Environmental degradation is a growing concern, driving researchers to explore eco-friendly nanoparticle (NP)
synthesis, for diverse applications. Within this context, the employment of olive oil waste (OOW) as a green
source for the synthesis of NPs has emerged as a viable alternative to conventional techniques. The olive industry
has a significant impact in the Mediterranean region, and alongside it, comes the OOW, where most of it cannot
be left untreated. In the present review, a comprehensive overview of the NPs’ green synthesis derived from
OOW and its potential applications in both environmental and health areas have been assessed, outlining its
major challenges and potential outcomes for future research. Both principles and methods of green NPs synthesis
were also explored, focusing on the unique properties of OOW as an effective agent for reduction and stabilization,
as well as the characterization techniques used for characterizing the synthesized NPs. The OOW-derived
NPs can have a wide variety of environmental applications including water purification, pollutant degradation,
and remediation of contaminated environments. In the health field, the OOW applications include drug delivery
systems, antimicrobial activity and cancer therapy. These OOW NPs have been successfully used as efficient drug
delivery vehicles to cancer cells, enhancing treatment outcomes and potentially minimizing side effects. However,
it is imperative to point out the importance of performing in-depth toxicity assessments, particularly at
higher concentrations of NPs.
