Parveen Fatemeh Rupani Asha Embrandiri Shlrene Quaik M. Hakimi Ibrahim

 

Sustainable Management of Palm Oil Mill Waste Using Vermicomposting Technology

Parveen Fatemeh Rupani, Asha Embrandiri, Shlrene Quaik, M. Hakimi Ibrahim

0083

University sains Malaysia, Malaysia

The Asian Conference on Sustainability, Energy and the Environment

Official Conference Proceedings 2012

Abstract:

Malaysia is the largest producer of palm oil (Elaeis guineensis). Collectively Malaysia and Indonesia contributes about 87 % of world palm oil production. Oil palm processing generates a large quantity of by-products including Palm oil mill effluent (POME) and palm press fiber (PPF). Palm oil mill effluent contains cellulosic material, fat, oil, and grease. Therefore discharging the untreated POME into the environment may result in harmful effect on human beings and also deteriorate the nearby environment. Decomposition of these by-products under natural conditions is a very difficult and time taking process. Vermicomposting technology could be an alternative and suitable method for the management of POME. The viability of vermireactors fed with POME and PPF was assessed over 45 day trials, under laboratory condition. Two different combinations in three replicates for each treatment as palm oil mill effluent: palm press fiber in 50:50 ratios (T1), palm oil mill effluent: palm press fiber: cow dung in 50:25:25 ratios (T2) were conducted. All the reactors performed sustainably with rising nutrients and worm biomass. The main objective of this work was to improve the efficiency of the reactors in terms of degradation of the wastes and higher production of the vermicompost. The attempt led to T2 vermireactor in which the number of earthworm increased as compared to T1 vermireactor. Moreover, experiment results showed improvement in nutrient characteristics of the vermicompost. Data showed that the major polluting problem in palm oil mills can be tackled through vermicomposting technique. The vermireactor with that is a combination of palm oil mill waste and cow dung performed sustainably, with earthworm's growth, and reproduction. Keywords: Earthworm, Oil palm, POME, Vermicomposting technology

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Introduction:

Several studies confirmed that vermicomposting is an alternative and cost effective solution to waste disposal problems [1]. During vermicomposting, essential nutrients, converted from the organic material, released [2]. Vermicomposting results in a useful material converted from organic waste by the action of earthworms and at the same time minimize pollution [3]. Vermicompost is a final peat-like material with excellent structure, porosity, drainage and moisture holding capacity [3, 4]. The nutrient content of vermicompost depends on the input materials. Usually, higher levels of most of the mineral elements included in vermicompost are available from the parent material [5]. Studies show that vermicompost promotes growth of plants by improving the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil [6-8]. A wide range of organic wastes such as agriculture, urban and industrial waste [9, 10], textile mill sludge [11], leather mill solid wastes [12] and olive oil mill sludge [13], have shown to be suitable substrates for vermicomposting.

In Malaysia, oil palm is one of the rapidly expanding crops. The amount of waste generation increases by rising the demand of oil palm cultivation. According to [14] during processing, in the palm oil mill, more than 70% (by weight) of the processed fresh fruit bunch (FFB) are left over as oil palm waste. Yacob et al. [15] reported that 381 palm oil mills in Malaysia generated about 26.7 million tonnes of biomass and about 30 million tonnes of palm oil mill effluent (POME) in 2004.

The waste products from the oil palm processing consist of oil palm trunk (OPT), Oil palm frond (OPF), empty fruit bunches (EFB), oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF) and a vast amount of liquid discharged as palm oil mill effluent (POME) [16]. Palm oil mill effluent (POME) characterized by brownish colloidal suspension contains high concentrations of organic matter, high amounts of total solids (40,500 mg L-1), oil and grease (4,000 mg L-1), COD (50,000 mg L-1), BOD (25,000 mg L-1) and low pH ranging between 4 and 5 [16].

Discharging the effluent and by-products on the land results in environmental pollution and deteriorates the surrounding environment as well as contaminating the ground water. There is an urgent need for an efficient and different management system for the treatment of these by-products. POME contains 85-95% water, in order to obtain appropriate physical environment for the earthworms’ growth, there is a need to integrate the POME with oligo-cellolusic materials.

There is no scientific study available on the efficiency of the earthworms in converting POME as an organic waste, into value added products. Therefore we have been conducting investigations aimed at feasibility of vermicomposting of POME [17]. In this work the continuity of vermicomposting has been carried out to enhance the process by using cow dung as a source of organic nutrients.

