Analysis of POME Discharge Quality from Different Mill in Perak, Malaysia: A case study

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a major concern of oil palm mill because it contributes to numerous pollution such as soil, water and air pollution. In order to maintain a clean environment for a sustainable agricultural system in oil palm plantation, the quality of POME and its level must be monitored to ensure that the requirement set by the country is met. Hence, this paper is written based on the data of POME final discharge into waterways taken from Malaysian Department of Environment in four regions of Perak, Malaysia. The data is compared between regions and relatively different levels of discharge have been produced. Some of the mills produce final POME wastewater above the limit that has been set. The remaining mills discharge the wastewater below the maximum allowed level. This is an indicator that each mill has its own Standard of Procedures in treating POME before being discharged into waterways. It is suggested that the mills take a proactive approach to treat POME beyond the ponding system. POME can be physically processed to produce biofertilizer and biocompost for organic farming. The mills apply phytoremediation techniques in treating POME to reduce the unwanted variables that can affect the sustainability of our environment. (paper)