Optimization Of Microbial Consortium (AB-101) Performance In Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) Treatment Via Response Surface Methodology (RSM)

Abstract

Biological treatment of POME has been well known for its efficiency to degrade the organic pollutants prior to discharge into the water stream. Yet, biological treatment on its own was allegedly inadequate to comply with the standard imposed by the Department of Environment (DOE) Malaysia for the final discharge of POME. In this study, a bio activator consists of microbial consortium AB101 is analyzed towards its effectiveness in enhancing or boosting the biological treatment of raw POME. The optimum volume ratio of microbial consortium AB101 and nutrition (molasses) in the bio-activator prepared as well as dosing of the bio-activator into the POME were determined by using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) via Design-Expert software (version 7.1.5). The study has been carried out to determine the optimum value of those three independent variables; i) volume percentage of AB101; ii) volume percentage of molasses; and iii) dosage of bio-activator. The optimum value of each factor is corresponding to the value of response; the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) reduction percentage of treated POME. The highest COD reduction recorded (91.25%) was recorded at the values of factors as follows; volume percentage of AB101 (0.1%), the volume percentage of molasses (9.96%), and dosage of bio-activator (33.6 ppm).