Combined magnetic field and adsorption process for treatment of biologically treated palm oil mill effluent (POME)

• A novel method was introduced by integrating magnetic field exposure with adsorption technique.
• Combined magnetic field and adsorption process has a vital role in treating POME.
• Adsorption performance and adsorption rate could be enhanced by magnetic field.
• Magnetization process accelerated the removal of colour, TSS and COD in adsorption process.
• The new method increased the percentage removal of colour, TSS and COD by 39%, 61% and 46% respectively.

The production of palm oil, however, results in the generation of large quantities of polluted wastewater commonly referred as palm oil mill effluent (POME). There is an actual need to seek factors intensifying the treatment processes of POME. The new methods which not required extension of existing plants or building very expensive bioreactors are still searching. In recent years increasing attention has been directed to the possibility of improvement of waste water treatment by static magnetic field. The aim of our study was to determine the impact of constant magnetic field as well as the integration of this technique with the famous technique used for wastewater treatment which is adsorption by activated carbon as a novel method for POME treatment. This new method has been found to be a useful method for removing colour, TSS and COD from biologically treated POME.