Pistachio Waste Management for Sustainable Development

Every activity in the modern world is associated with waste production. Produced waste, if not managed, poses many problems for communities in terms of public health [1]. Proper management of production waste is an important step towards promoting public health and enhancing sustainable development [2]. Agricultural-related activities are among those activities that sometimes produce large amounts of waste [3]. Agricultural wastes often contain highly degradable organic compounds that, if not properly managed, can produce large volumes of leachate, which contributes to breeding microorganisms, the production of sludge, and harmful odors in the environment. Conventional waste disposal methods such as incineration, storage, and sanitary landfilling are not suitable for agricultural waste and can have adverse effects on health, the environment, and biodiversity by producing toxic compounds and hazardous gases [5, 6]. Outcomes such as climate change and ultimately upsetting the environmental balance are the consequences of mismanagement of agricultural waste. Among agricultural activities, the pistachio processing or peeling industry is one of the processes that add a large amount of organic waste and wastewater to the environment [7]. If these wastes are left in the environment, they can create a large volume of chemical and biological pollutants that have adverse effects on both the environment and public health [8]. Poor management of production waste in the pistachio peeling industry can pollute the environment and produce Aspergillus fungus whose release into the environment causes the production of unpleasant odors and the growth and reproduction of flies [9, 10]. Release of waste from pistachio processing in pistachio fields can stop plant growth by damaging the roots [9]. High concentrations of organic and phenolic compounds in the waste from pistachio processing cause major problems in pistachio waste management [11].