AEROBIC TREATMENT OF PALM OIL MILL EFFLUENT Introduction Palm Oil processing gives elevate to highly polluting waste-dihydrogen

monoxide, kenned as Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME), which is often discarded in disposal ponds, resulting in the leaching of contaminants that pollute the groundwater and soil, and in the relin uishment of methane gas into the atmosphere! POME is an oily wastewater engendered "y palm oil processing mills and consists of sundry suspended components! #t is amalgamated with the wastes from sterili$er condensate and cooling dihydrogen monoxide! POME has a very high %iochemical Oxygen &emand (%O&) and 'hemical Oxygen &emand ('O&), which is ()) times more than the municipal sewage! POME is a non-toxic waste, as no chemical is integrated during the oil extraction process, "ut will pose environmental issues due to si$a"ly voluminous oxygen depleting capa"ility in a uatic system due to organic and nutrient contents! *he high organic matter is due to the presence of different sugars such as ara"inose, xylose, glucose, galactose and mannose! *he suspended solids in the POME are mainly oil"earing cellulosic materials from the fruits! +ince the POME is non-toxic as no chemical is integrated in the oil extraction process, it is a good source of nutrients for microorganisms! *here is an exigent need to find a compromising way that will ena"le the "alance "etween the environmental "ulwark and sustaina"le reuse of the nutrient sources found in the POME! *he current treatment system, which is predicated mainly on "iological treatments of anaero"ic and aero"ic systems, is uite inefficient and this lamenta"ly leads to the environmental pollution issues! One of the treatments that can "e acclimated to treat POME is the aero"ic treatment! #t is a process where POME was investigated utili$ing aero"ic oxidation predicated on an activated sludge process! POME treatment resulted in a"straction efficiencies of ,-!,. tur"idity, /0. 'O& and -(. %O&! *he pretreated effluent, when su"1ected to a mem"rane disseverment techni ue predicated on ultra-filtration and invert osmosis, resulted in the following a"straction efficiencies2 tur"idity ())., 'O& ,3!3. and %O& ,,!4.!

*oday 3/. of POME treatment is predicated on an anaero"ic and facultative ponding system, which is followed "y another system consisting of an open tank digester coupled with elongated aeration in a pond! &ue to glo"al warming, these open types of digesters are currently "eing converted into closed digesters! +ince methane is a greenhouse gas, its release into the environment is curtailed and the fuel value of the methane is extracted "y utili$ing it as an auxiliary fuel in the "oilers of palm oil mill! %iological treatment of green olive de"ittering wastewater was investigated utili$ing aero"ic and anaero"ic systems predicated on amalgamated and disunite reactors! *he results showed that aero"ic treatment was found to "e more efficient than the anaero"ic, whereas amalgamated anaero"ic5aero"ic treatment less aero"ic sludge! +ludge "ulking in activated sludge processes results due to nutrient deficiency, especially nitrogen! *he oxygen transfer rate in an activated sludge process additionally depends on the solids content! *he fine "u""le method of diffused aeration was found to "e economically efficacious with reverence to power density and categorical air!

Material and Methods 6eactor set-up *he schematic diagram of the activated sludge reactor is shown 7ig (! *he activated sludge reactor had a rectangular shape with the following dimensions2 0/)mm length x 4))mm width x 8/)mm li uid depth! *he aeration was carried out utili$ing a diffused aeration system!

Sample preser ation *he POME was preserved at a temperature less than 49', "ut a"ove the free$ing point in order to avert the wastewater from undergoing "iodegradation due to micro"ial action! The Process *he activated sludge process is widely utili$ed "y si$a"ly voluminous cities and communities where si$a"ly voluminous volumes of wastewater must "e highly treated economically! :ctivated sludge process plants are good culls too for isolated facilities, such as hospitals or hotels, cluster situations, su"divisions, and diminutive communities! : rudimental activated sludge process consists of several interrelated components2 ; :n aeration tank where the "iological reactions occur ; :n aeration source that provides oxygen and commixing ; : tank, kenned as the clarifier, where the solids settle and are dissevered from treated wastewater ; :n expedient of accumulating the solids either to return them to the aeration tank, (return activated sludge <6:+=), or to a"stract them from the process (waste activated sludge <>:+=)! :ero"ic "acteria thrive as they peregrinate through the aeration tank! *hey multiply rapidly with sufficient food and oxygen! %y the time the waste reaches the cessation of the tank ("etween four to eight hours), the "acteria has utili$ed most of the organic matter to engender incipient cells! *he organisms settle to the "ottom of the clarifier tank, dissevering from the more pellucid dihydrogen monoxide! *his sludge is pumped "ack to the aeration tank where it is commixed with the incoming wastewater or a"stracted from the system as excess, a process called wasting! *he relatively clear li uid a"ove the sludge, the supernatant, is sent on for further treatment as re uired!

7igure ?2 *ypical :ctivated +ludge Process

Slud!e characteristics %y analy$ing the different characteristics of the activated sludge or the sludge uality, plant operators are a"le to monitor how efficacious the treatment plant@s process is! Efficient operation is ascertained "y keeping precise, au courant recordsA routinely evaluating operating and la"oratory dataA and trou"leshooting, to solve uandaries afore they "ecome solemn! : wide range of la"oratory and visual and physical test methods are recommended! Principally, these include floc and settlea"ility performance utili$ing a 1ar test, microscopic identification of the predominant types of "acteria, and analysis of sundry chemical parameters! *he treatment environment directly affects microorganisms! Bicissitudes in food, dissolved oxygen, temperature, pC, total dissolved solids, sludge age, presence of toxins, and other factors engender a dynamic environment for the treatment organisms! *he operator can transmute the environment (the process) to enhearten or dismay the magnification of categorical microorganisms! Conclusion :ero"ic oxidation of anaero"ically digested and diluted raw POME was investigated utili$ing an activated sludge reactor! *he efficacy of aero"ic oxidation was withal compared "etween anaero"ically digested and diluted raw POME having corresponding 'O& values! #t resulted in a"straction of 'O& much efficiently!

Re"erences :!D! :hmad, +! #smail, +! %hatia, Eltrafiltration "ehavior in the treatment of agro-industry effluent2 pilot scale studies, 'hem! Eng! +ci! 0) (?))/) /83/5/8,4! :"dul Datif, :!, +u$ylawati, #!, Forli$a, #!, +u"hash, %!, ?))8"! >ater recycling from palm oil mill effluent using mem"rane technology! &esalination (/-, 3-5,/! Ma, :!F!, (,,,"! *reatment of palm oil mill effluent! #n2 Gurmit, +ingh, et al! (Eds!), Oil Palm and the Environment! : Malaysian Perspective! MOPG', Huala Dumpur, pp! ((85(?/!