Environmental Engineering
T. Handayani; I.N. Djarot; N. Widyastuti; F.D. Arianti; A. Rifai; A.I. Sitomurni; M.M.A. Nur; R.N. Dewi; N. Nuha; J. Haryanti; D. Pinardi; Y. Suryana; A. Aziz; E. Syamsudin; T. Rochmadi; P.A. Lomak; A. Hadi; M.D. Pertiwi; E. Yuniastuti; N.A. Putri
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: During this energy transition, research is being done to develop sustainable ways to support the shift to a decarbonized energy and production system. These ways include using renewable energy sources to promote circularity in products, green technologies, and safer procedures. ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: During this energy transition, research is being done to develop sustainable ways to support the shift to a decarbonized energy and production system. These ways include using renewable energy sources to promote circularity in products, green technologies, and safer procedures. Anaerobic digestion of palm oil mill effluent is a beneficial process for generating biogas, while the waste can also be utilized as fertilizer. The biogas can be further refined into biomethane, a valuable resource commonly used in transportation and power generation. The objective of this study is to examine the enhancement of biogas from Palm oil mill effluent and the elimination of sludge nutrients by utilizing microalgae Chlorella vulgaris. The microalgae will be cultivated in a modified photobioreactor to enhance the capture of carbon dioxide.METHODS: The study utilized anaerobic batch reactor digesters. A modified photobioreactor, consisting of two columns separated by a membrane, was developed for the technological advancement of biogas upgrading, specifically for carbon dioxide capture and biogas upgrading. A technological gap in biogas upgrade technology innovation is filled by the improved photobioreactor. To optimize the bio-fixation of carbon dioxide from flue gas, it is essential to carefully select a suitable strain of microalgae that possesses both a strong ability to absorb carbon dioxide and a high tolerance to varying concentrations of this gas. By choosing the right strain, the efficiency of carbon dioxide removal can be significantly enhanced. Since Chlorella vulgaris microalgae have demonstrated this potential, they were chosen for this investigation. Microalgae also play a role in removing nutrients contained in the sludge. FINDINGS: Numerous chemical and biological methods have been used to upgrade biogas. Results of biological upgrading of biogas from palm oil mill effluent have been reported, with carbon dioxide removal reaching 89 percent until the methane concentration of the biogas is upgraded to 84 percent. The highest biomass of 1,835 grams per liter was achieved by culturing the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris in laboratory-scale photobioreactors. In this study, the application of 15 percent volume per volume biogas with an optical density of 0.4 was found to be optimal for the growth of the microalgae. The cultivation period lasted for 14 days. The peak biomass production was observed due to the achievement of a remarkable 98 volume per volume efficiency in carbon dioxide removal, which subsequently led to a significant rise in methane content, reaching 60 percent. The enhanced biogas achieved a peak methane content of 98 percent, indicating a significant improvement in quality.CONCLUSION: The findings of this study, conducted using a modified photobioreactor, indicate that Chlorella vulgaris demonstrated high efficacy in the removal of carbon dioxide, with a rate of up to 90 percent. Additionally, it exhibited remarkable performance in upgrading biogas derived from palm oil mill effluent, achieving a conversion rate of up to 98 percent. The optical density of microalgae at 0.4 played a crucial role in these processes. Furthermore, Chlorella vulgaris showcased its ability to effectively eliminate nutrient nitrogen, reaching a removal rate of 90 percent at an optical density of 0.2. Moreover, it demonstrated a phosphate removal rate of 80 percent at an optical density of 0.4.
