Abstrak

DECREASING THE AMOUNT OF BOD AND COD OF  PALM OIL WASTEWATER  USING EM4 MICROORGANISM AND ITS EFFECT ON pH AND ALKALINITY

Grasianto*, Elvinawati**, M. Lutfi Firdaus**

*Student of Chemistry Education Study Program, Faculty of Training and Education Sciences, Bengkulu University, ** Lecture  of Chemistry Education Study Program, Faculty of Training and Education Sciences, Bengkulu University

ABSTRACT

The aims of this research is to decrease the amount of BOD and COD and its effect on pH and alkalinity of palm oil wastewater using EM4 microorganism. Wastewater was obtained from PT Bio Nusantara, Bengkulu Tengah District, Bengkulu Province. Wastewater was mixed with EM4 microorganism with different concentration (three treatments), that were EM4 10 mL/L (A1), EM4 20 mL/L (A2), EM4 30 mL/L (A3), EM4 40 mL/L (A4), EM4 50 mL/L (A5).  Chemical parameter of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), pH and Alkalinity were observed. The determination of BOD, COD, and alkalinity was done by titrating process, while pH determination was used pH meter. The results showed that the addition of 50 mL/L EM4 was able to decrease 78,40% BOD waste from 382,1 mg/L to 82,5 mg/L. The  results also showed that COD wastewater was decrease 83,13%  with addition of 50 mL/L EM4 from 2091,2 mg/L to352,8 mg/L. However, Addition of EM4 reduced pH from 7,1 to 3,2 and alkalinity from 75,6 mg/L CaCO₃ to 44,1 mg/L CaCO₃.

Keywords: BOD, COD, Alkalinity, pH, Palm Oil Wastewater, EM4