WASTE WATER TREATMENT

OF

POME USING SPIRULINA platensis

Introduction:
Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a by-product in the processing of oil palm fresh fruit bunches (ffb) to produce crude palm oil. The raw POME, golden brownish liquor, is nutrient rich apart from containing carbohydrates, proteins and oil. Untreated fresh POME has a Biochemical Oxygen Demand of about 20,000 ppm making the liquid a strong pollutant if discharged into the water ways in its raw form. POME is a non-toxic wastewater, and it can be treated using biological treatment processes. The most common biological treatment processes employed by industry consist of a series of anaerobic, facultative and aerobic pond systems. In Malaysia, the final effluent of the treated POME must comply with the discharge standards set by the Department of Environment (DOE) regardless of which treatment system is being utilized. In 1993 alone, Malaysian oil palm mills generated about 20 million tonnes POME which would have been a source of pollution if it was discharged directly into water sources. In solving this problem the palm oil industry uses the ponding system or direct disposal on land. POME can also provide material for fertilizer. The ponding system requires a reasonably large land area and close monitoring in order to comply with the environmental discharge standard prescribed by the Environmental Quality Act (1975) of less than 100 mg/l. Another way to dispose of POME is by evaporation. With this process 80% of the water can be recovered and the 20% of the solid concentrate produced as a co-product can be used for fertilizer or animal feed production.

Materials and Chemicals:

Materials -2L Flasks, 500mL flask, aeration rod, aeration tubings, aerator, rack, light source (artificial), Laminar air flow, Bunsen burner, Lighter, Tissue rolls, beakers, RO system, cylindrical flask, autoclave.

Chemicals POME, Polymers GPF 8111 & GPF 8112, Zarrouks medium, RO water, 70% alcohol.

Culture Spirulina plantesis

PROCESS and PROCEDURES

A) The addition of polymer GPF8111 followed by GPF8112
1. 4mL of polymer GPF8111 is diluted into 100mL of water. 2. After dilution, 5mL of the GPF8111 polymer is added into an opaque sample of POME using the Separatory funnel. 3. The sample is left to flocculate for at least an hour. 4. After 1 hour, 5mL of GPF8112 polymer is added into it and left overnight.

Below are the pictures observed during and after the experiment:

The sample with polymer GPF8111 (after 1 hour).

The sample with polymer GPF8112 (left overnight).

B)

Sub-culturing POME using alga Spirulina platensis

1. After leaving the POME samples overnight, 2 layers can be seen in the Separatory funnel. The bottom layer is discarded and the top layer is collected.
2. The top layer is poured into a 2L flask which will be used for the

subculturing process with Spirulina platensis. 3. In the laminar air flow, by using the 500mL flask, 100mL of Zarrouks medium is measured and added into the flasks containing POME samples.
4. Next, 300mL of Spirulina platensis culture is added into the same flasks.

5. Aeration rods attached together with aeration tubings are flamed using the Bunsen burner and placed into the flasks. 6. The mouth of the flasks are flamed and covered with aluminium foils. 7. Finally the flasks are placed onto a rack which has light source (artificial) and aerator. The aeration tubes are fixed to the aerators for aeration.
8. The cultures are left for observance for at least a week. Measurement of

cell density should be conducted every day and recorded.

Results
CULTURE POME MEDIA 100mL Zarrouks DATE 8 June DAY 1 POME 100mL Zarrouks 9 June DAY 2 POME 100mL Zarrouks 10 June DAY 3 POME 100mL Zarrouks 11 June DAY 4 POME 100mL Zarrouks 12 June DAY 5 POME 100mL Zarrouks 13 June DAY 6 POME 100mL Zarrouks 14 June DAY 7 POME 100mL Zarrouks 15 June DAY 8 18.75 x 10 17.5 x 10 15.0 x 10 12.5 x 10 8.75 x 10 5.0 x 10 3.75 x 10 REMARKS Day 1

Analysis Graphical Explanation

Start culture: 08-06-2010 Culture Source: 2L flask Media: Zarrouks Culture volume: 1.3L
Operat or Date Morning pH
Fariz Fariz Fariz Fariz Fariz Fariz Fariz 9-Jun 10-Jun 11-Jun 12-Jun 13-Jun 14-Jun 15-Jun 6.61 6.83 7.38 7.9 7.74 7.91 8.02

Evenin g Temp
26.7 23.8 25.9 24.6 25.4 25.8 26.6

Vol (mL) Temp

25.8 24.8 26.1 25.5 26.2 26 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

Medium

Ligh t

pH
6.57 6.92 7.47 7.72 7.85 8.03

Density (10 cells/mL )

3.75 5 8.75 12.5 15 17.5 18.75

Zarrouks Zarrouks Zarrouks Zarrouks Zarrouks Zarrouks Zarrouks

a a a a a a a

Figure 1 : POME with Zarrouks medium

Graphical Interpretation

Conclusion
The growth of Spirulina platensis in POME has increased till the 7th day. The usage of 5mL of polymer GPF8111 + GPF8112 has proven enough to encapsulate the contents of POME, therefore, the usage of polymer GPF8111 + GPF8112 with 300mL of Spirulina culture has proven to be successful.