title: Biomass behaviour in a conventional activated sludge system treating olive mill wastewater.
abstract: The current work aims to study the biomass behaviour in a continuous mode activated sludge system (ASS) treating olive mill wastewater (OMWW) through an increasing OMWW food to microorganism ration (F/M). To this end, the biomass growth, the specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR), microbial characterization, sludge volume index (SVI) as well as COD and phenolic compounds removal efficiencies were examined over time. Results showed a successful growth of the biomass that reached 6.79 gTSSl-1and 5.42 gVSSl-1. Its viability, its adaptability, and its good physiological activity were confirmed by the obtained result of SOUR with an average of 9.95 mgO2gVSS-1h-1, as well as aerobic microbial population characterization in terms of aerobic revivable bacteria at 22°C and 37°C, Pseudomonas sp., mould and yeast and total fungi. The concentration of these strains characterized by their ability to degrade effectively COD and phenolic compounds increased significantly (p < .05) over time. This demonstrated a great promptness in response to the increasing OMWW mass ratio. For all treatment steps, removal efficiencies were high and reached 95% of COD and 93% of phenolic compounds, also the flocs settleability shown by SVI measurement was optimal.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Hydrobiology Ecotoxicology and Sanitation LHEA URAC 33 , University Cadi Ayyad , Marrakech , Morocco.|b National Center for Studies and Research on Water and Energy (CNEREE), BP/511 , University Cadi Ayyad , Marrakech , Morocco.
authors.forename: Tawfik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: El Moussaoui
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Hydrobiology Ecotoxicology and Sanitation LHEA URAC 33 , University Cadi Ayyad , Marrakech , Morocco.|b National Center for Studies and Research on Water and Energy (CNEREE), BP/511 , University Cadi Ayyad , Marrakech , Morocco.
authors.forename: Yasamine
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0806-6093
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jaouad
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Hydrobiology Ecotoxicology and Sanitation LHEA URAC 33 , University Cadi Ayyad , Marrakech , Morocco.|b National Center for Studies and Research on Water and Energy (CNEREE), BP/511 , University Cadi Ayyad , Marrakech , Morocco.
authors.forename: Laila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mandi
authors.affiliation: c Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Centrale Marseille , M2P2 UMR 7340, 13541 , Marseille , France.
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marrot
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Hydrobiology Ecotoxicology and Sanitation LHEA URAC 33 , University Cadi Ayyad , Marrakech , Morocco.|b National Center for Studies and Research on Water and Energy (CNEREE), BP/511 , University Cadi Ayyad , Marrakech , Morocco.
authors.forename: Naaila
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4835-0766
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ouazzani
mesh_terms: D005658:Fungi; D007220:Industrial Waste; D031658:Olea; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis*; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D010636:Phenols; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Activated sludge system; SOUR; microbial population analysis; olive mill wastewater; treatment efficiency