New Eco-friendly process tanning by concentrated recovered from Olive Oil Mill Wastewater

Abstract

Olive Oil Mill Wastewater (OMW) is a serious environmental problem in Morocco, which is known for producing olive. OMW is characterized by a high organic load and the presence of high concentrations of organic substances (COD:67.2 g/L; BOD5: 70.6 g/L; CE: 11.5 mS/cm). The main objective of the present study was to optimise the conditions of treatment of olive mill wastewater. The waste was treated by solar energy to reduce quantity of OMW without affecting the environment. The concentrate containing 14% of phenol was obtained by this procedure of treatment and was applied aseco-leather tanning agent to replace chrome-tanning process who represent more than 85% of global leather production. Despite the polluting power of this tanning process and that toxicology reasons unfairly associating the chromium (III) commonly used with hazardous chromium (VI). The characteristics of the leather indicate that the vegetable tanning system used in our study provides leather with a good physical and chemical property.