Geostatistical estimation of risk for soil and water in the vicinity of olive mill wastewater disposal sites

Abstract

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is often disposed of in poorly engineered evaporation ponds or various environmental receptors in most Mediterranean countries causing contamination of soils and water bodies. The aim of this work is to estimate the risk for soils and waters as a result of OMW disposal in an area of 15 km 2 at Rethymnon, island of Crete, Greece. Soil, surface, and groundwater samples were collected over a period of five years and geostatistics using the kriging approach was considered for the assessment of risk. Risk maps for several pollutants, namely phenols, Ni, Cr, and available P, in soil and water were produced. The results of the study indicate the presence of hot spots in the area under investigation, mainly in the vicinity of OMW disposal sites. Finally, the fate of contaminants in affected media is discussed and a framework for monitoring of soils and water bodies in areas affected by OMW disposal is proposed.

Assessment of groundwater contamination risk in an agricultural area in north Italy

“…The presence of several organic and inorganic contaminants in groundwater used for irrigation may cause several health problems to humans and result in loss of soil fertility and income for farmers. The impacts of groundwater contamination are more noticeable in areas suffering from desertification, salinization or when groundwater is not sufficient to support intense agricultural activities [1].…”

Innovative Circular Business Models in the Olive Oil Sector for Sustainable Mediterranean Agrifood Systems

“…In addition, experts (e.g., from France Olive) and research colleagues were asked for existing initiatives that valorize olive waste and by-products. Academic articles reporting business case studies on olive waste and by-product valorization were searched on Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar, but without results except from a very few examples [32,64,65], as literature in this domain is overwhelmingly focused on technological aspects of olive waste treatment. For the online search, the following keywords were agreed upon: olive waste, olive by-products, olive biomass, waste valorization, olive wastewater, olive cake, olive pomace, olive kernel, olive leaves, olive cosmetic, olive pellets.…”

“…Hence, especially the traditional and three-phase extraction systems produce a lot of olive mill wastewater, which is one of the most polluting effluents in agrifood production due to its high organic load and numerous contaminants (phenolic compounds), being phytotoxic and poorly biodegradable. Olive mill wastewater can be disposed of in evaporation ponds but is often still thrown in the nearby environment, causing soil contamination, natural streams pollution, or other severe effects e.g., on the aquatic fauna [32]. On the other hand, wet olive pomace from the two-phase extraction has a strong odor and a pasty texture, making its management and transport also difficult [6].…”

Mobility and Degradation of Pesticides in Soil-Risk to Groundwater Contamination

“…Several problems like human diseases, soil fertility degradation and reduced farmers' income may result from the use of contaminated groundwater (organic and inorganic contaminants) for irrigation. The impacts of this contaminated groundwater are more pronounced in intense agricultural areas where sufficient water is not enough to irrigate crops (Komnitsas et al, 2015). Rozy Rasool and Sudeshna Thakur…”