Modified Adsorbent and Long Chain Fatty Acid Inhibition Modeling for Anaerobic Treatment of Palm Oil Mill Effluent with Aerobic Post-Treatment.

Abstract

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) contains high concentrations of oil and grease (O&G) that can impair anaerobic treatment through long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) formation. This study evaluated a modified oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) adsorbent, an integrated adsorption–Anaerobic Rotating Biological Contactor (AnRBC)–Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) system, and a modified Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) incorporating LCFA inhibition. The optimum adsorbent, produced at 400 °C, achieved O&G and SCOD removal efficiencies of 48.59% and 13.50%, respectively. The integrated system performed best at an HRT of 3 days, while the modified ADM1 accurately predicted acetate dynamics (R² = 0.926, MAPE = 7.23%). These findings demonstrate an effective strategy for improving the treatment and modeling of lipid-rich POME.