Decolorizing Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME ) Using Plant Polysaccharide Degrading Microorganisms Isolated from Soil

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 37 degrees C 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.