Olive Mill Wastewater Extract as a Potential Mosquito Larvicide.

The olive oil industry is one of the most important branches of agriculture in the Mediterranean basin, producing over 90% of the global olive oil production. This industry also generates solid and liquid waste by-products, characterized by their dark color and typical odor, which are not easily degradable. The liquid by-product, olive mill wastewater (OMWW), is especially difficult to treat. This liquid is characterized by high concentrations of polyphenols and tannins, in addition to low pH and high chemical and biochemical oxygen demands. These qualities inhibit biological decomposition and place OMWW as one of the most contaminating effluents among those produced by the agrofood industries (Messineo et al. 2020).