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Microbial fuel-cells: Electricity production from carbohydrates
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells containing Proteus vulgaris and oxidation-reduction ([open quotes]redox[close quotes]) mediators were investigated. The bacteria were chemically immobilized onto the surface of graphite felt electrodes, which supported production of continuous electric current and could be reused after storage. A computer-controlled carbohydrate feed system enabled the cell to generate a constant output with improved efficiency compared to the performance obtained with single large additions of fuel. The response to additions of substrate when immobilized bacteria were used was faster than that achieved with freely suspended organisms. This is attributed to the advantageous mass-transfer kinetics resulting from the proximity of the immobilized bacteria and the electrode surface. 16 refs., 6 figs.
... Among applications of the membrane-based bioelectrochemical technology that have drawn many interests among the researchers are the MFCs. MFC is a device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy by the action of microorganisms [3]. MFC uses organic materials as it feeds to produce hydrogen, which is then utilized for electricity production. ...
... Bennetto [3] 2000 Initial exploration and proof of concept of MFC technology. Growing interest in MFC technology for wastewater treatment and bioenergy production. ...
... An example will be the Nafion with ionic conductivity of 10 22 S/cm. This membrane consists of a hydrophobic fluorocarbon backbone (ÀCF 2 ÀCF 2 À) to which a hydrophilic sulfonate group (SO 3 2 ) is attached. This SO 3 2 is responsible for the conductivity of the membrane [66]. ...
... Bacteria are used as catalyst in microbial fuel cells use to oxidize organic and inorganic matter and generate current [3] [13] [12]. Recent studies have reported that oil and other fossil fuels will not be available in the next 100 years and it is expected that the demand for oil will exceed the production [2]. ...
... However, considering anticipated energy trends, a more reasonable projection is 27TW by 2050 and 43TW by 2100 [10]. By 2100 it is estimated that CO2 concentratio n will reach anywhere from 560ppm to 970ppm [2]. ...
... MFCs B and C showed maximum power density values of 0.0000256W/cm 2 and 0.00197W/cm 2 respectively, obtained from a 1000 Ω resistor. The power density was calculated from equation (2). ...
Three dual chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) labeled MFC-A, MFC-B and MFC-C were fabricated with agar-agar salt bridge as the proton exchange membrane. Each of the MFCs contained wastewater as c atholyte. Biochemical and Physiological tests was carried out on the wastewater sample to obtain characteristics which will be helpful in the identification of microbial species in the sample and measure some physiological parameters. Readings of voltage and current with different resistors of 10Ω, 100Ω and 1000Ω and with no resistor was taken for 10 to 12 hours daily for 14 days. The power density was calculated for the MFCs. Also, the MFC performance was calculated in terms of various parameters such as Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), pH, Conductivity and Temperature. MFCs A, B and C showed a maximum voltage output of 0.987V, 1.621V and 1.409V respectively. The maximum power densities for MFCs A, B and C were calculated as 0.329W/cm 2 , 2.56 x 10-5 W/cm 2 and 0.00197W/cm 2 respectively. The BOD removal efficiency of MFCs A, B and C was calculated as 71.70%, 73.35% and 72.00% respectively.
... As they can catalyze more through oxidation of many biofuels and can be less susceptible to poisoning and loss of activity under normal operating conditions, this concretely proves their popularity. Experiments have been reported in which the microbes were suspended in a free motion in the anode solution, and the immobilization was performed on the cells of the microbial strain Proteus vulgaris on the electrodes of the graphite (Allen & Bennetto, 1993;Kim et al., 2000). This particular microbial cell further produced currents from the carbohydrates. ...
... Other MFCs had volumes of up to 200 cm 3 and were found to be capable of generating currents of up to 2 A (Drapcho et al., 2008). As an alternative to the earlier systems, in which the microorganisms were freely suspended in the anodic solution, microbial cells of P. vulgaris have been immobilized onto graphite felt electrodes and have been used to generate currents from carbohydrates (Allen & Bennetto, 1993). This immobilization led to faster responses to substrate addition, while the use of a constant feed system gave improved efficiencies when compared to single large additions of fuel. ...
