KINETIC STUDY ON THE TREATMENT OF SYNTHETIC PALM OIL MILL EFFLUENT BY ANAEROBIC MEMBRANE BIOREACTOR (AMB)

In this study, a membrane coupled with an anaerobic bioreactor was used to treat synthetic palm oil mill effluent (POME). A hollow fiber microfilration (MF) membrane module was used to filter final effluent and simultaneously retain biomass in bioreactor. The porous diameter of membrane was 0.2mm and surface area of 20.04 m. The applied Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) was 1 and 2.5 days and Solid Retention Time (SRT) 2was 25, 35, 45, and 55 days. From this study was found that flux were in the range of 12 to 16 L/m.hr, reactor mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) between 2000 and 25,000 mg/L and COD removal percentage was between 89 and 91 %. Methane composition, produced during this process, ranged from 5-14 %. Kinetic parameters depended on HRT. At HRT of 1 day, the maximum specific growth (µ), yield (Y), specific decay m-2-1-3-2-1rate (k) and constant half saturation (K) were 2.25.10 day, 1.22.10 mg COD/mg MLSS, 2.03.10 day d s-3-2-1-3and 2.52.10 mg/L, respectively. At HRT of 2.5 days, µ, Y, k, and K were 1.3.10 day, 3.92.10 mg m d s-2-1 3COD/mg MLSS, 5.83.10 day and 2.05.10 mg/L, respectively. Key words: anaerobic, pome, membrane bioreactor, kinetic parameters