Growth of Microalgae Spirulina platensis on Media Containing Palm Oil Mill Effluent

Abstract

Spirulina platensis, a Cyanobacteria, is used as a natural food in fish hatcheries and a food supplement for humans. These microalgae are very nutritious, containing 63-68% protein, 18-20% carbohydrates, and 2-3% fat. Increased production of palm oil has serious side effects on the aquatic environment due to the disposal of palm oil mill effluent (POME). POME are thought to be suitable as nutrients and media to microalgae. This study aimed to determine the effect of POME with different nutrient variations on the growth of these microalgae. This study used a randomized block design (RBD) with 2 factors, namely factor A (POME concentration) which consisted of 3 levels, namely 20 ppm (A1), 40 ppm (A2), and 60 ppm (A3) and factor B (media) namely Walne (B1), and Guillard (B2) with 3 repetitions. The results showed that the addition of POME had positive effect on the growth of S. platensis. The higher the POME concentration the better the growth rates obtained for both types of media. For Walne medium, the best growth was obtained on day 10 of A3B1 (69,447.98 sins/ml). Meanwhile, for Guillard medium, the highest growth was achieved on day 8 of A3B2 (82,027,6 sins/ml).