RESUMEN
The main purpose of the processing of table olives is the removal, at least partially, of the natural bitterness of the fruit in order to render it edible. The preparation of Spanish-style green olives after harvesting involves cleaning followed by debittering using NaOH solution, washing with water, a lactic acid fermentation step and finally canning. Wastewaters originating from table olives processing industries pose an important environmental threat, as they are characterized by a very high organic load and high concentration of phenolic compounds, which are toxic to living organisms. In this communication, the chemical and physicochemical profile of wastewaters produced from the different stages of Spanish-Style green olives processing was investigated. Phenolic compounds, organic acids, amino acids and total sugars along with common physicochemical parameters were determined in order to appraise the specific features of each individually produced wastewater.
Asunto(s)
Industria de Procesamiento de Alimentos , Residuos Industriales/análisis , Olea , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/análisis , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/química , Purificación del Agua/métodos , Grecia , EspañaRESUMEN
An environmentally friendly bioremediation system of olive oil mill wastewater (OMWW) is studied with respect to its physicochemical characteristics and degradation efficiency on major characteristic constituents. The method exploits the biochemical versatility of the dinitrogen fixing bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii (strain A) to grow in OMWW at the expense of its constituents and to transform it into an organic liquid fertilizer. The system eliminates the phytotoxic principles from OMWW and concomitantly enriches it with an agriculturally beneficial microbial consortium along with useful metabolites of the latter. The end product, branded "biofertilizer", is used as soil conditioner and liquid organic fertilizer. Growth of A. vinelandii in OMWW results in the decline of content of most of the compounds associated with phytotoxicity, and this is confirmed by the assessment of degradation yields. In parallel, during the process several other compounds noncommittally undergo degradation and biotransformation. More specifically, the biofertilization system is capable of achieving removal yields as high as 90 and 96% after 3 and 7 days of treatment, respectively. Statistical analysis of the results showed that between the periods of operation no significant difference occurs with respect to the degradation yield. Moreover, the degradation yield from 3 to 7 days of continuous operation of the system remains almost unaltered during 2 consecutive years.
Asunto(s)
Azotobacter vinelandii/metabolismo , Residuos Industriales , Aceites de Plantas , Contaminantes del Agua/metabolismo , Biodegradación Ambiental , Industria de Alimentos , Aceite de OlivaRESUMEN
An integrated gas chromatographic-mass-selective detection method for the analysis of the phosphoric and amino acid group containing pesticides is presented. The analytes are derivatized using a single-step procedure for the simultaneous esterification and acetylation of the active groups of analytes (-OH, -COOH, -NH2) by means of acetic acid and trimethyl orthoacetate. An experimental design approach based on the central composite design is used to investigate the dependence of the derivatization variables with the total yield of derivatization of pesticides. The variables selected for study were: the amount of reagents, the temperature and the reaction time. When considering the total pesticide derivatization yield, the amount of acetic acid, the reaction temperature and the reaction time are found to be statistically significant. The electron impact ionization mass spectra of the resulting derivatives are acquired and properly interpreted. Under the chromatographic conditions employed, acceptable peak separation is attained. When the selective ion monitoring mode is used for quantitation purposes, low detection limits in the range 0.05 to 14 microg/l are achieved. Recoveries of spiked water samples range from 96 to 103% and the mean RSD of the method do not exceed 3.5%.
Asunto(s)
Aminoácidos/análisis , Cromatografía de Gases y Espectrometría de Masas/métodos , Insecticidas/química , Compuestos Organofosforados , Ácidos Fosfóricos/análisis , Estándares de ReferenciaRESUMEN
The multielement (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, V, Zn) levels in various common vegetables and surface soils collected from two typical growing areas of north-western Greece are presented. The results are representative and indicate metal concentration levels in vegetables grown in Greek areas under similar conditions. The content of the metals is generally at the same levels or even lower than that reported for vegetables consumed in several countries and species grown in other agricultural and industrial Greek areas. Enhanced levels of metals observed in certain vegetable species could be related to their concentration in the corresponding soils. The results of the present study indicate that the mean intake of heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb and Se) by adults due to consumption of vegetables from the two sites, for an average consumption, pattern, generally is well below the allowable daily intakes. On the other hand, the contribution of the vegetables to the recommended amounts of the essential elements (Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) is satisfactory and higher than previously reported.