AEROBIC COMPOSTING OF OIL PALM FRONDS - A REVIEW

The palm oil industry is a major agricultural industry in Malaysia and is also one of the major suppliers of palm oil in the world. The growth of this industry has also increased the quantity of waste generated. Lignocellulosic biomass produced from the palm oil industry, such as oil palm fronds (OPF), oil palm trunks (OPT), mesocarp fibers (MF), palm kernel shells (PKS), and palm oil mill effluent (POME), can affect air, water, soil, and environmental ecosystems. Of the total biomass waste generated, OPF is generated at a higher rate than others. Therefore, composting is the most viable treatment for reusing and recycling OPF, an environmentally friendly treatment that provides economic potential. This review focuses on OPF composting studies and provides important insights into the possible use of this waste as an alternative approach to treat biomass produced by the palm oil industry and resolve pollution issues in the environment. Furthermore, this review covers the use of inoculum in the composting process, including white-rot fungi (WRF), sewage sludge, palm oil mill effluent (POME), and thickened POME anaerobic sludge for rapid decomposition of lignocellulose OPF while exploring the effects of composting on the environment.