KINETIC STUDY OF PALM OIL MILL EFFLUENT (POME) TREATMENT BY ACTIVATED SLUDGE

Abstract

Kinetic parameter is a basis for design and optimization of activated sludge POME treatment. In fact, most of the kinetic parameter value used in design and optimization are default values taken from municipal wastewater. The kinetic parameters for POME treatment have not been thoroughlystudied and most of the system is using the Activated Sludge Models (ASM), either in modelling or design. Thus, the kinetic study of POME treatment by activated sludge system were carried out to obtain the kinetic parameters  for  the  POME  treatment  plant  design calculation.In  this  study,  POME treatment was carriedout in batch studiesinto 14 L aeration tank with activated sludge for the biological oxidation process with optimum pH at 6.5 ± 0.1, MLVSS of 2000 ± 200 mg/Lfor HRT of 48 h and feeding with 650 ± 20 mg BOD₃/L of anaerobic treated POME, while SRT was controlled at a range of 10 days to 20 days with interval of 2 days for the kinetic study experiment. From this kinetic study, the kinetic parameters for COD and BOD basis had been determined for maximum yields coefficient (Y), endogenous decay coefficient (k_d), maximum specific substrate utilization rate (k) and half-velocity constant (K_s) at 0.2369 mg VSS/mg COD, 0.1060 day^-1, 2.2717 day ¹ and 758.7705 mg/L for COD basis whilst the kinetic parameters value for BOD basis were 0.6718 mg VSS/mg BOD₃, 0.0658 day^-1, 1.4136 day^-1 and 556.1526 mg/L, respectively. Since the BOD is one of the discharge parameters in discharge regulatory, thus kinetic parameters for BOD basis will be used for the system design of POME treatment.