The emergence of many urban problems in the field of urban transportation, such as air pollution, increased accidents, and economic losses, reinforces the need to move toward sustainable transportation. In this regard, it is very important to identify and prioritize sustainable transport development policies. In the meantime, creating a change in the type of consumption and changing the behavior of consumers are basic measures that urban managers should perform. Today’s world is the world of cars. We are looking for the highest efficiency with the least activity. In developing countries, the authorities are always looking to change the form and shape of the problem instead of the solution, and this always causes pollution, traffic jams, and more crises in the next decades. As long as we do not want to change anything, the situation is the same. This chapter has been compiled with a descriptive-analytical view and is based on documentary and library information. In this chapter we will challenge the concepts of sustainable development in relation to transportation.
... As they can catalyze more through oxidation of many biofuels and can be less susceptible to poisoning and loss of activity under normal operating conditions, this concretely proves their popularity. Experiments have been reported in which the microbes were suspended in a free motion in the anode solution, and the immobilization was performed on the cells of the microbial strain Proteus vulgaris on the electrodes of the graphite (Allen & Bennetto, 1993;Kim et al., 2000). This particular microbial cell further produced currents from the carbohydrates. ...
... Other MFCs had volumes of up to 200 cm 3 and were found to be capable of generating currents of up to 2 A (Drapcho et al., 2008). As an alternative to the earlier systems, in which the microorganisms were freely suspended in the anodic solution, microbial cells of P. vulgaris have been immobilized onto graphite felt electrodes and have been used to generate currents from carbohydrates (Allen & Bennetto, 1993). This immobilization led to faster responses to substrate addition, while the use of a constant feed system gave improved efficiencies when compared to single large additions of fuel. ...
Sustainable development is a concept that has emerged as a result of the negative environmental and social consequences of unilateral economic development approaches after the Industrial Revolution and the change in human attitudes toward the concept of growth and development. Sustainable development is a process that envisions a favorable future for human societies in which living conditions and the use of resources meet human needs without compromising the integrity, beauty, and stability of vital systems. Sustainable development provides solutions to the structural, social, and economic patterns of development to address issues such as the destruction of natural resources, the destruction of biological systems, pollution, climate change, population growth, injustice, and the declining quality of life of present and future humans. Sustainable development is a process that is adapted to current and future needs in the use of resources, investment guidance, technology development orientation, and institutional change. Sustainable development, which has been emphasized since the 1990s, is an aspect of human development related to the environment and future generations. The goal of human development is to cultivate human capabilities. Sustainable development as a process, while it is necessary for improvement and progress, provides the basis for improving the situation and eliminating the social and cultural shortcomings of advanced societies, and it should be the engine of balanced, proportionate, and coordinated economic, social, and cultural progress of all societies, especially countries. Sustainable development seeks to address the following basic needs: integrating conservation and development; meeting basic human biological needs; achieving social justice, autonomy, and cultural diversity; and protecting ecological unity. Hence the focus of sustainable development is much broader than just the environment. It is also about ensuring a strong, healthy, and just society. This means meeting the diverse needs of all individuals in present and future societies; promoting personal well-being, social cohesion, and inclusion; and creating equal opportunities.
... Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has been used to convert the energy stored in chemical bonds in organic compounds to electricity which is achieved through the catalytic reactions by microorganisms. This has generated considerable interest among academic researchers in recent years [2] [4] [12]. Microbial fuel cells are not newthe idea of using microorganisms to catalyze fuel cells was explored from the 1970s [4] and microbial fuel cells treating domestic wastewater were presented in 1991 [6]. ...
... The release of stored carbon in fossil fuels is increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, with increases from 316ppm in 1959 to 377 ppm in 2004 [3]. By 2100 it is estimated that CO2 concentration will reach anywhere from 560 ppm to 970 ppm [2]. Today the greatest environmental challenge is to simultaneously solve energy production and CO2 release. ...
