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CHAPTER 1

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The palm oil industry has been expanding rapidly

in the last three decades in Malaysia, with the

planted area increasing by more than 11 fold

from 291,000 ha in 1970 to 3,313,000 ha in 1999.

Concomitantly, the number of palm oil mills has

also grown from 122 in 1977 to 334 in 1999,

having a total processing capacity of 69 million

tonnes fresh fruit bunches (FFB) per year.

Currently, Malaysia produces about 57 milliontonnes of FFB annually, from which 10.6 million

tonnes of crude palm oil and

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1.3 million tonnes of palm kernel oil areextracted.

In 1999, Malaysia exported 8.9 million tonnes

of palm oil, and is currently ranked as the

largest producer of palm oil in the world,accounting for 52% of the total world

production.

These figures put into perspective the

importance of the palm oil industry in theoverall industrial development of Malaysia

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The process to extract oil from the FFB requiresvoluminous amount of water, mainly forsterilizing the fruits and for oil clarification,resulting in the discharge of about 2.5 m3 of

effluent per tonne of crude oil processed. Thus in 1999, a total of about 26.5 million m3 of

effluent was generated from the Malaysian palmoil industry.

Fresh palm oil mill effluent, or POME as it ispopularly known, is an acidic brownish colloidalsuspension characterized by high contents oforganics and solids, and is discharged at atemperature of 80-90C (Table 1).

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STERILISATION

STRIPPING

DIGESTION

PRESSING

CLARIFICATION

CENTRIFUGATION PURIFICATION

DRYING

STORAGE

OilRecycle

NUT CRACKING

SHELL/KERNEL

SEPARATION

Sludge Palm Oil

FFB

Steriliser Condensate

Empty Bunches

Fibre

Nuts

WASTEWATER

KERNEL SHELLWASTEWATEROil

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It has been estimated that POME contributes

to about 30% of the total biochemical oxygen

demand (BOD) load exerted on the Malaysian

aquatic environment . As one of the major sources of pollution,

POME was among the first waste types to be

singled out for statutory control.

Table (1) also shows the regulatory dischargestandards currently in force

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This area basically to collect any oil escaped

from process area and collect and put at one

side as oil low quality. Most of this tank were

build using concrete and open loop steampiping for heating purpose. The oil was

skimmed due to density difference.

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The raw effluent is treated using a ponding

system comprising of three phases: anaerobic, facultative, algae processes.

Although the system takes a longer retentiontime of 90 days, it is: less sensitive to environment changes,

stable, Efficient could guarantee excellent pollutant biodegradation

efficiency of above 95%.

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This pond basically by practices consists in

series of two to four ponds depends on mill

effluent flowrate.

Anaerobic process involves breakdown ofalmost kinds of organic matters by rigorous

action of wide range of microorganism such

as methanobacteriales, methanobreivibacter

and others in the absence of oxygen or anyhigh oxidation chemicals.

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This process can be classified into three

stages:

Hydrolysis: protein, carbohydrates or lipids

converted into amino acid, sugar or fatty acid by

action of extra cellular from hydrolytic

microorganisms

Acidogenesis: Hydrolysed products form in 1st

stage are fermented, forming simpler organics

compound, preodiminantly volatile fattyacids(VFA)

Methanogenisis. VFA converted into methane and

CO2during this process.

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The two phase system allows greater

control of digester environmental

conditions.

Long solid retention times allow betterbiodegradation efficiencies.

Additional settling of liquor ensures

minimum loading to the aerobic process.

There is capability to cope with full

effluent load, regardless of fluctuation.

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Long hydraulic retention time of 4560 days

Solids accumulation that disactivate the activated

sludge

Large land requirement

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The principle of aerobic process for POME is

that in pond a community by microorganism

is constantly supplied with organic

matter(pollutants)and oxygen.

The microorganism consume the matter and

transforms by means of aerobic metabolism,

partly new microbial biomass and partly into

CO2, waters and minerals

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The flow of the feedwater brings about

constant, wash out of microorganism from

the 1stpond to the settler.

Here, the microorganisms which grow inflocs and have acquired a density to decant,

are retained and then removed with the

underflow.

Part of this sludge is the recycled to providebiomass to treat the new influent. The

surplus amount is discarded.

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