Bio-Optimization of Chemical Parameters and Earthworm Biomass for Efficient Vermicomposting of Different Palm Oil Mill Waste Mixtures.

Abbas F M Alkarkhi,Weilan Shao,Hany S El-Mesery,Parveen Fatemeh Rupani,Hongcheng Wang,Mohammad Shahadat,Asha Embrandiri

doi:10.3390/ijerph16122092

Abstract

The present study reports mathematical modelling of palm oil mill effluent and palm-pressed fiber mixtures (0% to 100%) during vermicomposting process. The effects of different mixtures with respect to pH, C:N ratio and earthworms have been optimized using the modelling parameters. The results of analysis of variance have established effect of different mixtures of palm oil mill effluent plus palm press fiber and time, under selected physicochemical responses (pH, C:N ratio and earthworm numbers). Among all mixtures, 60% mixture was achieved optimal growth at pH 7.1 using 16.29 C:N ratio in 15 days of vermicomposting. The relationship between responses, time and different palm oil mill waste mixtures have been summarized in terms of regression models. The obtained results of mathematical modeling suggest that these findings have potential to serve a platform for further studies in terms of kinetic behavior and degradation of the biowastes via vermicomposting.

Highlights

Rapid industrialization has severely affected the environment leading to increasingly undesired environmental conditions globally
Fresh palm oil mil effluent (POME) and palm-pressed fiber (PPF) were obtained from a palm oil mill located in Penang, Malaysia
Earthworms belonging to Eudrilus eugeniae species were collected from the vermiculture unit (Penang, Malaysia)

Summary

Introduction

Rapid industrialization has severely affected the environment leading to increasingly undesired environmental conditions globally. Releasing of wastewaters from various industries into waterbodies is the main cause of environmental pollution. Several countries such as Malaysia has 14% of the land occupied by oil palm plantation [1]. In Malaysia, on average, oil palm plantations, along with palm processing industries, generate approximately 80 million tons of waste by-products, such as palm oil mill effluent (POME) annually [2]. In 2014, the production of POME was estimated to be 44 million cubic meters tons.

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion