Aerobic biological treatment of olive mill wastewater previously treated by an ozonation stage.

In the present work, the degradation of olive mill wastewaters previously t reated by an ozonation stage has been studied by an aerobic biological oxid ation. The substrate evolution (based on chemical oxygen demand), biomass ( measured as volatile suspended solids) and total polyphenolic contents were followed during each experiment. A kinetic study is performed by using the Contois model, which applied to the experimental data, provides the specif ic kinetic parameters of this model. The deduced kinetic equation for the c onsume of substrate is q= 17.0 S/(18.2 X + S-0 X) g COD/gVSS. day. Moreover , others interesting biological parameters like the cellular yield coeffici ent and the kinetic rate constant for the endogenous metabolism were determ ined, obtaining a values of 0.214 g VSS/g COD and 0.167 day(-1), respective ly.