Olive oil mill effluent (OOME) is one of the major pollutants produced by the agricultural industry in Mediterranean countries. The olive oil mills in these countries generate about 2-3 million tonnes of effluent annually. OOME is a black liquor containing a water-soluble fraction of ripe olives and water that is used in the process of olive oil extraction. This waste has a high mineral content and a chemical oxygen demand of 25.000-100.000 mg/l. depending on the olive oil extraction process used. This study presents a process for biosurfactant as rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas sp. from olive oil mill effluent (OMME). For this purpose, some biosurfactant-producing strains were assayed and several strains of Pseudomonas sp. were able to grow on OOME as the sole carbon source and accumulate rhamnolipids. Samples of OOME used as a medium of production were diluted and it was only necesarry to add NaNO 3 (2.5 g/l) to the medium. The conversion yield was 0.875 g of rhamnolipid per litre of substrate (OOME). The COD of the OOME was reduced by 50-70% in 72 h.

Olive oil mill effluent (OOME) is one of the major pollutants produced by the agricultural industry in Mediterranean countries. The olive oil mills in these countries generate about 2-3 million tonnes of effluent annually. OOME is a black liquor containing a water-soluble fraction of ripe olives and water that is used in the process of olive oil extraction. This waste has a high mineral content and a chemical oxygen demand of 25.000-100.000 mg/l. depending on the olive oil extraction process used. This study presents a process for biosurfactant as rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas sp. from olive oil mill effluent (OMME). For this purpose, some biosurfactant-producing strains were assayed and several strains of Pseudomonas sp. were able to grow on OOME as the sole carbon source and accumulate rhamnolipids. Samples of OOME used as a medium of production were diluted and it was only necesarry to add NaNO 3 (2.5 g/l) to the medium. The conversion yield was 0.875 g of rhamnolipid per litre of substrate (OOME). The COD of the OOME was reduced by 50-70% in 72 h.