Biodegradation of High-Strength Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) through Anaerobes Partitioning in an Integrated Baffled Reactor Inoculated with Anaerobic Pond Sludge

Malakahmad, Amirhossein; Lahin, Farhana Abd; Yee, Witton

Biodegradation of High-Strength Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) through Anaerobes Partitioning in an Integrated Baffled Reactor Inoculated with Anaerobic Pond Sludge

2014

Malakahmad, Amirhossein | Lahin, Farhana Abd | Yee, Witton

Performance of a laboratory-scale integrated baffled reactor for the treatment of raw palm oil mill effluent (POME) was investigated. Initially, the reactor was fed with diluted POME (COD = 1,830 mg/L and OLR = 0.46 g COD/L day) which was then increased gradually to actual concentration (COD = 45,500 mg/L and OLR = 11.38 g COD/L day). Reactor operation was studied in two different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) (4 and 6 days) using POME with no effluent-recycled feed and after alkalinity supplementation. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 79 and 83 % at an HRT of 4 and 6 days were attained at the highest organic loading rate (OLR = 11.38 g COD/L day). The presence of Arcella-like and Metopus-like species and pH profile in the bioreactor’s compartments imply that anaerobic system is active in the reactor throughout the study. Use of methanogen-enriched inocula, smooth OLR augmentation, and appropriate separation of acidogens and methanogens in the reactor were the reasons for satisfactory performances of the system.

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