Optimization of fat, oil, and grease (FOG) biodegradation using consortium of bacteria

Abstract This study investigates the potential of a bacterial consortium isolated from palm oil mill effluent (POME) to degrade Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG). Enrichment techniques were employed to isolate a consortium capable of degrading FOG by through the incorporation of used cooking oil (UCO) into the nutrient media. The consortium, composed of three distinct bacterial strains with FOG-degrading abilities, was screened using a lipolytic activity test on Tween 20 agar media. Results identified consortium X3X4 as the most effective consortium, displaying the highest growth and FOG degradation. Optimization experiments, used a 2-level factorial design to explore the impact of bacterial inoculum concentration (2%, 6%, 10% v/v), oil concentration (1%, 3%, 5% v/v), and pH (6, 7, 8) on FOG biodegradation. Statistical analysis revealed that both oil concentration and bacterial inoculum concentration significantly influenced degradation compared to pH. Consortium X3X4, consisting of the Micrococcus lylae strain DSM 20315 and Corynebacterium aurimucosum strain, exhibited optimal FOG degradation, achieving 82.7% degradation after 20 days of incubation. From the kinetic analysis, the consortium’s μ max and K s values were calculated as 0.04 h −1 and 4.86% v/v UCO, respectively. This study underscores the efficacy of the bacterial consortium, particularly consortium X3X4, in achieving substantial FOG biodegradation under optimal conditions. The study demonstrates the consortium’s potential for wastewater treatment, though it is limited to laboratory-scale experiments. Practical industrial applications will require additional research to address scaling and operational constraints.