Assessment of Activity of Fungal Lipase on Certain Established Parameters of Palm Oil Mill Effluent

Abstract

POME a bye product in palm oil processing industry is a contaminant with a high organic chemistry implication. POME is a highly polluting product, consisting of 0.7% (w/v) protein, 5% (w/v) total organic carbon, 20% total organic matter contents, 93% (w/v) water and salts the present study was carried out at a local palm oil milling center located at Umunneochi present day Abia state, Nigeria . Aspergillus sp was isolated from palm oil mill effluent impacted soil using culture dependent techniques. The organism was confirmed Aspergillus was identified using standard microbiology and biochemical techniques respectively. Lipase producing capability of the organisms was screened in an optimized culture broth in the presence of p-NPP. Yellow coloration of the broth confirms the exo-lipase secretory of the bacteria. Lipase production peaked on day 5 of the fermentation. Physicochemical properties of the palm oil mill effluent were: pH (6.0), conductivity (617 Ω -1 cm -1 ), DO (6.21 mg/ml), BOD 5 (4.89 mg/ml), TOC (102.34 mg/ml), TOM (125.87 mg/ml), Ca and Mg (34.15 mg/ml; 9.87 mg/ml). Lipase impact on the POME peaked at pH 5.0 after 168 hour with TOC/TOM contents of 56.2/68.15 mg/ml. DO/BOD5 at the respective conditions were 4.52 and 2.89. Decrease in the organic matter contents were seen in tangent with increase in lipase concentration. The present study showed the kinetic properties of lipase from Aspergillus sp. in remediation effluents such as POME as it was evident in the significant reduction in the organic matter contents of the POME.