BYBY

EZE CHINWE EZE CHINWE POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY

Supervised byDR J.D NJOKU

Effect of palm oil mill effluent on mill Effect of palm oil mill effluent on mill effluent on soil samples in isiala effluent on soil samples in isiala

mbano lgambano lga

INTRODUCTION Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is the voluminous liquid

waste that comes from the sterilization and clarification sections of the oil palm milling process. The raw effluent contains 90-95% water and includes residual oil, soil particles and suspended solids

Raw POME has an extremely high content of degradable organic matter, which is due in part to the presence of unrecovered palm oil

Oil palm cultivation and processing like other agricultural and industrial activities raise environmental issues

Palm oil mill effluent is a highly polluting material and much research has been dedicated to means of alleviating its threat to the environment.

INTRODUCTION CONTD. The POME discharged is objectionable and could pollute streams, rivers, or

surrounding land. Raw POME has Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) values averaging around 25,000 mg/litre, making it about 100 times more polluting than domestic sewage (Fang et al., 1999).

In Isiala Mbano LGA, palm oil production is one of the major socioeconomic activities of inhabitants in the area .As a result of the abundance of palm trees (Elaies guineensis), large quantities of palm fruit are harvested and processed and during procession, large quantities of palm oil effluents are discharged onto the soil in its raw form by small-scale operators

The palm oil industry contributes 83% of the largest polluter in some palm oil producing countries; the situation is probably similar in other palm oil producing countries

It has been observed that most of the POME produced by the small-scale traditional operators undergoes little or no treatment and is usually discharged into the surrounding environment and so raises the need to look at the effect of raw POME on the soil in the study area.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDYThe aim of the study is to determine the microbial characteristics of

palm oil effluent disposal on soil samples.The objectives of this study therefore are: To carry out sampling via visual inspection of POME and non-

POME sites To collect soil samples from POME and non-POME sites with

sterile polythene bags and soil augers. To collect samples by air drying and sieving. The air-dried and

sieved samples will be used to analyze for various parameters To carry out Physico-chemical analysis of soil samples from POME

and non-POME sites. To make recommendations on how best to handle POME in the

study area.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is limited to a selected and representative area, Ogbor Ugiri Isiala Mbano LGA in Imo State, focusing on effect of Palm Oil Mill Effluent on soil.

MATERIALS AND METHODS•Field survey and soil sampling were carried out.•visual inspection of the sampling sites was conducted and the differences between the sites in terms of vegetation, presence of constitution, soil colour, odour, e.t.c. were observed and noted. •Sampling was done five times from each location using the quadrant approach (A plot of 25 m by 25m was delineated in the two soil communities) after which five soil samples were randomly collected using the soil auger.• Samples used for the study were collected at a depth of 0-20cm from a discharge point near the Palm Oil Processing Mill in Umuokohia village, Ogbor-Ugiri, Isiala Mbano, Nigeria. Soil samples, collected at the same depth from a normal garden soil from the same village, 1km away from the discharge point, served as the control

MATERIALS AND METHODS CONTD.•Both sites have similar soil parent materials, topography, and climate. •The soil samples were put in autoclaved glass jars with labels, which were immediately sealed and kept on ice packs before being transported to the lab.•The collected soil samples were air-dried for seven (7) days in the laboratory, grinded separately into fine size using a mortar and pestle and , pretreated and analyzed for various parameters. •Glassware and media used were sterilized by autoclaving•Physico-Chemical Analyses were carried out for the following Parameters :•pH, Conductivity, total suspended soil, total dissolved solid, acidity, alkalinity, Chloride, Hardness, sulphate, phosphate, nitrate, NH4, Calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, dissolved oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand etc

MATERIALS AND METHODS CONTD. Microbiological Analysis of the Soil Samples. Isolation from soil samples using the method as described by Holt et al.,

(1994). analysis of the soil samples were carried out according to the methods of Oyeleke & Manga (2008) and Rabah et al, (2008). Bacterial isolates were identified and characterized using standard biochemical tests (Cheesebrough, 2006). The fungal isolates were identified according to Oyeleke & Okusanmi (2008) based on the colour of aerial hyphae and substrate mycelium, arrangement of hyphae, conidial arrangement as well as morphology.

The tests employed include colonial, morphological characteristics, gram stain, motility, Catalase, methyl red, Voges- Proskaeur, Indole production, urease activity, H2S and gas production, citrate utilization, glucose, sucrose, and lactose utilization tests.