Two dual chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) labelled MFC-A and MFC-B were fabricated with agar-agar salt bridge as the proton exchange membrane. Each of the MFCs contained wastewater gotten from an abattoir as the catholyte. The anolyte for MFC-A was potassium ferricyanide with double copper-copper electrodes while the anolyte for MFC-B was potassium permanganate with a single copper-copper electrode. Readings of voltage and current was taken for 10 to 12 hours daily for 14 days, a total of 495 hours. Also, the MFC performance was calculated in terms of various parameters such as Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), pH, conductivity and temperature. MFC-A showed a maximum voltage output of 1.812V while MFC-B showed a maximum of 1.718V. The BOD removal efficiency of MFCs A and B was calculated as 78.33% and 72.67%, respectively. MFC-A showed an average value of 1.643V on the last day of observation while MFC-B showed an average value of 1.531V on the 14 th day. An MFC generates electricity from wastewater. The voltage generated in an MFC is independent of the number of electrodes used, potassium ferricyanide gives a better result than potassium permanganate. BOD removal efficiency increases with the number of electrodes used.
... In an effort to perhaps avert such tragedies in the expectations, scientists have been waged on renewable energy technologies (Bazina et al. 2023). Researchers are becoming more interested in a novel technology known as MFC as a sustainable alternative energy source (Allen and Bennetto 1993;Gil et al. 2003). This process converts the organic power of molecule bonds into electric power by use of the catalytic machinery of bacteria (Do et al. 2018;Munoz-Cupa et al. 2021). ...
Green technology, known as the microbial fuel cell (MFC), offers wastewater treatment and sustainable power simultaneously. Although there have been substantial advancements, there are still a number of important problems with this technique. Our study presented here has covered the organic substrate challenge of MFC. In prior studies, there was a strong recommendation that fruit waste be used as a source of carbon. In light of this, the waste from dragon fruit was used as a substrate in the present investigation. In 22 days, the study achieved a voltage of 165 mV and a power density of 1.98 mW/m2. Additionally, the removal percentage of Cr3+ and Pb2+ is around 85.39–87.91%, respectively. The operation was carried out with constant 1000 ῼ resistance at all times, whereas the determination of the internal resistance was 694 ῼ. Furthermore, bacterial identification from anodic biofilm indicated that Bacillus-type species such as Bacillus nitratireducens, Pseudoneobacillus rhizosphaerae, and Bacillus paramobilis are the dominant species in the present MFC operation. Furthermore, a thorough description of the investigation’s proposed mechanism—which centers on the metal ion removal process—is given. Finally, mechanism, challenges, and future comments are also included.
... Cyclic voltammograms were recorded between -0.6 to + 0.6 V potential range and 5mV/s scan rate to define the cyclic voltammetry curves. For the examination of the interference caused by the internal resistance created during the MFC run, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was conducted with the frequency range and an amplitude of 100 kHz to 1 Hz and 5.0 mV, respectively [28][29][30]. ...
Pollutants in water bodies come from a variety of sources, including but not limited to domestic, industrial, municipal etc. Water contamination and energy shortages are global problems that require significant attention. Therefore, it is essential to synthesize sustainable energy and transport waste-free water to the water reception points. Concerns about energy shortages and water contamination have prompted the development of microbial fuel cell technology. Microorganisms are used by the electrochemical cell nature of MFCs to digest the organic wastes and produce energy anaerobically. Focusing on single-chambered mediator-less MFCs operating in batch mode, this study assesses the efficacy of a novel bacterial strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens NSB4, as an exoelectrogen regarding electricity yield and waste elimination. Results from the strain's electrochemical characterization showed a maximum current density of 0.4804A/m2 and a power density of 41.281mW/m2. Additionally, the columbic efficiency (72%) and COD reduction efficiency (90.46%) were also remarkably high. Growth of the anodic biofilm during the MFC process displayed the crucial performance of the exoelectrogen used. SEM images of the biofilm are also presented in the study.
... [4] [5] Later, researchers in the United Kingdom developed improvements for biological fuel cells, using diverse types of microbes to obtain an increase in the rate of reaction and also in the efficient transfer of electrons, with the use of mediator systems. [6] [2] Subsequently, it was discovered that several types of bacteria did not need mediator molecules to carry out the process of electron transport to the electrodes. [7] [2] Later, in the 2000s, there was an important step in demonstrating the potential of Plant-MFC (also called plant-based batteries) to generate bioelectricity continuously without harming plants. ...
The development of an open-source electronic system equipped with an OLED screen for monitoring plant-based batteries represents a significant advancement in sustainable and eco-friendly energy solutions. This innovative system allows for the efficient harnessing of energy produced by living plants through a bioelectrochemical process. Plant-based batteries, often referred to as "vegetable batteries"; leverage the natural metabolic processes of plants to generate electricity, in this study menta piperita will be used with the plant-based batteries, these have gained attention for their potential in various applications, including environmental monitoring, remote sensing, and low-power electronics. The open-source nature of this electronic system means that its design and code are freely accessible and modifiable by the public, fostering collaboration and innovation within the scientific and maker communities. The OLED screen provides real-time data visualization, allowing users to monitor the performance of plant-based batteries accurately. By combining open-source principles, OLED screen technology, and plant-based batteries, this project aligns with the growing interest in sustainable energy sources and Do It Yourself (DIY) electronics. It not only offers an eco-friendly power solution but also promotes knowledge sharing and experimentation in the field of renewable energy. This development opens doors to potential applications in off-grid power generation, environmental research, and educational initiatives, contributing to a more sustainable and interconnected world. Additionally, the system's efficiency in extracting energy from plant-based sources is improved by the integration of sophisticated algorithms for real-time data analysis, opening the door to maximized energy output and extended battery life. This project's interdisciplinary approach, which combines electronics, biology, and sustainable energy, highlights its potential to completely change how we view and use renewable resources in everyday technologies.
... Recent and emerging advances in some scientific fields have already demonstrated that such a goal is achievable. One of those fields which is the focus of this journal is in the development and utilization of bioelectrochemical systems which originated as microbial fuel cell in 1993 [3], but have undergone considerable improvements in recent years due to the increasing impact of new developments in microbiology, material science, nanotechnology and engineering, as well as increasing multidisciplinary collaborations. ...
As the push towards circular economy continues to gain momentum, the demand for scientific innovations will undoubtedly be a key driver in any effort made to realise the full potential of this new approach to global economy. The aim of a circular economy, in contrast to the wasteful practices of the current linear economy, is to ensure significant waste reduction and minimisation or elimination of resource depletion. This can be accomplished by putting more strategic efforts on the sustainable reuse, repurpose, recycle, remanufacture, reduce and recovery of all materials. Recent and emerging advances in some scientific fields have already demonstrated that such a goal is achievable. One of those fields is in the development and utilization of bioelectrochemical systems which is the focus of the new gold open access journal of Bioelectrochemical Systems and Application.
... The essential components of MFC include an anode, cathode, proton/ion exchange membrane, substrate and electrode catalyst (Allen and Bennetto, 2007;Tender. et al.., 2008;Winfield. ...
A microbial fuel cell (MFC) has many potential applications, including wastewater treatment, environmental monitoring and bioenergy production. The comparison of the open circuit voltages OCV values for three MFC setups using cow dung, pig dung and the combination of cow and pig dungs was carried out in this study. The MFC fabricated locally consist of two chambers-the anode, which is an anaerobic digestion of organic waste with an electrode on top of the digester lid while potassium permanganate was mixed with water in a chamber to form the cathode with an electrode on top of the lid. The two chambers were linked with a proton exchange membrane (PEM) made with agarose agar using PVC pipe. For 30 days, the OCV of the MFC setups were recorded. The OCV values for the three setups were compared. According to the results, the average OCV values for cow dung, pig dung, and a mixture of both are 1.014 V, 0.610 V and 0.430 V, respectively. This shows that cow dung produced the highest OCV values, followed by pig dung. The OCV values from the mixture of both had the lowest results.
... MFC can be best defined as a fuel cell where microbes act as catalyst in degrading the organic content to produce electricity. It is a device that straight away converts microbial metabolic or enzyme catalytic energy into electricity by using usual electrochemical technology [2]. Various types of the microbial fuel cell exists, differing majorly on the source of substrates, microbes used and mechanism of electron transfer to the anode. ...
... MFC (Microbial fuel cell) can be best defined as a fuel cell where microbes act as catalyst in degrading the organic content to produce electricity. It is a device that straight away converts microbial metabolic or enzyme catalytic energy into electricity by using usual electrochemical technology [2]. ...
... In the 1990s, the topic of microbial fuel cells became a favourite area of research among scientists of electrochemistry and biology. Notable developments of MFCs are the research works published by Bennetto and co-workers (Bennetto et al., 1981;Thurston et al., 1985;Allen and Bennetto, 1993). ...
In recent decades, the need for a clean environment is getting importance due to climate change and global warming caused by the uncontrolled use of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas for transportation, industrial operations, electricity generation, and many other developmental activities. The negative aspect of the combustion of fossil fuels on the environment is mainly due to the release of CO2 into the atmosphere. Given this, energy-based research has found out an alternate way for sustainable energy generation from industrial wastes having organic substrates. Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is an innovative technology dealing with microorgniasms such as algae and bacteria which oxidize organic substrates in the wastewaters and to generate electricity simultaneously. Wastewaters from different industries like a brewery, chocolate industry, starch processing units, food industry, swine farms, paper mills, tanneries, and many more with a lot of organic load including domestic wastewater could be used as a substrate for energy generation.
Wastewaters to the extent of about 36,400 million litres/day have been produced in India. These wastewaters form the basis for the development of MFCs owing to their application in the production of electricity and hydrogen, which can be further used as fuel. MFCs help in the reduction of pollution and cuts the cost of wastewater treatment to produce clean and sustainable energy at a low cost. It transforms chemical energy into electricity using oxidation-reduction reactions by the electrogenic microorganisms living in these wastewaters.
Although single-chamber MFCs are also used, they are usually made of two chambers,
(a cathode chamber and an anode chamber) linked using a salt bridge or PEM (proton exchange membrane) connected by an external circuit. The anode chamber is filled with wastewater and the bacterial population generally present in wastewater acts as biocatalyst and is involved in generating protons (H+) and electrons (e–) protons (H+) through the breakdown of organic substrates by anaerobic respiration. They migrate via a PEM to the adjacent cathode chamber containing catholytes and react with the oxygen that is the final electron acceptor which plays an important role in the electrochemical process. MFCs are also tested for the process of desalination successfully. It differs from other fuel cells as there is a third chamber provided for the saltwater in between the two electrodes. The potential of MFCs is vast and exhaustive.
... To overcome these entire problems, research focussed on biological resources to generate electricity without affecting the environment and at low cost is required. A technology using microbial fuel cells (MFCs) that convert the energy stored in chemical bonds in organic compounds to electrical energy achieved through the catalytic reactions by microorganisms has generated considerable interests among academic researchers in recent years (Allen and Bennetto, 1993;Gil et al., 2003;Moon et al., 2006;Zhang et al., 2009;Patil et al., 2011). ...
A bstract Renewable bio-energy is considered as one of the ways to alleviate the current global energy crisis. It is evident that humankind is increasingly dependent on energy with the advancement of science and technology. Rapidly developing microbial electrochemical technologies, such as Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Microbial Fuel Cells, are part of a diverse platform for future sustainable energy. Microbial fuel cell is a technology that converts the energy stored in chemical bonds in organic/inorganic compounds to electrical energy through catalytic reactions by microorganisms. The microorganism generally presents in anode chamber of fuel cell act as biocatalyst and generates electrons (e-) and protons (H+) by way of anaerobic respiration of organic substrate. The electron transfer through the anode integrated with an external circuit to cathode and protons diffuse through the proton exchange membrane. The potential between the respiratory system and electron acceptor generates the current and voltage needed to make electricity In the present work, bio electricity is generated using mediator-less Microbial fuel cell utilizing effluents from dairy and sugar industries which are rich in organic substrates as well as microorganisms. The maximum voltage and power densities generated from diary and sugar industry effluents measured using USB data logger with an external resistance across anode and cathode were 450 mV, 143.6 mW/m 2 and 400 mV, 113.4 mW/m 2 respectively for a period of twenty one days. The observed results would form a basis for harnessing energy from industrial effluents and sustainable production of bioelectricity.
