Impact of spreading olive mill wastewater on soil characteristics: laboratory experiments

A dynamic of soil pollution with olive mill wastewater (OMW) was investigated in the laboratory. Organic and inorganic components of OMW were removed at the first infiltration by the upper layer of the soil, whose chemical properties changed. Besides organic carbon, Kjeldahl N, total phosphorus and potassium concentration increase, electrical conductivity, phenol concentration and salinization level increased, which could compromise soil fertility. At the second infiltration carried out 2 months later, the properties of the soil samples appeared to be neatly altered.