title: Mesophilic co-digestion of palm oil mill effluent and empty fruit bunches.
abstract: The palm oil mill industry generates palm oil mill effluent (POME) and empty fruit bunches (EFB) as by-products. This study reports the mesophilic co-digestion of POME with EFB. The biochemical methane potential (BMP) of POME and EFB was 0.397 L CH4/g volatile solids (VS) and 0.264 L CH4/g VS, respectively. In a series of batch tests at various EFB to POME ratios, the maximum methane production rate was achieved at an EFB:POME ratio of 0.25-0.31:1. Performance data from lab-scale digesters confirmed the positive synergism by the addition of EFB to POME, which was attributed to the balanced chemical composition, for example the chemical oxygen demand (COD) to total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) ratio. The EFB addition enhanced the acceptable organic loading rate, methane production, COD removal, and microbial activity. The mesophilic co-digestion of POME and EFB promises to be a viable recycling method to alleviate pollution problems and recover renewable energy in the palm oil mill industry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Daegu University, Jillyang, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 712-714, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Hyoun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Daegu University, Jillyang, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 712-714, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seon-Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Daegu University, Jillyang, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 712-714, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 712-749, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D028023:Arecaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D056804:Biofuels; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D007220:Industrial Waste; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D000073878:Palm Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D007220:Industrial Waste; D008697:Methane; D009584:Nitrogen; D000073878:Palm Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D062065:Wastewater