... The initial application of MFCs was to decompose glucose in an aqueous solution using Escherichia coli and obtain an electric potential of 500mV at 1000ohms (Ω) for 1 hour (Davis & Yarbrough, 1962). In the 1980s, several researchers discovered that adding electron mediators could enhance the current density and power output (Vega & Fernández, 1987;Allen & Bennetto, 1993;Park & Zeikus, 2000;Ikeda & Kano, 2003;Ieropoulos et al., 2005). During the early stages of MFC research and development, much effort was paid to the investigation of microbes, substrates, and the configuration of electrode materials. ...
Combined systems for wastewater treatment and resource recovery have been developed in many countries. However, systems for energy generation are still underdeveloped. This research was conducted to evaluate the possibility of electric potential generation from wastewater using a microbial fuel cell system (MFC). The simple two-chamber apparatus (2 liters) was fed with wastewater collected from dormitory discharge. Three batch experiments were carried out with 2 liters of wastewater with an influent concentration of 518 mg L-1 BOD5 and 750 mg L-1 COD. The results showed that the microbial fuel cell system generated a potential from 0.29 to 0.45 V for 7 days in the presence of 1.0-1.5% (v/v) Bacillus subtilis while this potential was not obtained in the case when microbes were not added. The highest removal efficiencies of BOD5 and COD reached 56% and 63%, respectively. It was found that the potential dropped to almost zero in all of the treatments while the ratio of BOD:COD was 0.83 and the concentration of BOD was around 230 mg L-1, indicating that other governing factors may have an impact on potential electricity generation. Therefore, further studies on the effects of the operating conditions and equipment should be comprehensively studied.
... The essential components of MFC include an anode, cathode, proton/ion exchange membrane, substrate and electrode catalyst (Allen and Bennetto, 2007;Tender. et al.., 2008;Winfield. ...
A microbial fuel cell (MFC) has many potential applications, including wastewater treatment, environmental monitoring and bioenergy production. The comparison of the open circuit voltages OCV values for three MFC set-ups using cow dung, pig dung and the combination of cow and pig dungs was carried out in this study. The MFC fabricated locally consist of two chambers – the anode, which is an anaerobic digestion of organic waste with an electrode on top of the digester lid while potassium permanganate was mixed with water in a chamber to form the cathode with an electrode on top of the lid. The two chambers were linked with a proton exchange membrane (PEM) made with agarose agar using PVC pipe. For 30 days, the OCV of the MFC set-ups were recorded. The OCV values for the three set-ups were compared. According to the results, the average OCV values for cow dung, pig dung, and a mixture of both are 1.014 V, 0.610 V and 0.430 V, respectively. This shows that cow dung produced the highest OCV values, followed by pig dung. The OCV values from the mixture of both had the lowest results.
... This exceptional microbial transformer has the capacity to transform organic matters (domestic, animal and human wastes) into electricity through the metabolic breakdown of biomass. Allen and Bennetto (1993) described MFCs as devices that operate on the principles of the catalytic activities of microbes on chemical constituents of biomass in which its reducing metabolite (electrons) are tapped to power an external load with an efficiency not less than 50% (Katz et al., 2003;Lovley, 2006). ...
The global energy crisis has spurred the search for alternative renewable energy sources, and recently, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have garnered significant biotechnological attention. MFCs directly harness and transfer electrons released during microbial metabolism through the anaerobic anode terminal to power external loads. Pilot studies on MFCs have demonstrated impressive efficiency ratings ranging from 89% to 95%, depending on factors such as substrate, oxidizers, exogenous mediators, and the electrode's nature used in constructing the system. The enhanced prospects of MFCs lie in their renewable fuel source, ability to yield clean energy, lightweight design, automated operation, and economic feasibility. These characteristics make them attractive as alternative energy sources for various micropowered gadgets, such as small robotic watercraft, organic photovoltaic cells, and mobile communication devices. Moreover, MFCs hold promise for powering medical devices like pacemakers, artificial hearts, and glucose sensors for diabetics. Additionally, their use as biochips and biosensors in extreme environments, such as meteorological stations, radioactive polluted sites, and ocean depths, for continuous monitoring, presents exciting possibilities. Despite their potential, MFCs face challenges related to pathogenic tendencies, environmental sensitivity, and mutagenic traits of the involved microbes. Furthermore, the design and structural aspects of MFCs need further research and development to ensure practical implementation. In conclusion, microbial fuel cells offer a promising avenue for sustainable energy solutions, but addressing the challenges through extensive research and innovation will be critical to realizing their full potential.
