Olive mill wastewater (OMW) arises from the production of olive oil in olive mills. It is produced seasonally by a large number of small olive mills scattered throughout the olive oil-producing countries. OMW has a very high organic load, recalcitrant in nature and with a high amount of toxicity/phytotoxicity-associated compounds. Several physicochemical, biological and combined processes have been examined for the treatment of OMW, resulting in considerable organic load and toxicity abatement. Biological processes, aerobic and anaerobic, including anaerobic co-digestion with other effluents and composting, are predominant in the treatment of OMW. Advanced oxidation processes have attracted much attention owing to the strong oxidation potential of the agents used, which can result in a high degree of treatment. Recent research studies employing physical, chemical, biological and combined technologies are reviewed in the current work.

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The results of this meta-analysis demonstrate that single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe procedure for the treatment of uncomplicated gallstone disease, with postoperative outcome similar to that of standard multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Future high-powered randomized studies should be focused on elucidating subtle differences in postoperative complications, reported postoperative pain, and cosmesis following SILS cholecystectomy in more severe biliary disease.

The increasing use of ozone in the treatment of municipal wastewater effluents has been stimulated by the need to achieve higher effluent quality and greater compliance with physicochemical and microbiological quality standards before discharge. These standards are applied when the effluent may pose a risk to the public through direct contact and where the effluent is used for agricultural purposes or water reclamation. Although various alternative technologies exist for upgrading wastewater effluents, ozone treatment may be the most appropriate approach in particular cases. This review summarizes the current status of the use of ozone for treating municipal effluents with respect to disinfection efficiency, its effect on the treatability of the effluent and on aggregate effluent parameters, the potential for the formation of ozonation byproducts, and its effect on the toxicity and mutagenicity of the effluent. The importance of treatment conditions (e.g., contact time) is also reviewed. Water Environ. Res., 74, 569 (2002).

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