Influence of the technological helpers used in the olive oil elaboration process on the kinetics of the anaerobic digestion of olive mill wastewater

Abstract

A kinetic study of the anaerobic digestion of olive mill wastewater, which was obtained with the technological helper "Olivex" (Carbohydrase -pectinases, cellulases and hemicellulases- from the Aspergillus aculeatus) was carried out. An identical wastewater, obtained without this enzymatic formulation was also used. The process was carried out in bioreactors with microorganisms immobilized on two micronized clay supports, Sepiolite and Bentonite. The methane volume-time data pairs obtained were used to calculate the specific rate constant, Ko, by using the Roediger's equation. A decrease of the specific rate constant value was observed over the substrate concentration studied when the volume of wastewater added was increased; this confirmed the occurrence of an inhibition process, which was more marked for the olive mill wastewater obtained with Olivex. The Levenspiel's model was used to obtain the inhibition constants of this process.