Title: The natural way for water quality improvement using effective microorganism

Authors: D. Mohammad Isa; S. Abdullah; N.A. Mohd Noor; H.B. Ismail

Addresses: Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia ' Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia ' Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Pahang, Pahang, Malaysia ' Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Pasir Gudang, Masai, Johor, Malaysia

Abstract: Effective microorganisms (EM) have been used for the treatment of the various types of wastewater through the enhancement of the microbes' activities, ecofriendly materials and are suitable for the removal of organic pollutants. The objectives of this study are to determine the optimum dosage of EM in mudballs and to analyse their efficiency as wastewater quality improvement. The water quality samplings were taken from the nearby sewage treatment plant and the tested parameters were BOD, COD, SS and turbidity. The results indicated the optimum number of the mudballs were two and six produced by fruit, vegetable waste and yeast which, depending on the water quality parameter, contribute to higher percentage in the reduction of SS, turbidity, COD and BOD. EM has shown the great potential as water quality improvement in wastewater and it can be used as a bioremediation product. Thus, this is part of the government's aspirations towards environmentally-friendly wastewater treatment.

Keywords: effective microorganism; water quality improvement; environmentally friendly; bioremediation; mudball.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2021.118462

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2021 Vol.11 No.2, pp.169 - 182

Received: 17 Oct 2020
Accepted: 07 Mar 2021
Published online: 26 Oct 2021 *

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