BIOMETHANATION OF PALM OIL MILL EFFLUENT (POME) BY ULTRASONICASSISTED MEMBRANE ANAEROBIC SYSTEM (UMAS)

This study mainly focussed on methane production (CH4) from palm oil mill effluent (POME) by using Ultrasonic Membrane Anaerobic System (UMAS). Design of anaerobic reactor was applied in order to design experimental work which was 100 L volume digester of Ultrasonic Membrane Anaerobic System (UMAS). The parameters of UMAS such as COD, BOD, pH, TSS and VSS were studied. Reactor was operated under ambient temperature within the range ~30 to 35 ˚C. POME continuous up-flow feeding from the side flow into the anaerobic reactor and effluent samples has taken from the reactor after 5 hours for analysis of the parameters at each batch of HRT. The start-up of the UMAS reactor was involved step increasing in influent organic volumetric loading rates from higher retention time to lower retention time of 392.16, 128.21, 119.05, 111.11, and 98.04 days. The acclimatization was done within 4 to 9 days to allow all the microorganisms present in the mixed liquor perfectly acclimatized to the new environmental. Mixture of methane and carbon dioxide gases produced was collected by using syringe. NaOH or KOH was filled in the syringe in order to adsorb the carbon dioxide (CO2) from the methane gas. The developed UMAS was effective process that has more excellent performance in methane production by encountering the membrane fouling hence decreased the retention time. The amount of methane gas obtained was about 92 %. The COD content can be reduced up to 87.22 % reduction from the original by complete treatment.