Analysis of Algae and Bacteria Mixture in Removing Pollutants from Laundry Wastewater

• Published in: IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
• Main Author: Rodzi N.A.A.M.; Kasmuri N.; Zaini N.; Azri N.A.A.; Nayono S.E.
• Format: Conference paper
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Physics 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85188211484&doi=10.1088%2f1755-1315%2f1303%2f1%2f012021&partnerID=40&md5=0b2d0da5e89b6e74a835f26e2f4adc9f

Laundry detergents contain high nutrients, especially phosphate and nitrogen compounds. High concentrations of these nutrients can cause eutrophication to the water bodies and are toxic to aquatic organisms. Thus, this study aims to identify the characteristics of laundry wastewater and to enhance the treatment for the pollutants using algae and bacteria mixture. Moreover, the removal efficiency for this pollutant has been determined after the batch experiment. The characteristics of laundry wastewater were evaluated using in-situ and laboratory analysis. The in-situ testing included pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen (DO) parameters. Laboratory experiments consist of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), ammonia-nitrogen, nitrite-nitrogen, and nitrate-nitrogen. The results were recorded for the parameters before and after treatment. It can be revealed that the concentration of 2 g of algae had recorded 61% COD removal. For the concentration of 0.5 g algae, the highest percentage of removal recorded was 79.2% for ammonia-nitrogen. For total suspended solids (TSS), a maximum of 79% has been removed for a 0.5 g algae mixture. An average of 90% removal has been detected for 2 g algae and 1 g algae concentrations, respectively. Therefore, these algae and bacteria mixtures can be considered green technology to biodegrade the pollutants and enhance the quality of the laundry wastewater. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.