POTENTIAL UTILIZATION OF MATURED COCONUT WATER (COCOS NUCIFERA L.) WASTE AS AN ALTERNATIVE COSUBSTRATE FOR LACTOFERMENTATION OF SEPTIC TANK SLUDGE WITH VARIATIONS IN BACTERIAL CULTURES

• Main Author: Howard Hartono, Theodore
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik saniter dan perkotaan; teknik perlindungan lingkungan
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/86277
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Mature coconut water is often not optimally utilized due to its sour taste, leading to its disposal as waste. Improper disposal of mature coconut water waste into the environment can become a serious issue as it may produce unpleasant odors, indicating acetic acid pollution. Mature coconut water waste can be optimized as an alternative co-substrate in the treatment of septic tank sludge through lactofermentation, as it has an acidic pH and contains monosaccharides and disaccharides in the form of carbohydrate sugars, which serve as a suitable medium for the growth of lactic acid bacteria. This study investigates the lacto-fermentation process using sludge aged 2-5 years and over 5 years, with four variations in treatment combining septic sludge, mature coconut water, and bacterial cultures over 21 days at room temperature under facultative anaerobic conditions. The bacterial cultures used include a single strain of Lactobacillus plantarum and a mixed culture of EM4. The parameters tested in this study include temperature, pH, moisture content, volatile content, organic carbon, TKN, total phosphate, TAV, NH3, H2S, total E. coli, and lactic acid. The results show that mature coconut water can be used as an alternative co-substrate with the addition of both bacterial cultures in the lacto-fermentation process. pH measurements in the treatments with mature coconut water and bacterial cultures were found to be at the optimum pH. Additionally, water content in both variations showed that the 2-5 years sludge variation was within the optimum range. Moreover, the lacto-fermentation process using mature coconut water and bacterial cultures was able to degrade nutrients with the highest removal efficiencies for organic carbon, NTK, and total phosphate at 79.58%, 51.95%, and 75.56%. Odor reduction was also observed in the reactors with the addition of coconut water and bacterial cultures, with the highest removal efficiencies for NH3 and H2S at 74.75% and 73.23%. In this study, the lactofermentation process in all variations successfully removed E. coli. Lactic acid formation occurred in both variations, with the highest lactic acid production in the 2-5 years and over 5 years sludge variations, at 14.4 mg/L and 18.0 mg/L.