Experimental Outline

Two different treatment groups with three replicates each were setup as POME: PPF in 50:50 ratio (T1) and POME: PPF: CD in 50:25:25 ratios (T2). The vermicomposting reactor (34cm x 36cm x 11cm) was set up for 45 days in laboratory condition. Small holes were drilled at the bottom of each unit to drain away excess water. 20 clitellate earthworms of Lumbricus rubellus

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having average live weight of 3.92 g were introduced to each setup containing 2000 g (on wet weight basis) of substrate after 120 hours of pre-composting. Moisture was maintained throughout the study by sprinkling of adequate quantity of tap water. In order to prevent moisture loss, vermireactor were covered with jute bags. Chemical parameters were analyzed in all treatments before the introduction of earthworms and after every 15 days, up to 45 days. The worms were separated from the reactors by hand sorting, counted and weighted weekly to obtain the earthworm biomass throughout the experiment. Data obtained was subjected to One Way ANOVA by using PSAW statistics 18 and all values presented as the mean ± SD (standard deviation). The probability levels used for statistical significance were P < 0.05.

Result and Discussion

We have presented our findings in which the feasibility of vermicomposting of POME has been done by using PPF as oligo-cellolusic material to absorb the excess moisture of POME and results in providing beneficial material such as N and K [17]. We now present findings of the experiment in which apart from the efficiency of vermicomposting of POME, one more step was taken by us which significantly enhanced the vermicomposting of POME with almost nil addition cost.

The pH value of the two treatments are presented in Figure2. Initial data indicates the time of adding the earthworms (after120 hours of set up time). Addition of acidic POME into PPF makes facilitates the mixture to come up with the pH that is suitable for growth and survival of earthworms. pH of the both treatments ranges between 7 and 8 throughout the experiment which the best range for activity of earthworms. Similarly EC increased in both treatments (Figure2) which is due to the loss of organic matter in the mixture substrate[18].

Figure 1: pH value of different treatment during vermicomposting The loss of organic carbon dioxide in the process of respiration and production of mucus by earthworms leads in reduction of C: N ratio in the substrate. CN ratio indicates the degree of decomposition during the process. Table1 illustrates that OC decreases in the both treatments whereas nitrogen increased. This causes in reduction of C: N ratio in both treatments. Satisha and Devarajan [19] reported that CN ratio below 20 is considered as acceptable maturity of the

6.5  

7  

7.5  

8  

8.5  

T1   T2  

In,al    

Final  

1  

1.5  

2  

2.5  

3  

T1   T2  

Ini,al    

Final  

Figure  2:  EC  value  of  different  treatment  during    vermicomposting

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compost. Results show that CN ratio in treatment 2 in which cow dung was added has more reduction as compare to the treatment 1. Therefore it can be conclude that addition of cow dung makes the compost into the satisfactory degree of organic waste.

Table1. C: N ratio in different treatments through

vermicomposting process

Parameters aT1 bT2

Initial Final Initial Final

N (%) 0.78 2.31 1.1 2.53

OC(%) 44.30 39.01 44.39 33.52

CN 58.68 17.13 40.30 13.23

aPalm oil mill effluent:palm press fiber (50:50) bPalm oil mill effluent:palm press fiber:cow dung (50:25:25)

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L.rubellus used in this study has the ability to live in decaying organic waste and produce nitrogen rich products. Figure 3 shows the growth of earthworms in the both treatments which were significant throughout the study.

Figure 3: Growth of L.rubellus in different treatments throughout the experiment

Both treatments show significant growth of earthworms through vermicomposting process. Treatment 2 shows highest growth of earthworm which is due to the addition of cow dung as a nutrient rich organic waste. Results shows that cow dung facilitate and accelerates the earthworm growth and reproduction. Accumulation of the excretion of the earthworms which might be toxic for them caused a reduction in growth and reproduction by the end of the experiments. Therefore earthworms can digest the palm oil mill effluent mixed with palm press fiber and reach to their maximum growth by 30th day of process. Moreover addition of cow dung results in a better growth of L. rubellus.

Conclusion

The study positively shows that acidic palm oil mill effluent (pH 3) can be decomposed through vermicomposting process by addition of palm press fiber (pH 5.9) and other inputs to neutralize the pH to 8. Cow dung play a significant role in stabilizing the mixture, C: N 14.81± 0.07 in T2, accelerates the vermicomposting process. This results in increasing the earthworm growth, reducing the time taken and produces a good quality of vermicompost as end product.

References:

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3.5  

5.5  

7.5  

9.5  

Day  0   Day20   Day  30   Day  45  

T1  

T2  

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