Anaerobic Acidogenesis Biodegradation of Palm Oil Mill Effluent Using Suspended Closed Anaerobic Bioreactor (SCABR) at Mesophilic Temperature

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) reduction efficiency, behavior of Volatile Fatty Acid (VFA) and biogas production rate through Suspended Closed Anaerobic Bioreactor (SCABR) for the treatment of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) at acidogenic condition had been studied. SCABR was operated at Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) of 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2 days. The range of pH was conducted between 5.26 and 5.20. The results of acidogenesis anaerobic treatment indicate that the COD reduction efficiency and the biogas production rate decreased from 87.08% to 38.20% and 3000 mL biogas/day to 604 mL biogas/day, respectively with reducing HRT. The total VFA concentration increased from 11569.71 mg CH3COOH/L to 16956.00 mg CH3COOH/L with reducing HRT. High methane production of about 40.42% or biogas production of 8 mL biogas/mL POMEfed were obtained for 12 days of HRT. Highest methane yield was achieved at 0.046 L CH4/g CODreduction.