International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET)

Volume 9, Issue 4, April 2018, pp. 1166–1172, Article ID: IJCIET_09_04_130

Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/ijciet/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=9&IType=4
ISSN Print: 0976-6308 and ISSN Online: 0976-6316

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TOXICITY TEST OF TEMPE INDUSTRIAL

WASTEWATER ON CYPERUS ROTUNDUS AND
SCIRPUS GROSSUS
Ipung Fitri Purwanti
Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil,
Environmental and Geo Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember,
Jalan Raya ITS, Kampus ITS Sukolilo, Surabaya 60111, Indonesia

Dorlinca Simamora
Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil,
Environmental and Geo Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember,
Jalan Raya ITS, Kampus ITS Sukolilo, Surabaya 60111, Indonesia

Setyo Budi Kurniawan

Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil,
Environmental and Geo Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember,
Jalan Raya ITS, Kampus ITS Sukolilo, Surabaya 60111, Indonesia

ABSTRACT
Tempe industrial wastewater usually discharged directly to water bodies without
any treatment. This can cause water pollution caused by high concentration of
organic material in wastewater. Average concentration of BOD, COD, TSS, and pH of
tempe wastewater were 20000mg/L, 30000mg/L, 1000mg/L and 4. Wastewater sample
was taken from tempe home industry area in Rungkut district, Surabaya. Wastewater
was taken from several stages of tempe production which were boiling and marinating
processes and also mixed of them. Scirpus grossus and Cyperus rotundus were two
species known to have good ability in processing organic wastewater. In this study,
the ability of Scirpus grossus and Cyperus rotundus tolerating tempe wastewater was
tested by toxicity test using Range Finding Test (RFT) method. Toxicity test carried
out for 7 days in reactors contain 0%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of tempe
wastewater (v/v diluted by tap water). Cyperus rotundus’s lethal concentration of
boiling waste was 25%, marinade waste was 25% and mixed waste was 25% on 6
days of research period. Scirpus grossus’s lethal concentration of boiling waste was
25%, marinade waste was 25% and mixed waste was 50% on 7 days of research
period. Based on physical observations, Cyperus rotundus was more tolerant to tempe
wastewater. Physical change observed to be occurred on Scirpus grossus by 2 days of
exposure while on Cyperus rotundus by 3 days of exposure.

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 Toxicity Test of Tempe Industrial Wastewater on Cyperus rotundus and Scirpus grossus

Key words: C. rotundus, RFT, S. grossus, Tempe, Toxicity Test, Wastewater

Cite this Article: Ipung Fitri Purwanti, Dorlinca Simamora and Setyo Budi
Kurniawan, Toxicity Test of Tempe Industrial Wastewater on Cyperus rotundus and
Scirpus grossus, International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology, 9(4),
2018, pp. 1166–1172.
http://www.iaeme.com/IJCIET/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=9&IType=4

1. INTRODUCTION
Tempe wastewater is produced from boiling, marinade and washing processes. Tempe
wastewater contains high organic concentration. When tempe wastewater discharged directly
to water bodies, it may result in water quality disruption and decreased carrying capacity of
aquatic environment around the tempe industry [1,14].
Biological processing usually used as an alternative in organic waste treatment [2,15].
One cost effective wastewater treatment is processing using plants that usually called
phytotreatment. Two types of plant that can treat organic waste and easily found in Rungkut
were Scirpus grossus and Cyperus rotundus. Kurnia [3] stated that Cyperus rotundus can treat
leachate waste with COD and BOD removal efficiency of 72.69% and 75.69%. Indah [4] also
stated that biological treatment of hotel wastewater using Scirpus grossus obtain a removal
percentage of COD by 97.3%; BOD by 98.16%, and TSS by 95.42%.
In this research, wastewater sample was taken from one of tempe home industry in
Rungkut district, Surabaya. The source of tempe wastewater comes from boiling process,
marinade process, and mixed of the two waste mentioned before. Average concentration of
BOD, COD, TSS, and pH of tempe wastewater were 19158 mg/L, 36000 mg/ L, 1340 mg /L,
4.76 for boiling waste; 13158 mg/L, 26000 mg/L, 1190 mg/L, 4.8 for marinade waste; and
17021 mg/L, 32000 mg/L, 1275 mg/L, 4.62 for mixed waste. The purpose of this research
was to analyze the toxicity of tempe wastewater to Scirpus grossus and Cyperus rotundus.
The use of these plant for treating many organic substances, but it is considered to be quite
new in treating tempe wastewater.
Toxicity analysis was done by RFT method to know the maximum concentration of tempe
wastewater that can be tolerated by plants. This test is a preliminary test for determining the
concentration of contaminants which the plant species can survive in wastewater. It is an early
step of a phytotreatment study. Once the estimation is obtained, a detailed phytotreatment test
should be conducted to determine the exact concentration that can be adsorbed or degraded by
the plant species [9]. Phytotreatment for organic waste consist of several mechanisms such as
rhizodegradation, phytoextraction and phytovolatilization [11].

