Turbidity reduction in palm oil mill effluent (POME) by submerged fermentation with immobilized Aspergillus niger spores using coconut husk

Abstract

Increasing production of palm oil in Malaysia has been releasing an alarming rate of palm oil mill effluent (POME). POME must be treated prior to release into the environment. Turbidity reduction by fermentation in palm oil mill effluent (POME) reduces the chemical oxygen demand (COD) which improves the effectiveness of downstream treatment. Aspergillus niger is a promising decomposer but as a filamentous fungus, its performance could be enhanced when it is supported with fibrous surface to provide a larger surface area for growth. Waste material from agroindustry constituted from lignocellulose have been widely used in the immobilization process to reduce costs. In the present study, sterile coconut husk was used to immobilize A.niger cells. POME, the fermentation media was prepared at concentrations ranging from 0-100%. Post fermentation slurry was filtered. Turbidity for every concentration were recorded. A free cell fermentation was conducted for comparison. The immobilized cell fermentation shows turbidity reduction between 95% and 98% while the free cell fermentation shows reduction between 87% and 95%. The immobilized cell produced a better turbidity reduction percentage.