Microbial-Treated Sago Mill Effluent: A Potential Water Resource for Agroecosystem Management

Abstract

All over the world, sago mill is one of the important agro-based industries which release large amount of wastewater containing organic and inorganic solid wastes. This wastewater commonly is referred as effluent which has obnoxious odor, irritating color, lower pH, higher BOD and COD. It affects the health of soil, natural ecosystem, animals, plants and human beings. Hence, proper remediation is necessary before the release of the wastewater. In the present study, we have attempted two investigational systems: one is treatment of sago industry effluent by aerobic bacterial consortium, and the other is effect of treated and untreated effluents on soil microflora and growth of legume plants. For the treatment system, the starch-degrading bacteria were isolated from sago industry wastewater and waste-contaminated soil. The genera, Flavobacterium (A), Enterobacteriaecea (B), Alcaligenes (C), Acenitobacter (D), Corynebacterium (E), were found efficient in starch degradation, and they were applied in the treatment of sago mill effluent under aerobic condition. The physico-chemical parameters such as pH, TS, TSS, TDS, BOD, COD, DO, magnesium, calcium and potassium were found decreased in effluent after 7 days. In the second phase of investigation, pot culture experiment was carried out to find out effect of treated and untreated wastewater on the survival of soil microbes and the growth of legume plants. Shoot height, root length, fresh weight, dry weight and chlorophyll content of the legume plants and soil micro flora showed an increase when treated wastewater was tested. The results revealed that wastewater treated by aerobic microorganisms can be effectively used for irrigation.