1.Removal of COD, BOD and nutrients in swine manure wastewater using freshwater green microalgae
Kah Aik TAN ; Norhashimah MORAD ; Ahmad HARLINA ; Siew Lu ONG
Malaysian Journal of Microbiology 2018;14(2):187-194
Aims:The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of freshwater green microalgae in remediating swine manure wastewater. Two different species of freshwater green microalgae (Scenedesmus quadricaudaand Stigeocloniumsp.) were used in this study.Methodology and results:Laboratory experiments were performed to compare the growth rate and nutrients (total phosphorus, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen) uptake by these two species of microalgae in swine manure wastewater. Experimental work was carried out for 14 days at room temperature of 30±1 °C with about 1520 Lux of light intensity. The results showed that both microalgae grew well in swine manure wastewater. S.quadricaudaperformed better in remediating swine manure wastewater, by reducing 83.99% of COD, 80.39% of BOD5, 84.78% of total phosphorus (TP), 91.79% of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), 89.79% of nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) and 87.14% of nitrite nitrogen (NO2-N) compared to Stigeocloniumsp. which was only able to remove 79.26% of COD, 76.27% of BOD5,75.17% of TP, 86.42% of NH3-N, 84.38% of NO3-N and 82.38 NO2-N.Conclusion, significance and impact of study:The results of this study indicate that these two species of microalgae have potential to be used in the remediation of swine manure wastewate
2.Post-treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME) using freshwater green microalgae145-
Kah Aik TAN ; Norhashimah MORAD ; Ismail NORLI ; Japareng LALUNG ; Wan Maznah Wan Omar
Malaysian Journal of Microbiology 2018;14(2):145-151
Aims:The effectiveness of microalgae in the post-treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME) was being investigated for colourremoval and COD reduction. Methodology and results:Raw POME, obtained from a local palm oil mill and treated with anaerobic and aerobic processes for 50 days and 16 days of hydraulic retention time (HRT) respectively, was then used in the phycoremediation study. Three different species of microalgae (Ankistrodesmus falcatus, Scenedesmus sp. and Chlorellasp.) were inoculated in a culture media which contained 20%, 40% and 60% dilution of POME. The pH of thetreated POME sample was not adjusted and fixed at the original pH of about pH 8-9. The growth of the microalgae was determined every 2 days based on their chlorophyll concentration. Chlorellasp. showed the best adaptation and grew well in all dilutions of the treated POME sample and subsequently chosen for remediation of the POME sample without any dilution.Conclusion, significance and impact of study:Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and colour removal of POME were determined every 2 days. Chlorellasp. performed well with COD reduction and colour removal of 67.87% and 53.26%, respectively.
3.Growth study of organic solvent tolerant bacteria (OSTB) in solvent waste mixture of semiconductor industry
Azieda Abdul TALIB ; Norshafira Mohd AFIF ; Norli ISMAIL ; Norhashimah MORAD ; Husnul Azan TAJARUDIN ; Fatehah Mohd OMAR
Malaysian Journal of Microbiology 2018;14(2):159-163
Aims:Increasing of organic solvent waste contributed as one of the most critical environmental problems. Huge amount of solvents hasbeen applied in the industrial process, but it is not followed by a good waste treatment. Up to our knowledge only a few studieshas been conducted in applying the biological treatment on the solvent waste mixtures specifically by Gram’s positive organic solvent tolerant bacteria (OSTB). The study aims to identify the ability of OSTB survival in solvent waste mixture of the semiconductor industry in comparison to synthetic organic solvent by OSTB inoculation.Methodology and results:Strain of OSTB named as Bacillus subtilis, BSIAs was applied in the study. The growth of this OSTB in different concentration of synthetic solvent isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and in actual solvent waste mixture consists of IPA was monitored and measured. There are three different concentrations (v/v) of synthetic solvent IPA was used as a media that are 20%, 10% and 5% for testing the growth of B.subtilisBSIAs. The 5% concentration of IPA was suitable for B.subtilisBSIAs growth. After 14 hof growth, distillation process was used to separate the remaining solvent from the mixture. It was found that, the volume after biological treatment was reduced by 1 mL from the initial volume of solvent before the biological treatment. This OSTB also utilized solvent in 1% concentration of real solvent waste mixture within 120 h.Conclusion, significance and impact of study:As a conclusion, the findings reveal that the strain of Gram-positive B.subtilis,BSIAs has the ability to utilize synthetic organic solvent (IPA)and the solvent waste mixture from the semiconductor industry as their carbon sources. The selected OSTB can be considered as bio-agents in the industrial waste management pertaining to solvent waste problems thru green technology approaches.
4.Biohythane production from palm oil mill effluent – a preliminary evaluation of a two-stage anaerobic digestion
Chou Kian WENG ; Norli ISMAIL ; Norhashimah MORAD ; Mohd. Omar Abdul Kadir ; Joachim MÜ ; LLER
Malaysian Journal of Microbiology 2018;14(2):195-201
Aims:This research aims to investigate the potential of biohythane (biohydrogen and biomethane) production from palm oil mill effluent (POME) in a two-stage anaerobic digestion (AD) system.Methodology and results:A two-stage AD system was configured with a thermophilic dark fermenter (TDF) for biohydrogen (H2) production and a thermophilic anaerobic contact digester (TACD) for biomethane (CH4) production. To adjust pH 5.5 for dark fermentation, the settled sludge was recirculated from TACD to TDF. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) applied in TDF and TACD was 3.75 and 6.25 day, respectively.Conclusion, significance and impact of study:The sludge recirculation from TACD was able to adjust the pH in TDF to the optimum value of 5.5. The total COD and TSSdegradation were 63.12 and 77.94 %, respectively. The H2production in TDF was 1.54 L H2/L POME and the CH4production in TACD was 19.87 L CH4/L POME. The H2and CH4yielded 0.085 L/g CODremovedand 0.339 L/g CODremoved, respectively, with total energy recovery equivalent to 661.02 MJ/m3POME. Only 2.28 % of this energy was contributed by H2and the remaining was dominated by CH4.