Abstract:
The textile industry significantly contributes to wastewater pollution, generating
toxic effluent with dyes and organic matter. Biological treatment using activated
sludge produces waste-activated sludge (WAS), which contains moisture,
organic contaminants, heavy metals, and pathogens, posing environmental risks.
This study investigates the potential of eco-enzymes—fermented organic liquids
from organic waste—as a sustainable solution for managing WAS. It evaluated
changes in pH, mixed-liquor suspended solids (MLSS), mixed-liquor volatile
suspended solids (MLVSS), and organic matter content after adding 10% eco-
enzymes made from orange, pineapple peel, and mixed organic matter to WAS
from a textile wastewater treatment plant in an anaerobic system over 8 days.
Results showed that eco-enzymes significantly reduced the pH of the sludge
from 8.13 to 5.15, compared to a control that decreased to 7.45. The pineapple
peel eco-enzyme reduced MLSS by 32% and MLVSS by 35%, while mixed-
organic matter eco-enzyme led to reductions of 29% for MLSS and 31% for
MLVSS. The orange eco-enzyme showed the highest reduction, with decreases
of 35% for MLSS and 38% for MLVSS. However, the control sludge samples
exhibited a higher reduction in organic content (12.12%) compared to those with
eco-enzymes (5.6%). While eco-enzymes significantly lowered pH and
contributed to reductions in MLSS and MLVSS, variations in statistical
significance were noted. Pineapple peel and mixed-organic waste enzymes
showed no effect on MLSS reduction on day 4, and mixed-organic waste
enzymes were insignificant for MLVSS reduction on day 8. Overall, eco-
enzymes effectively aided in the degradation of textile sludge, necessitating
careful monitoring of pH levels.
