Palm Oil Empty Fruit Bunches Effects as Oil Adsorbent on Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Unit Performances

Abstract

Indonesia, as the world’s leading palm oil producer, faces significant environmental challenges due to the large amounts of waste generated during the extraction process, particularly Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) and Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME). The research explores the use of EFB as an oil adsorbent within a modified UpflowAnaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) unit to enhance the treatment of POME. The study’s objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of various EFB treatments in adsorbing oil from POME and to assess the overall performance of a modified UASB system. The methodology involved batch adsorption experiments to determine the best EFB variant, followed by the integration of this variant into the modified UASB unit for POME treatment. The results demonstrated that 0.8M citric acid (CA)-treated EFB had the highest oil adsorption efficiency, removing 96% of the oil. The modified UASB unit effectively treated POME, raising pH levels to neutral, reducing Total Suspended Solids by 95%, soluble Chemical Oxygen Demand by 92%, and Oil and Grease by 95%. The study concludes that the combined Monod and Flory-Huggins models provide a better understanding of the modified UASB unit’s performance, although further refinement is needed for more accurate predictions. The research offers a new approach to improving POME treatment and advancing sustainable waste management practices in the palm oil industry.