Anaerobic co-cultivation of multi-algal species with oil palm empty fruit bunches for mill effluent treatment and biomethane production

This study investigated the optimization of anaerobic co-cultivation of multi-algal species with Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (OPEFB) for Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) treatment and biomethane production. The highest removal of COD (95-98), BOD (90-98), TOC (81-86) and TN (78-80) were achieved after...

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Main Authors: Ahmad, A., Shah, S.M.U., Buang, A., Abdullah, M.A.
Format: Article
Institution: Universiti Teknologi Petronas
Record Id / ISBN-0: utp-eprints.25519 /
Published: Penerbit UTM Press 2016
Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84968705046&doi=10.11113%2fjt.v78.8640&partnerID=40&md5=93dd556ea96192b760041a1f64a0d2f8
http://eprints.utp.edu.my/25519/
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Summary: This study investigated the optimization of anaerobic co-cultivation of multi-algal species with Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (OPEFB) for Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) treatment and biomethane production. The highest removal of COD (95-98), BOD (90-98), TOC (81-86) and TN (78-80) were achieved after 7 days anaerobic treatment with the presence of microalgae. The highest biomethane (4,651.9 mL CH4/L POME/day) and the specific biogas production rate (0.124 m3/kg COD/day) with CO2 (2,265.9mL CO2/L POME/day) were achieved by co-cultivating N. oculata and Chlorella sp. (each at 1 mL/mL POME) with OPEFB (0.12 g/mL POME). The combination of N. oculata (2 mL/mL POME) with T. suecica or Chlorella sp. (each at 1 mL/mL POME), and OPEFB (0.12 g/mL POME) obtained high biomethane (4,018.9 mL CH4/L POME /day) but lower biogas (0.097 m3/kg COD/day) and CO2 (2,079.5mL CO2/L POME/day). Generally, low OPEFB and having all the three strains or increasing the level of any (2 mL/mL POME) especially T. suecica, could lower biomethane (870-953 mL CH4/L POME/day) and CO2 (803-854mL CO2/L POME/day), with the biogas around 0.08-0.09 m3/kg COD/day. The optimum conditions were predicted by Response Surface Methodology and the multiple coefficients of determination, r2, of 86 suggests good agreement between experimental and predicted values. © 2016 Penerbit UTM Press. All rights reserved.