"IMPROLIVE" is an international project to improve environmental compatibility in olive oil production.

The project is multidisciplinary and the overall methodology integrates several procedures: computerised integration of data and results, waste water treatments, balanced protein enrichment, aerobic bioremediation and nitrogen fixation, extraction by decanter centrifuge, fluidised bed, spray or similar drying, and combustion/gasification. The work is devided in 5 tasks and 23 sub-tasks including the following actions:

· Study and assessment of already tested plants (recording treatment procedures, creating an interactive catalogue/data base, defining technical standards, assessing practical waste water treatments.

· Enrichment of alpeorujo with fungal/yeast protein and amino acid production (chemical characterisation of alpeorujo and protein quality examination, recovery of proteins from alpeorujo, microbial screening, fermentation of alpeorujo, analysis of fermented products, amino acid production).

· Bioremediation and composting (bacterial isolation and identification, physiological responses of bacteria in lab-scale, physiological responses of bacteria in pilot/industrial scale, bioremediation of liquid fraction, composting of solid fraction, promoting plant growth, cultivation of Pleuronis spp. in alpeorujo).

· Physicochemical treatments (drying in fluidised/moving beds, recovery of orujo oil and drying of de-oiled pulp, combustion/gasification in fluidised/moving beds, advanced control/instrumentation).

· Evaluation of results and industrial integration (synthesis of results, industrial standards, assessment and design of industrial plant)