ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Decolorizing Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME)
Using Plant Polysaccharide Degrading
Microorganisms Isolated from Soil
Balavinayagamani Ganapathy, Inthurekha Chanderan, Paulraj Ponnaiah
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Department of Biomedical Sciences, MAHSA University, Bandar Saujana Putra, Selangor, Malaysia
Submission date: 2016-09-27
Final revision date: 2017-01-12
Acceptance date: 2017-02-13
Online publication date: 2018-01-19
Publication date: 2018-01-26
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2018;27(2):629-636
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ABSTRACT
The high color intensity of palm oil mill effluent (POME) is because of the presence of plant
constituents and melanoidins produced during Maillard reactions. In this study, various plant
polysaccharide degrading microorganisms were isolated from enriched soil and utilized for decolorizing
POME. The soil was screened for starch, cellulose, xylan, and chitin degrading microorganisms by
using specific media and agar plate screening techniques. Based on the results of scoring, seven isolates
were selected and treated with POME collected in liquid form from the palm oil industry in Malaysia.
Morphological examinations and Gram staining were done for characterization of the selected isolates.
The best three isolates, which were shown their potential for decolorization in terms of percentage of
POME, were identified (DE 9, 11, and 17). It was expressed as mean ±SD. In a seven-day study period
of POME with isolates, shaking in room temperature conditions provided maximum percentage of
decolorization over that of static in 37ºC conditions. The maximum percentages of decolorization for
DE 9, DE 11, and DE 17 were 35.1±1.26, 20±1.0, and 30±1.0 on days 6, 5, and 5, respectively. This study
primarily focused on decolorizing POME using various plant polysaccharide degrading aerobic bacteria
isolated from the soil as an economic method of bioremediation.