... Anaerobic microorganisms are employed in MFC to catalyze the conversion of organic matter in to electricity by producing electrons and hydrogen ions, which are collected in cathode through external circuit and through PEM respectively. Electrons and hydrogen reacted with oxygen in cathode and produce water 4,11,28,40 Zhang et al 86 evaluated a combination of UASB-MFC-BAF system with a single chamber having air cathode (membrane less). Zhang et al 87 used a response surface methodology (RSM) for the optimization of UASB-MFC for sulphate removal with single chamber, air cathode (membrane less) and Anupama et al tried an anaerobic-aerobic combination for spent wash with MFC-RBC system. ...
Post treatment of Up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASBR) effluents by a duel chambered Microbial fuel cell (MFC) was evaluated for high strength distillery spent wash. Bench scale UASBR (5 L capacity) and MFC (1 L capacity) with carbon electrodes having proton exchange membrane were used to elucidate the energy generation potential and substrate (COD) removal efficiency. Step by step, the influent COD concentration of UASB-MFC unit was increased. The MFC shows increasing trend of open circuit voltage, COD removal and substrate degradation rate with increase in influent COD concentration. The maximum COD removal (73.79%) and open circuit voltage (1.1 V) were achieved at 20600 mg/L of COD. At maximum COD concentration, MFC showed power density (maximum), substrate degradation rate and power yield as 61.61mW/m2, 1.086 kg COD/m3day and 0.041 W/kg CODR respectively. UASB-MFC combined unit gave maximum COD removal of 90%. The experimental data revealed the potential of MFC as feasible, economic (cost saving) and sustainable option.
... Allen et al., 1993;Tahernia et al., 2020). Hence, the efficiency of this transfer from chemical to electricity dramatically depends on the anode. ...
In this study, biogenic-palladium nanoparticles (bio-Pd NPs) with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 bacteria as a heterostructure bio-electrochemical cell catalyts was examined during catalytic degradation process in the efficient removal of Ofloxacin (OFX) and Doxycycline (DOX) micropollutants from pharmaceutical industry wastewater plant, İzmir, Turkey. Different pH values (3.0, 4.0, 6.0, 7.0, 9.0 and 11.0), increasing micropollutants (OFX and DOX) concentrations (5 mg/l, 15 mg/l, 30 mg/l and 45 mg/l), increasing Bio-Pd NPs concentrations (5 mg/l, 10 mg/l, 20 mg/l, 30 mg/l, 40 mg/l and 60 mg/l), different Bio-Pd NPs/cell dry weight (CDW) mass ratios (5/5, 6/4, 7/3, 8/2, 9/1, 1/9, 2/8, 3/7 and 4/6), increasing recycle times (1., 2., 3., 4., 5., 6. and 7.) was operated during catalytic degradation process in the efficient removals of OFX and DOX micropollutants in pharmaceutical industry wastewater. The characteristics of the synthesized NPs were assessed using Diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectra (DRS), Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analyses, respectively. The catalytic activity was first assessed by the degradation of methyl orange. The Bio-NPs showing the highest catalytic activity were selected for the removal of micropollutants (OFX and DOX) from secondary treated municipal wastewater. The catalytic degradation mechanisms of bio-Pd NPs with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 bacteria as a heterostructure bio-electrochemical cell catalysts and the reaction kinetics of OFX and DOX micropollutants were evaluated in pharmaceutical industry wastewater during catalytic degradation process. ANOVA statistical analysis was used for all experimental samples. The maximum 99% OFX removal efficiency was obtained catalytic removals with bio-electrochemical cell assisted production of bio-Pd NPs with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 bacteria bio-electrochemical cell catalyts in pharmaceutical industry wastewater, at 30 mg/l OFX concentration, 40 mg/l Bio-Pd NPs concentration, Bio-Pd NPs/CDW mass ratio=6/4, after 24 h catalytic degradation time, at pH=6.0, at 25oC, respectively. The maximum 99% DOX removal efficiency was observed catalytic removals with bio-electrochemical cell assisted production of bio-Pd NPs with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 bacteria bio-electrochemical cell catalyts in pharmaceutical industry wastewater, at 30 mg/l DOX concentration, 40 mg/l Bio-Pd NPs concentration, Bio-Pd NPs/CDW mass ratio=6/4, after 24 h catalytic degradation time, at pH=9.0, at 25oC, respectively. Finally, the combination of a simple, easy operation preparation process, excellent performance and cost effective, makes this Bio-Pd NPs with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 bacteria bio-electrochemical cell catalyts a promising option during catalytic degradation process in pharmaceutical industry wastewater treatment.
