Post-treatment of palm oil mill effluent using immobilised green microalgae chlorococcum oleofaciens

TY - JOUR

T1 - Post-treatment of palm oil mill effluent using immobilised green microalgae chlorococcum oleofaciens

AU - Tan, Kah Aik

AU - Lalung, Japareng

AU - Morad, Norhashimah

AU - Ismail, Norli

AU - Omar, Wan Maznah Wan

AU - Khan, Moonis Ali

AU - Sillanpää, Mika

AU - Rafatullah, Mohd

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

PY - 2021/11

Y1 - 2021/11

N2 - Microalgae immobilisation can be a long-term solution for effective wastewater post-treatment. This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of immobilised Chlorococcum oleofaciens to remove contaminants from palm oil mill effluent (POME) until it complies with the POME discharge standard. First, the native dominating green microalga was isolated from a polishing POME treatment pond. Then, the microalgae cells were immobilised on sodium alginate beads and cultivated in a lab-scale-treated POME to treat it further. The immobilised microalgae cells demonstrated a high removal of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, and soluble chemical oxygen demand with 90.43%, 93.51%, 91.26%, and 50.72% of reduction, respectively. Furthermore, the growth rate of the microalgae fitted nicely with the Verhulst logistical model with r2 of more than 0.99, indicating the model’s suitability in modelling the growth. Thus, we concluded that the species can be used for post-treatment of effluents to remove TP, TN, and ammonia nitrogen from palm oil mills until it complies with the POME effluent discharge standard. However, during the process, degradation of the beads occurred and the COD value in-creased. Therefore, it is not suitable to be used for COD removal.

AB - Microalgae immobilisation can be a long-term solution for effective wastewater post-treatment. This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of immobilised Chlorococcum oleofaciens to remove contaminants from palm oil mill effluent (POME) until it complies with the POME discharge standard. First, the native dominating green microalga was isolated from a polishing POME treatment pond. Then, the microalgae cells were immobilised on sodium alginate beads and cultivated in a lab-scale-treated POME to treat it further. The immobilised microalgae cells demonstrated a high removal of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, and soluble chemical oxygen demand with 90.43%, 93.51%, 91.26%, and 50.72% of reduction, respectively. Furthermore, the growth rate of the microalgae fitted nicely with the Verhulst logistical model with r2 of more than 0.99, indicating the model’s suitability in modelling the growth. Thus, we concluded that the species can be used for post-treatment of effluents to remove TP, TN, and ammonia nitrogen from palm oil mills until it complies with the POME effluent discharge standard. However, during the process, degradation of the beads occurred and the COD value in-creased. Therefore, it is not suitable to be used for COD removal.

KW - Alginate beads

KW - C. oleofaciens

KW - Green microalgae

KW - Immobilisation

KW - POME treatment

KW - Post-treatment

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85117705523

U2 - 10.3390/su132111562

DO - 10.3390/su132111562

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85117705523

SN - 2071-1050

VL - 13

JO - Sustainability (Switzerland)

JF - Sustainability (Switzerland)

IS - 21

M1 - 11562

ER -