Abstract
A method for the aerobic treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME) was investigated in shake-flask experiments using a consortium developed from POME compost. POME was initially centrifuged at 4,000 g for 15 min and the supernatant was enriched with (NH4)2SO4 (0.5%) and yeast extract (0.25%) to boost its nitrogen content. At optimum pH (pH 4) and temperature (40°C) conditions, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the effluent decreased from 10,350 to 1,000 mg/L (90.3%) after 7 days. The total bacterial population determined by plate count enumeration was 2.4 × 106 CFU/mL, while the fungal count was 1.8 × 103 colonies/mL. Bacteria of the genera Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Micrococcus, and Bacillus were isolated, while the fungal genera included Aspergillus, Penicillium, Trichoderma, and Mucor. When the isolated species were each inoculated into separate batches of the raw effluent, both pH and COD were unchanged. However, at 75 and 50% POME dilutions, the COD dropped by 52 and 44%, respectively, while the pH increased from 4 to 7.53. POME treatment by aerobic method is sustainable and holds promising prospects for cushioning the environment from the problems associated with the use of anaerobic systems.
Highlights
Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is an acidic, viscous, and voluminous colloidal suspension formed during palm oil processing from the mixed stream of sterilizer condensate, separator sludge, and hydrocyclone wastewater [1]
Characteristics of POME Used in the Study
The use of a microbial consortium in the aerobic treatment of POME was investigated in the present study
Summary
Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is an acidic, viscous, and voluminous colloidal suspension formed during palm oil processing from the mixed stream of sterilizer condensate, separator sludge, and hydrocyclone wastewater [1]. POME is a highly polluting wastewater and causes considerable deterioration of soil and water quality when discharged untreated into the environment [3]. The enforcement of stringent laws pertaining to waste effluent discharges in some palm oil producing communities in Nigeria have challenged researchers to investigate new approaches for the effective management of POME. Several physicochemical techniques such as adsorption [4], solvent extraction [2], chemical-biological sedimentation [5], coagulation-flocculation [6], and membrane technology [7] have been applied in mitigating the polluting effects of POME but the reported outcomes have not produced acceptable results. Biological treatment methods, especially ponding, are the most common treatment system implemented perhaps due to their low capital cost [8] but the effectiveness of these methods is plagued by several drawbacks such as long retention time and start-up periods, necessity for large digesters, sensitivity of microorganisms to variations in environmental conditions, and the emission of corrosive and odorous biogas [9]
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