Removal of phenol compounds from olive mill wastewater using Phanerochaetechrysosporium, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus and Geotrichum candidum

The manufacturing process of olive oil yields a liquid waste called 'olive mill wastewater' (OMW). This waste has a high polluting power as well as a high antibacterial activity exerted, among others, by various phenolic comp ounds. Among the methods for the purification of OMW, biological systems sh ow some advantages that make these particularly suitable. However, the pres ence of phenolic inhibitors requires the use of microorganisms able to util ise aromatic compounds. The capability and kinetic behaviour of several fun gi to deal with such a waste reducing the phenol content of OMW was studied . The removal of total phenols relative to the total organic load consumed, which might indicate a measure of the selectivity with which the microorga nisms remove phenols among other organic compounds present, indicates the s equence: Phanerochaete chrysosporium > Aspergillus niger > Aspergillus terr eus. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.