The media used in this study were Nutrient agar (Fluka Biochemica, Germany), MacConkey agar (Antec), and Sabourand dextrose agar (Fluka Biochemica, Germany). All the media were prepared and sterilized according to manufacturer’s specifications.Statistical analysis was carried out

RESULT PRESENTATION

LOCATION DO, mg/l PH COD, mg/l

BOD5, mg/l

PO4-3mg/l TOC (%) K, mg/l N, mg/l EC(dSm-

1)Oil and grease,mg/l

Organic matter (%)

Bulk density(gcm-3)

vegetation

AI 1.582 3.940 5543.40 5463.10 8.324 3.40 30.0 34.0 0.19 97.234 2.25 1.998 bare

A2 1.787 4.001 3345.20 4830.40 8.234 3.34 36.0 29.0 0.18 77.108 2.23 1.900 bare

A3 1.002 5.450 2340.50 3630.20 7.678 3.43 32.0 20.0 0.19 50 .002 2.30 1.872 bare

A4 1.987 5.780 2134.60 3200.00 6.345 3.40 29.0 16.0 0.20 44.801 2.58 1.805 bare

A5 2.512 7.435 1231.00 2254.33 5.184 3.50 9.50 17.0 0.24 39.878 1.88 1.605 little

B1 5.845 6.930 209.500 61.700 5.123 2.34 7.40 9,70 0.27 7.78 1.28 0.826 little

B2 5.897 6.890 225.200 22.600 5.112 2.25 5.70 6.00 0.25 6.56 1.56 0.923 grown

B3 5.765 5.654 234.200 23.900 5.012 2.22 5.00 5.40 0.27 5.23 1.65 0.922 grown

B4 6.234 6.347 221.900 34.400 5.109 2.13 4.98 7.60 0.26 9.34 1.87 0.820 grown

B5 5.098 5.876 289.000 49.670 4.345 2.10 4.92 5.70 0.23 7.45 1.35 0.825 grown

All parameters in mg/l except pH, organic matter (%) and bulk density (gcmAll parameters in mg/l except pH, organic matter (%) and bulk density (gcm22) DO= dissolved oxygen, PO) DO= dissolved oxygen, PO44-3-3= phosphates, TOC= Organic Carbon, BOD= = phosphates, TOC= Organic Carbon, BOD=

biochemical oxygen demand, COD= chemical oxygen demand, EC= electrical conductivity. All values at mean temp of 42biochemical oxygen demand, COD= chemical oxygen demand, EC= electrical conductivity. All values at mean temp of 42 00cc  

TABLE 4.1 PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETER OF POME (A) AND NONE POME (B) SOIL SAMPLES

Figure 4.1 Chart Representation of Fungal % Occurrence in Both Locations A=Aspergillus niger B= Aspergillus flavus C= Fusarium species D= Penicillin species, E=Mucor.

Counts represent means of triplicate samples, cfu/g: coliform forming units per gramme THBC= TOTAL HETEROTROPHIC

BACTERIAL COUNT, THFC=TOTAL HETEOTROPHIC FUNGAL COUNT, HDBC=HYDROCARBON DEGRADING BACTERIAL

COUNT, HDFC=HYDROCARBON DEGRADING FUNGAL COUNT,

 

 

LOCATION A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5

THBC, x106

cfu/ml1.36 2.01 2.15 2.40 2.42 1.79 1.80 1.60 1.50 1.76

THFC, x104

cfu/ml 3.05 3.00 2.89 2.49 1.34 1.40 1.46 1.04 1.42 1.22

HDBC, x106cfu/ml

1.00 1.10 1.28 1.29 1.40 0.90 0.70 0.80 1.00 0.90

HDFC,x104

cfu/ml2.52 2.34 2.00 1.92 0.90 0.55 0.68 0.75 0.60 1.00

MEAN COUNTX105

3.80 5.43 5.82 9.33 9.61 6.77 6.30 6.05 6.30 6.73

TABLE 4.2 VIABLE COUNTS OF BACTERIA AND FUNGI ISOLATED FROM LOCATIONS

Table 4.3 ANOVA TABLE Data Summary

Sample Locations

A B

N 5 5- X   33.99 32.15

Mean  6.798 6.43- X2   257.1983 207.1083

Variance  6.5336 0.0959Std.Dev.   2.5561 0.3098

1.1431 0.1385

Source of variation

Df SS MS F P

Y-Y among

groups

1 0.3386 0.3386 0.1 0.759923

Y-Y within

groups

8 26.5181 3.3148

Y-Y total 9 26.8566

ANOVA TABLE

TABLE 4.4: MICROSCOPIC MORPHOLOGY, CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS AND % OCCURRENCE OF FUNGAL ISOLATES FROM SOIL SAMPLES