Environmental Engineering
N. Emalya; Y. Yunardi; E. Munawar; S. Suhendrayatna; T. Tarmizi
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The utilization of stabilization pond system for landfill leachate treatment is hindered by its requirement for expansive land areas and extended retention periods. Although the system effectively removes organic compounds, its ability to eliminate nutrients such as nitrogen ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The utilization of stabilization pond system for landfill leachate treatment is hindered by its requirement for expansive land areas and extended retention periods. Although the system effectively removes organic compounds, its ability to eliminate nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus is comparatively limited. Consequently, the leachate subjected to treatment often falls short of meeting the mandated standards for effluent quality. In response to this challenge, a research study was undertaken to investigate the potential of utilizing a consortium comprising microalgae and bacteria in the treatment of landfill leachate.METHODS: The microalgae, bacteria, and leachate utilized in this study were sourced from a leachate treatment facility located at the Aceh regional domestic waste management unit in Blang Bintang, Aceh Besar, Indonesia. The two glass photobioreactors were operated batch-wise, where the first was provided with a combination of air and carbon dioxide, and the other was solely exposed to air. The pollutant removal efficacy in the leachate effluent was assessed through the measurements of chemical oxygen demand, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and phosphate concentrations. Subsequently, macroscopic identification of microalgae and bacteria species was also conducted.FINDING: Utilizing a consortium of microalgae and bacteria has demonstrated efficacy in treating leachate, resulting in a notable reduction of contaminants within the effluent. The symbiotic association between microalgae and bacteria in the context of leachate waste treatment is evident. The bacteria’s metabolic actions result in carbon dioxide emission, which subsequently serves as a substrate for the photosynthetic activities of the microalgae. The microalgae facilitate the transfer of oxygen, produced through photosynthesis, to the bacteria to support their metabolic processes. Therefore, introducing exogenous carbon dioxide to the consortium yields minimal discernible effects, given that the bacteria adequately fulfill the carbon dioxide requirements of the microalgae. This discovery enhances the efficacy of leachate treatment techniques by leveraging the utilization of pre-existing mixed cultures of microalgae and bacteria found in leachate facilities.CONCLUSION: This study evaluated the microalgae-bacteria consortium’s effectiveness in reducing leachate pollutants. The consortium exhibited a significant capability, achieving a 75 percent reduction in chemical oxygen demand and successfully eliminating a range of contaminants. Additionally, it demonstrated effective removal of nitrogen compounds such as ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite, with removal rates reaching 75 percent. Notably, the consortium showed a 99 percent removal rate for phosphate compounds. Even with the introduction of carbon dioxide, the pollutant removal remained consistently high, suggesting that the addition of carbon dioxide did not significantly influence the overall process.
Environmental Engineering
S. Dhanasekar; R. Sathyanathan
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recent investigations indicated that continuous use of fertilizers and pesticides in agricultural fields not only deteriorated soil health but also caused a deleterious effect on surface and groundwater bodies. Treating such wastewater using microalgae has shown higher nutrient ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recent investigations indicated that continuous use of fertilizers and pesticides in agricultural fields not only deteriorated soil health but also caused a deleterious effect on surface and groundwater bodies. Treating such wastewater using microalgae has shown higher nutrient removal and biomass efficiency. Moreover, microalgae are proven to be miniature factories that augment the huge potential of biofuel. The aim of this study is to evaluate the different light intensities required for Chlorella vulgaris algae to remove nutrients from synthetic agricultural wastewater in a fabricated bubble column photobioreactor. Additionally, the research findings focus on assessing the degradation of organic pollutants and biomass generation under different light conditions.METHODS: In this study, synthetic agrochemical wastewater was treated in a bubble column photobioreactor with blue, red, sunlight, and white light conditions. The treatment was conducted in a batch process with a hydraulic retention time of 21 days, using light intensity of 1800–2800 luminescence and a temperature maintained at 25–28° degrees Celsius.FINDINGS: Under different lighting conditions, the blue light condition exhibited a higher biomass concentration of 3.99 gram per liter, with an estimated heat energy value of 1.278 kilojoule per liter. Moreover, in the blue light condition, scanning electron microscopy analysis showed no significant changes in the shape of Chlorella vulgaris and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis elemental composition exhibited the lowest oxygen-to-carbon ratio (1.03). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to illustrate the functional group of microalgae under different lighting conditions. The lipid, protein, carbohydrate, and amino acid contents were 3329–3332, 2116–2139, 1636–1645, and 545–662 per centimeter, respectively. The higher biomass potential from the wastewater treatment shows significant benefit in terms of feedstock and biofuel production.CONCLUSIONS: The present investigation identified the nutrient reduction and biomass productivity to be more in blue light condition for Chlorella vulgaris algae. The investigation also assessed the potential of lipid, carbohydrate, and protein content in Chlorella vulgaris, which indirectly evaluates the biofuel potential of the species.
