title: Baseline study of methane emission from open digesting tanks of palm oil mill effluent treatment.
abstract: Anthropogenic release of greenhouse gases, especially CO2 and CH4 has been recognized as one of the main causes of global warming. Several measures under the Kyoto Protocol 1997 have been drawn up to reduce the greenhouse gases emission. One of the measures is Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) that was created to enable developed countries to cooperate with developing countries in emission reduction activities. In Malaysia, palm oil industry particularly from palm oil mill effluent (POME) anaerobic treatment has been identified as an important source of CH4. However, there is no study to quantify the actual CH4 emission from the commercial scale wastewater treatment facility. Hence, this paper shall address the CH4 emission from the open digesting tanks in Felda Serting Hilir Palm Oil Mill. CH4 emission pattern was recorded for 52 weeks from 3600 m3 open digesting tanks. The findings indicated that the CH4 content was between 13.5% and 49.0% which was lower than the value of 65% reported earlier. The biogas flow rate ranged between 0.8l min(-1)m(-2) and 9.8l min(-1)m(-2). Total CH4 emission per open digesting tank was 518.9 kgday(-1). Relationships between CH4 emission and total carbon removal and POME discharged were also discussed. Fluctuation of biogas production was observed throughout the studies as a result of seasonal oil palm cropping, mill activities, variation of POME quality and quantity discharged from the mill. Thus only through long-term field measurement CH4 emission can be accurately estimated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Functions and Engineering, Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 2-4 Hibikino, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 808-0196, Japan. syacob@putra.upm.edu.my
authors.forename: Shahrakbah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yacob
authors.forename: Mohd Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Yoshihito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shirai
authors.forename: Minato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wakisaka
authors.forename: Sunderaj
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Subash
mesh_terms: D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000378:metabolism*; D002244:Carbon / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D007220:Industrial Waste; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D000073878:Palm Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000378:metabolism*; D012621:Seasons; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D010938:Plant Oils; D012987:Soil; D000073878:Palm Oil; D002244:Carbon; D008697:Methane