Treatment of wastewater from coffee (coffea arebica) industries using mixed culture Pseudomonas florescence and Escherichia coli bacteria

Abstract

Effluents from wet processing of coffee industries pollute water bodies since the wastewater is released to the water bodies' vicinity. The wastes water from these industries affects the surface and groundwater. The study was initiated to treat wastewater effluent coming from the coffee industry in the specific area by using an anaerobic mixed culture ofPseudomonas fluorescence andEscherichia coli bacteria. The treatment reduced BOD5, COD, and TS from its initial concentration of 320.26 mg/l, 1261 mg/l, and 3545 mg/l to 58.37 mg/l, 152 mg/l, and 1198 mg/l, respectively. The study's treatment had reduced the BOD5 load up to 81.67%, the COD load up to 87.94%, and TS load up to 33.79% from the initial load using optimization of the treatment method. Therefore, it can be concluded that mixed culture bacteria ofP. fluorescence andE. colias a new effective treatment having the potential for BOD5, COD, and TS reduction from the effluent. The mixed culture of microorganisms can reduce the contaminants that made the approach cost-effective, time-saving compared with other results found by other studies without mixed culture. The microorganisms included in the study can be applied for the treatment of effluent containing multiple contaminants.