Abstract
Microalgae immobilisation can be a long-term solution for effective wastewater post-treatment. This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of immobilised Chlorococcum oleofaciens to remove contaminants from palm oil mill effluent (POME) until it complies with the POME discharge standard. First, the native dominating green microalga was isolated from a polishing POME treatment pond. Then, the microalgae cells were immobilised on sodium alginate beads and cultivated in a lab-scale-treated POME to treat it further. The immobilised microalgae cells demonstrated a high removal of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, and soluble chemical oxygen demand with 90.43%, 93.51%, 91.26%, and 50.72% of reduction, respectively. Furthermore, the growth rate of the microalgae fitted nicely with the Verhulst logistical model with r2 of more than 0.99, indicating the model’s suitability in modelling the growth. Thus, we concluded that the species can be used for post-treatment of effluents to remove TP, TN, and ammonia nitrogen from palm oil mills until it complies with the POME effluent discharge standard. However, during the process, degradation of the beads occurred and the COD value increased. Therefore, it is not suitable to be used for COD removal.
Highlights
The palm oil industry’s contribution to Malaysia’s economic growth and rapid development has widely been acknowledged
The result of this study shows that nutrient removal was not affected by the presence of the bacteria
The findings of this report suggest that immobilised C. oleofaciens showed good performance in reducing or extracting substrates (TN, ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus (TP), and Soluble COD (SCOD))
Summary
The palm oil industry’s contribution to Malaysia’s economic growth and rapid development has widely been acknowledged This industry is rapidly expanding, and Malaysia is the world’s second-largest palm oil producer. According to the Malaysian Department of Environment, POME must follow regulatory requirements for BOD (20 mg/L), COD (1000 mg/L), total solid (1500 mg/L), suspended solid (400 mg/L), oil and grease (50 mg/L), and total nitrogen (50 mg/L) before being released into the environment [3]. Some of these values are often exceeded in the POME discharged into the environment.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
