AC doses (60 and 80 g L(-1)). Considering the high salinity (7300 μS cm(-1)) of these wastewaters, low quantities of Ca(OH)2 may also exert a protective effect on soil structure counteracting the sodium-induced dispersion through the binding action of calcium cation on clays and organic matter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture and Food Science - DISPA, University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Barbera
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture and Food Science - DISPA, University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, Italy. Electronic address: carmelo.maucieri@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maucieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture and Food Science - DISPA, University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ioppolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Agri-food and Environmental System Management - DiGeSA, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 100, 95123 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milani
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Istituto per la Valorizzazione del Legno e delle Specie Arboree (IVALSA), Via Gaifami 18, 95123 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cavallaro
mesh_terms: D002126:Calcium Hydroxide; D002606:Charcoal; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects*; D007220:Industrial Waste; D008129:Lolium / Q000187:drug effects*; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D012639:Seeds / Q000187:drug effects; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D002126:Calcium Hydroxide; D002606:Charcoal; D007220:Industrial Waste; D059808:Polyphenols; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Adsorption treatment; Germination; Lolium multiflorum Lam.; Olive mill wastewater; Polyphenol abatement