ABSTRACT
@#Aims:The effectiveness of microalgae in the post-treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME) was being investigated for colourremoval and COD reduction. Methodology and results:Raw POME, obtained from a local palm oil mill and treated with anaerobic and aerobic processes for 50 days and 16 days of hydraulic retention time (HRT) respectively, was then used in the phycoremediation study. Three different species of microalgae (Ankistrodesmus falcatus, Scenedesmus sp. and Chlorellasp.) were inoculated in a culture media which contained 20%, 40% and 60% dilution of POME. The pH of thetreated POME sample was not adjusted and fixed at the original pH of about pH 8-9. The growth of the microalgae was determined every 2 days based on their chlorophyll concentration. Chlorellasp. showed the best adaptation and grew well in all dilutions of the treated POME sample and subsequently chosen for remediation of the POME sample without any dilution.Conclusion, significance and impact of study:Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and colour removal of POME were determined every 2 days. Chlorellasp. performed well with COD reduction and colour removal of 67.87% and 53.26%, respectively.
ABSTRACT
@#Aims:In this study, ten indigenous microalgae samples from freshwater and marine waters from Malaysia, cultured and analysed on proximate and biochemical analysis. The proximate and biochemical analysis consists of starch, carbohydrates, lipid, protein, ash and moisture contents. This study was more focused on screening of starch accumulation in marine and freshwater microalgae cultures. Methodology and results:Based on screening, the results showed that Chlorella salinacontents highest starch of 4.92±0.33%, followed by Spirulinasp. 2.58±1.18%, Isochrysis maritime 0.99±0.33%, and lastly for Nitzschiapanduriformisand Naviculadistanscontents similar percentage of starch (0.44±0.10 and 0.40±0.07%, respectively). Besides starch analysis, proximate analyses(ash, moisture, lipid, protein, and carbohydrates) have been conducted. The results obtained indicated that all the cultures contain more than 4.50% of carbohydrates in average, followed by lipid and protein <1%. The results demonstrate that further optimization and various harvesting stages (early of exponential phase, early of stationary phaseand late stationary phase) may increase lipid, carbohydrates, starch, and protein accumulation. Chlorella salinaand Spirulinasp. will be used to further study on optimization of physical and chemical factors for high starch accumulation. Conclusion, significance and impact of study:In conclusion, this experiment focused more on preliminary screening for further application of starch uses in food and food packaging indust