Optimisation of medium for microalgae growth based on facultative pond 6 POME of Sime Darby Sua Betong palm oil mill: article / Amalina Salamon, Jailani Salihon

This research study is about the optimisation of medium for microalgae growth based on facultative pond 6 POME of Sime Darby Sua Betong Palm Oil Mill. The idea is to treat Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) and sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) that are released from the conversion of methane gas (CH4) to CO2. A strain of Chlorella sp. Was used to treat POME and sequester CO2 gas simultaneously. Six times diluted POME from facultative pond 6 was subjected to different CO2 concentrations in the sparging gas mixture (x1) and to different gas mixture sparging rates (x2), to determine their optimum level of of dissolved CO2 concentration, x1 and the level of sparging rate, x2 that gives a maximum biomass concentration and (Xm) and the maximum specific growth rate (μm) of microalgae in batch growth by using a Response Surface Method (RSM). The data obtained from the factorial experiments were fitted in logistic equation by using MATLAB R2014a software before performing Linear Regressions. Since the Linear Regression satisfies the requirement of containing the maximum in both cases, the 22 factorial experiments were complemented with the necessary points to make the Composite Design. The optimisation of microalgae growth was done using a Quadratic Equation to obtain the maximum point of the variables. From the result obtained, it was found that at sparging rate of 0.900 vvm and at CO2 concentration of 16%, the maximum specific growth rate is predicted to be 4.17 h-1.