The Algatec project plans to deliver an economic and effective system through an elegant combination of promising biotechnologies which effectively recycle olive mill wastewater using microalgae. 'It is important to stress that this research comes from the project's SMEs as well as Research Institutions (University of Granada and University of Viterbo). The Algatec concept works in three steps. First, the water is run through a standard filter, removing most of the suspended solids. The water is then routed to a small and affordable photo-bioreactor that uses microalgae to break down the waste. This is the core treatment process. Photosynthesizing microalgae feed on nitrogen, phosphorous and other pollutants present in the olive water and release oxygen. Bacteria absorb the oxygen and produce CO2, a bacterial by-product consumed by the microalgae. Combined, the microalgae and the bacteria work in a symbiotic relationship which, at the same time, dramatically improves the BOD and COD profile of the water. Next, the water is treated using membrane purification technologies. The water is passed through a membrane module, which uses hydrostatic pressure to filter the water coming from the photo-bioreactor through a microfiltration and a nano-filtration unit.

Desarrollo de la tecnología de fotobiorreactores.

Water scarcity and droughts have become a main concern in the European Union as intensity and extension of such phenomena have been increasing in the last few years. They have a direct impact on citizens and economic sectors, which use and depend on water, like agriculture. The number of areas and people affected by droughts went up by almost 20% between 1976 and 2006, with a cost of €100 billion for the European Union, and 17% of European territory has suffered from water scarcity up to date. This trend is expected to continue and even get worse as a consequence of the climate change, so the European Union is adopting regional, national and community policies aimed at a water-efficient and water-saving economy. Therefore, the latest Health Check of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform stresses the need to move towards a more sustainable agriculture and examines how to integrate water management issues into the relevant CAP instruments. The countries addressed by this proposal (Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece) as olive oil producers are specially affected by water scarcity and droughts, so water-saving technologies will strongly contribute to mitigate the economic and environmental consequences of climate change in rural areas. The ALGATEC system will mainly benefits SMEs producers that account for the majority of the 12,000 olive oil mills producers in Europe. The EU is actively developing legislation to control water sources and water management, which affects the olive oil sector as well. EU Directives 91/271/EEC and 2000/60/EC deal with wastewater management and pollutant concentration limits in water from agriculture. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations are being specially watched in wastewater from agriculture because of their influence on the oxygen balance of water, as they are the main cause of eutrophication. Therefore, WW cannot be used for irrigation, and it use also involves damages in the groundwater, so it is being controlled under Directive 2006/118/EC as well.

Microbiologia Ambiental

Code PAIDI: RNM-270

María Victoria Martínez Toledo. Socio. 

Universidad de Granada

Budget of Andalusian group: € 270,600.00

http://www.institutodelagua.es/index.php?codigo_seccion=124

• BIOAZUL S.L
• VALOR SABIO, Lda
• iSiTEC GMBH
• BIOTMICROGEN S.L.
• DESAM Cooperative Olive Agriculturalist Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados.
• Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Peza
• University of Granada
• University of Tuscia
• NAGREF. Greek Governmental Agricultural Research Organisation
• UNWELT.Environmental Institute