preface

Biological wastewater treatment using bacteria is not something new. In fact, it has been a central role in conventional wastewater treatment in the history. What's new is our understanding on how we can use microbes to improve and treat organic waste from agriculture, industrial and domestic wastewater.

Wastewater from palm oil mill has high level of contaminants, one of them is BOD level that is commonly around 20,000 ppm. Conventional palm oil mill has bioremediation system using waste stabilization ponds (for EQ + pH control, anaerobic, aerobic, and settling). To reduce to standard BOD level (<100 ppm), hydraulic retention time should be more than 150 days. 

Below is the recommended HRT for each pond in sequence and the corresponding BOD.

Overtime, the amount of settled sludge will increase and the floating sludge will harden. The increase of settled sludge will cause the pond to become shallow, decreasing HRT and consequently preventing degradation. If let sit for a long time, settled sludge will also harden. The harden floating sludge will also cause ineffective bioremediation. The typical solution to this problem is by shoveling out harden settled sludge or making a new pond. However, this solution will not work for the long-term.

microbe-lift APPLICATION

Microbe-Lift consists of 32 bacteria consortium; including anaerobic, photosynthetic, aerobic, and facultative bacteria. This consortium make an effective degradation of the organic wastewater. In addition, the microbes also restore the ponds by breaking the harden sludge on the surface and bottom of the pond. The process is showed in the graphics below.

Based on previous experiment, optimum result of pond restoration and the significant decrease of BOD, COD, TSS, Ammonia, TKN, and FOG will be obtained within 3-4 months. As the MicrobeLift microbes have settled throughout the pond, they will adapt to the pond environment and to organic inflow load fluctuations. With minimal dosage of 2-5 ppm of MicrobeLift, palm oil mill ponds can be conserved and be protected from becoming shallow.

In summary, the application of MicrobeLift in palm oil mill wastewater treatment system can:

• decrease BOD, COD, TSS, Ammonia, and FOG parameters

• enhance anaerobic process, increasing hydrolysis rate

• soften the hardened sludge and prevent pond from becoming shallow

• dissolve the floating sludge

• decrease the unpleasant odor

Application dosage of MicrobeLift in the ponds are showed in the table below:

KICK-STARTING anaerobic & aerobic ponds

MicrobeLift can kickstart the microbial activity in aerobic and anaerobic ponds. It will take a month at most for visible microbial activity. A bioremediation progress on a palm oil mill's anaerobic pond can be seen in the video below.

RESTOring shallow pond

Microbelift is applied to degrade settled sludge in shallow pond. The bacteria soften the hard sludge at the bottom of the pond. The restoration process can be seen in the video below. 

Case Study: Palm oil mill in Riau

using microbe lift to kickstart pH stabilization pond

The pH control pond has hardened sludge on the pond surface. Thickness of the hardened sludge was about 20 cm. Although usually microbial activity starts in the anaerobic pond, the condition of this pond requires microbial activity.  After MicrobeLift application for 4 weeks, small bubble activity can be seen. The hardened oil layer is degraded and gone by the 8th week. 

microbelift to kick start anaerobic pond

As seen in the picture below, this anaerobic pond initially has oily layer. After MicrobeLift IND is applied, foam-like layer formed on the surface preventing oxygen from entering the pond. This is condition is very good because it corresponds with the function of anaerobic pond.

Case Study: Pond Restoration in North Sumatra

Case Study: Pond Reactivation in North Sumatra 

In contrast to the restoration, pond reactivation is to stabilize the bacterial activity. Our client has requested that the reactivation process for primary anaerabic pond to cost as minimal as possible. PT. PlanetBiru recommended a recycle stream from secondary anaerobic pond to primary anaerobic.