Organism Microscopic morphology

Cultural characteristics Occurrence (%)

POME soil NON pome soil

Aspergillus niger Has septate hyphae with long and smooth conidiophores, large , round unbranched sporangiophores

Golden reverse side, creamy and brownish mycelium, powdery

27 30

Aspergillus flavus Colourless ,long, erect swollen conidiophores and septate hyphae

Colonies are Greenish yellow colour with creamy edge

18 20

Fusarium species Dark pigmented conidiophores, spherical

Powderish and creamy colonies

22 10

Penicillin species Fruity mycelium, branched conidiophores with white margin

Greenish and filamentous colonies

11 27

TABLE 4:5 BIOCHEMICAL TESTS OF BACTERIA ISOLATES FROM SOIL SAMPLES

Organism Gram reaction

Cultural characteristics

motility oxidase Catalase citrate coagulase urease indole Occurrence (%)POME soil NON POME

Pseudomonas sp

Negative rods

Blue green colonies

+ + + + - - - 21 10

Lactobacillus spp

15

Serratia sp Negative rod

Large gray colonies

+ + + + - - - 7

Bacillus sp Positive rod

Milky white colonies

+ + + + - -/+ - 34 27

Staphylococcus sp

Positive cocci

- - + - + - - 17

Corynebacterium sp

Positive rod

- - + + - - + 9

E.coli -rods Small white colonies

+ + - - + 5

Proteus Spp Positive rods

Large milky white

+ - + + + - 4 7

Kleb pneumoniae

-rods Large gray colonies

+ - - + + - 8 5

Streptococcus

+ cocci - - - - - - 8 10

micrococcus 8 5 (+ =positive; - negative reactions)

FIG 4.2 Chart Representations of Microorganisms isolated from Both Locations A=Pseudomonas, B= Lactobacillus, C=Serratia, D=Bacillus E=, Staphylococcus, F= Escherichia, G= Proteus,

H=Klebsiella, I=Streptococcus, J=Micrococcus, K= Corynebacterium 

Conclusions •Due to the oil-palm effluent discharge noticeable in locations A, the color of the soil was dark brown, damp and odiferous while that of the non – POME site, locations (B) was observed to be brown, dry and free of odour. An impenetrable layer of the soil makes it very difficult for vegetative cover to exist.• As shown in the ANOVA table, there was significance in the mean square among groups due to POME effect on the samples from locations A. Higher concentration of the effluent significantly reduced the soil bacterial population in the soil. The soil pH however remained in acidic conditions at all levels of palm oil mill effluent pollution probably due to acidic nature of applied effluent. Palm Oil processing gives rise to high values of COD, which indicate the recalcitrance of chemicals that have escaped biodegradation.• It was also noticed that the soil acidity is increased as raw POME is discharged but the pH seems to increase as biodegradation takes place. In addition, the increase of electrical conductivity in the present study was likely due to the loss of weight and release of other mineral salts such as phosphate and ammonium ions through the decomposition of organic substances as reported by Wong et al., (2001). The relatively high DO reported in this study may be due to the high temperature and duration of bright sunlight, which influenced the percentage of soluble gases (O2 and CO2) in the effluent (Chow 1991). It is apparent from the analyses that POME significantly and substantially increases the soil nutrient levels in the soil. When soil is polluted, the physiochemical properties are affected which may decrease its productive potentials.

Palm oil mill effluent application to soil can result to some beneficial soil chemical and physical characteristics, such as increases in organic matter, organic carbon, major nutrients (e.g. N, P), water-holding capacity and porosity (Rupani et al, 2010) .However, it brings about undesirable changes such as decreases in pH, and increases in salinity. Additionally, the decomposition of POME by soil microbes could have induced oxygen depletion in the surface soil, thereby inhibiting aerobic microbial activityIt therefore follows that palm oil mill wastes should be well cured before they are disposed of on soils, as research has confirmed their efficiency in use as fertiliser (composting)(Chan, 1980). There is therefore the need to monitor the effects of these wastes on the soil as the level of influence will vary .The organic substance of POME is generally biodegradable; therefore, treatment by biodegradable process could be suitable, which are based on anaerobic, aerobic, and facultative processes (Radziah, 2001). Although POME is a land and aquatic pollutant when discharged directly into the environment; it is amenable to biodegradation .

Conclusions

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