A STUDY OF CHEMICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF OLIVE MILLWASTE-WATER IN MOROCCO

Olive mill waste water samples from different traditional mills were a nalyzed for their microbiota and the physicochemical characteristic. A survey of the most frequent microorganisms including standard plate c ount (SPC), counts of the indicator microorganisms (total and fecal co liforms and enterococci) staphylococci, Salmonella, sporeforming bacte ria (Clostridium and Bacillus), yeasts and molds and the lipolytic mic roorganisms. The physicochemical analysis grouped the determination of pH, salinity, density, conductivity, alkalinity, acidity, total dry m atter, non volatile dry matter, suspended solids, organic carbon, ammo niacal nitrogen, organic nitrogen, fat, polyphenols, polyphosphates, s odium and potassium and the BOD and COD. Results showed that the physi cochemical factors were higher than the reported values in other count ries. The microbial load was low and mainly made of yeasts and molds a s well as the lactic acid bacteria. A net difference between the tradi tional mill samples and the industrial samples was observed for both a nalyses.