<![CDATA[Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is the dark brown agricultural wastewater from palm oil extraction factories. It is difficult to decolorize using conventional methods. Melanoidin is a dark-colored polymer formed through the Maillard reaction which is the primary cause of the dark color in POME. This study investigated the potential of a photosynthetic bacterial consortium consisting of Blastochloris sulfoviridis and Lentimicrobium saccharophilum for POME treatment and bioenergy generation. The consortium effectively removed melanoidin content (68.89±0.84%) and color (60.87±1.22%) from POME without the addition of chemicals or culture medium. Additionally, a microbial fuel cell (MFC) integrated with the consortium generated apower output of up to 5.70±1.06 W m-3. The degraded metabolites were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after treatment. The results revealed that melanoidin was converted to 1-ethyl-2-methylbenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, dodecamethylcyclohexane, butylated hydroxytoluene, and stigmasta-3,5-diene. Following treatment, the cell pellet was recovered and analyzed for valuable by-products. Carotenoid and astaxanthin pigments were extracted with yields of 0.32±0.01 and 0.02±0.00 mg g-1, respectively. These findings demonstrate the versatility of the photosynthetic bacterial consortium, which offers a sustainable solution for POME treatment while simultaneously POME decolorization and producing bioenergy and valuable compounds.]]>
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