Physicochemical Properties of Wastewater from Palm Oil Mill Secondary Effluent (POMSE) for Water Evaluation Quality

¹ Doctoral Program, Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Brawijaya University, Malang, 65145, Indonesia
² Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Brawijaya University, Malang 65145, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author : diansiswanto@ub.ac.id

Abstract

Effluent from palm oil mills is one of the main sources of pollution that seriously affects the physicochemical parameters in water bodies. Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a potential hazard to the general environment. Regularly monitoring effluent is important to ensure industry compliance with effluent quality limits based on national and international regulations to safeguard human life, aquatic organisms, and other living organisms. This research focused on analyzing the physicochemical parameters of wastewater palm oil mill secondary effluent (POMSE) from palm oil mills in Rokan Hulu, Riau. The assessed physicochemical parameters included pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), total nitrogen, oil and fat, turbidity, and odor. The results indicated significant differences in characteristics in some of the observed parameters. Our findings were: pH (6.03−8.42); BOD (36.7−2,136.0 mg/L); COD (26.33−4,753.00 mg/L); TSS (30-5,438 mg/L); total nitrogen (361-830 mg/L); oil and fat (4−23 mg/L). The physicochemical characteristics of the effluent in the last treatment pond before being discharged through the liquid waste sewage have met the wastewater standards of the palm oil industry.