Development of wastewater treatment methods for palm oil mill effluent (POME): A comprehensive review

Abstract

As the world’s largest palm oil producer, Indonesia significantly benefits from its palm oil industry but also faces serious environmental challenges from palm oil mill effluent (POME)—a high-strength wastewater containing substantial organic matter, nutrients, suspended solids, and various chemical compounds. Sustainable and effective wastewater treatment strategies are urgently needed to address this issue. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of existing POME treatment technologies, including anaerobic digestion (AD), advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), membrane filtration, adsorption, phytoremediation, and microalgae-based systems. Each method is examined in terms of treatment efficiency, operational feasibility, and potential for implementation under Indonesian conditions. While advanced processes, such as AOPs and membrane filtration, achieve high pollutant removal, they are often limited by operational costs. In contrast, biological approaches, such as AD and phytoremediation, offer both environmental benefits and economic value through the recovery of biogas, biofertilizers, and biomass. This review highlights the potential for integrating wastewater purification with resource recovery and valorization, supporting a shift toward more circular and sustainable management of POME. The insights provided are intended to guide future research, inform policy decisions, and facilitate the industrial adoption of optimized treatment systems.