2. MATERIAL AND METHOD

This study was conducted on a laboratory scale. Samples of tempe wastewater were taken
from 3 types of tempe production processes which were boiling, marinade and mixed waste.
The concentration of waste used in this study was 0%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%.
Ratios of waste concentration used were done by diluting wastewater with tap water
volume/volume [10]. Reactors used in this study were a 5 L plastic bucket filled with sand as
a growing medium.
Number of Cyperus rotundus in each bucket was 3 plants. While number of Scirpus
grossus was 4 plants on each bucket. Number of plant in each reactor was calculated based on
specific density of each plant [6]. For Cyperus rotundus, Mass needed in each reactor 18
grams. The mass needed then divided by wet weight of each plants which is 6.2 grams. The
result was 2.9 plants equal to 3. For Scirpus grossus, the mass needed in each reactor was

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 Ipung Fitri Purwanti, Dorlinca Simamora and Setyo Budi Kurniawan

188.1 grams. The mass needed then divided by Scirpus grossus wet weight which is 45
grams. The number of Scirpus grossus calculated was 4.18 plants equal to 4.
Plants that used in this study have a same age and kind of second generation plants [8].
Plant acclimatization on silica sand medium was done before toxicity test conducted.
Observation of physical changes on plants were done for 7 days. Observations were done by
examining stems on Cyperus rotundus and leaves on Scirpus grossus.

3. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

3.1. Characteristic of Tempe Wastewater
Tempe wastewater parameters measured in this study consist of COD, BOD, TSS, and pH.
Table 1 showed the result of parameter analysis of three tempe wastewater samples. All
concentration of tempe wastewater parameters exceeded the quality standard by Regulation of
Indonesian Ministry of the Environment No.5 2014 about Wastewater Quality Standard [5].
According to its characteristic (Table 1), it is advisable to do treatment before wastewater can
be discharged into the environment because it can spread contamination [12].

Table 1 Tempe Wastewater Characteristic

Parameter Boiling Waste Marinade Waste Mixed Waste Quality Standard
BOD (mg/L) 19048 13158 17021 150
COD (mg/L) 36000 26000 32000 300
TSS (mg/L) 1340 1190 1275 100
pH 4.76 4.18 4.62 6-9

3.2. Toxicity Test

3.2.1. Range Finding Test for Cyperus rotundus

Cyperus rotundus was able to live in 10% waste concentration for 7 days. This was indicated
by no physical changes to plants during 7 days of exposure to wastewater. Comparison of
living plants by Day-7 observations of Cyperus rotundus on tempe wastewater can be seen in
Table 2.
Plants exposed to boiling waste begun to change in leaf color on day-3 of observation.
The change of leaf color occurred in 25% to 100% of wastewater concentration. Leaves on
reactors mentioned before were becoming yellow and withered. There was no physical change
occurred in reactor with 10% of wastewater concentration. It can be stated that 10%
concentration of tempe waste did not give effect to the plants growth [10].
On all type of waste, Cyperus rotundus showed totally died at 75% concentration of tempe
wastewater. Cyperus rotundus showed to be tolerant to 10% of tempe wastewater indicated by
no physical change that occurred to all plants in reactor. Yellowing leaves showed that
wastewater already disturb the plants metabolism [13].

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 Toxicity Test of Tempe Industrial Wastewater on Cyperus rotundus and Scirpus grossus

Table 2 Day-7 Observation for Cyperus rotundus on Boiling Waste.

Waste Living plant of Waste Dead plant of
Control Plant
Concentration Cyperus Concentration Cyperus
(0% waste) on
(Waste Rotundus on (Waste rotundus on
Day-7
Volume: Tap Day-7 Volume: Tap Day-7
Observation
Water Volume) Observation Water Volume) Observation

Boiling Waste Boiling Waste

10% : 90% 75% : 25%

Marinade Waste Marinade Waste

10% : 90% 75% : 25%

Mixed Waste Mixed Waste

10% : 90% 75% : 20%

3.2.1. Range Finding Test for Scirpus grossus

Scirpus grossus was able to live in 10% waste concentration for 7 days. This was indicated by
no physical changes to plants during 7 days of exposure to all type of wastewater.
Comparison of living plants by Day-7 observations of Scirpus grossus on tempe wastewater
can be seen in Table 3.
Based on picture shown on Table 3, Scirpus grossus showed totally died at 75%
concentration of boiling and marinade waste. On mixed waste, Scirpus grossus showed to be
died totally at 50% of waste concentration. Scirpus grossus showed to be tolerant to 10% of
tempe wastewater indicated by no physical change that occurred to all plants in reactor
compared to control reactor (0% of waste) [10]. The physical change that happened
(yellowing leaves) showed that the waste concentration already inhibits plants metabolism.
Maximum concentration to be used on phytotreatment should not disturb the plants
metabolism.

3.3. Comparative Analysis

Based on observations, the higher the concentration of contaminants, the greater the withered
percentage and the faster withered condition occurred. Based on data obtained, Cyperus
rotundus was more resistant to tempe wastewater compared to Scirpus grossus. At 10% waste
concentration, 90% Cyperus rotundus can live in boiling waste, compared to 85% of Scirpus
grossus that can live at the same concentration. On 10% marinade waste, 100% of Cyperus
rotundus were lived compared to 95% of Scirpus grossus. On mixed waste, 95% of total

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 Ipung Fitri Purwanti, Dorlinca Simamora and Setyo Budi Kurniawan

Cyperus rotundus can lived while compared to only 90% of total Scirpus grossus that still
alive at same concentration.

Table 3 Day-7 Observation for Scirpus grossus on Boiling Waste

Waste Waste
Living plant of Control Plant Dead plant of
Concentration Concentration
Scirpus grossus (0% waste) on Scirpus grossus
(Waste (Waste
on Day-7 Day-7 on Day-7
Volume: Tap Volume: Tap
Observation Observation Observation
Water Volume) Water Volume)

Boiling Waste Boiling Waste

10% : 90% 75% : 25%

Marinade Waste Marinade Waste

10% : 90% 75% : 25%

Mixed Waste Mixed Waste

10% : 90% 50% : 50%

Analyzed from the dead phase of plants, Scirpus grossus show to die sooner than Cyperus
rotundus. Scirpus grossus tend to turn yellowing from the second day of observation and died
at the fourth day. While Cyperus rotundus generally turn to yellowing at the third day of
observation and died at the fifth day (Figure 1).
Lethal concentration (LC) of tempe wastewater can be analyzed by calculating 50% of
plants that dead during exposure time [7]. Cyperus rotundus’s LC of boiling waste was 25%
on day-6, marinade waste was 25% on day-7 and mixed waste was 25% on day-6. Scirpus
grossus’s LC of boiling waste was 25% on day-7, marinade waste was 25% on day-7 and
mixed waste was 50% on day-3. Based on lethal concentration, it can be known that mixed
waste was the most toxic waste for all Cyperus rotundus and Scirpus grossus.

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 Toxicity Test of Tempe Industrial Wastewater on Cyperus rotundus and Scirpus grossus

Figure 1 Number of Living Plants during Range Finding Test

4. CONCLUSION
Based on physical change analysis, tempe wastewater concentration that can be tolerated by
Cyperus rotundus and Scirpus grossus was 10% for all type of wastewater. Lethal
concentration of boiling waste was 25% on day-6, marinade waste was 25% on day-7 and
mixed waste was 25% on day-6 for Cyperus rotundus. Lethal concentration of boiling waste
was 25% on day-7, marinade waste was 25% on day-7 and mixed waste was 50% on day-3
for Scirpus grossus. Based on the results of comparative analysis, Cyperus rotundus tend to
be more resistant to tempe wastewater than Scirpus grossus indicated by no physical change
that observed on all reactors after 3 days of observation.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Authors would like to thank Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Surabaya for grant
through Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat (ITS-Community Empowerment) scheme for
funding this research.

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