... Hemicellulose, an amorphous polymer of xylose (C 5sugar), C 6 sugars, and a variety of side-chains, is an important structural polysaccharide. Lignin is an amorphous co-polymer of phenyl-propene units formed via a random radical co-polymerization of coumaryl alcohol, coniferyl alcohol, and sinapyl alcohol [1][2][3] . Many renewable energy technologies are being continuously studied as a result of the increasing energy crisis. ...
... The benefits of using fuel cells include: clean, safe, noiseless, high energy efficiency, low emissions, and ease in operating. Biofuel cells use biocatalysts for the translation of chemical energy to electrical energy (Allen et al., 1993). The fuel cell is a device which uses traditional electrochemical technology to convert the energy produced either from a microbial metabolism or enzyme catalysis into electricity. ...
Renewable and clean forms of energy are one of the major needs at present. Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC’s) offers unambiguous advantages over other renewable energy conversion methods. Production of energy resources while minimizing waste is one of the best ways for sustainable energy resource management practices. The application of Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) may represent a completely new approach to wastewater treatment with the production of sustainable clean energy. The increase in energy demand can be fulfilled by Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) in the future. In recent years, researchers have shown that MFCs can be used to produce electricity from water containing glucose, acetate, or lactate. Studies on electricity generation using organic matter from wastewater as substrate are in progress. Waste biomass is a cheap and relatively abundant source of electrons for microbes capable of producing electrical current outside the cell. Rapidly developing microbial electrochemical technologies, such as microbial fuel cells, are part of a diverse platform of future sustainable energy and chemical production technologies. In the present investigation to study the two wastewater samples, municipal wastewater from nearby areas of Guntur (A.P.) and Dairy waste from Guntur (A.P.) were used as substrates in Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) to generate electricity. Along with electricity generation, the MFCs can successfully help in treating the same sewage samples. The parameters like pH, TS, TSS, TDS, BOD, and COD were analyzed for all two samples. The COD removal efficiency of the MFCs was analyzed using the standard reflux method. All the MFCs were efficient in COD removal. 50%, 75%, and 85% COD removal was observed after 10, 15, and 30 days respectively of operation of MFCs with municipal waste as substrate.
... Therefore, newer approaches like using fuel cells have emerged as a renewable energy sources that produces sufficient energy while at the same time reduces environmental damage. Among different kinds of fuel cells, Microbial Fuel Cells defined as devices which directly converts microbial metabolism into electricity have attracted researcher's attention (Allen, R.M. et al.,1993). The working principle of MFCs is based on the tenets of microbial physiology coupled with electrochemistry. ...
... Among fuel cells, Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are special types of bio-fuel cells. It is a device that converts chemical energy into electricity through the catalytic activities of microorganisms (Allen and Bennetto, 1993). MFC treatment can reduce the BOD in wastewater by degrading organic matter (Liu et al., 2004). ...
Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are devices that use bacteria to generate electricity from organic matter. In this study, the sewage waste was screened for pure cultures. Among the 10 isolated pure cultures, 2 showed best results (Staphylococcus and Enterobacteriaceae bacterium GP1). These were used in immobilized form as well to measure their electrochemical potential. These organisms are capable of transferring electrons to the anodic electrode of an MFC to generate an electric current. Further insights in to the anode reduction by these bio-film forming bacteria were gained through voltmeter. The redox, metabolites produced which varies with the different concentrations of ammonium and nitrogen sources was optimized. The power output was measured and compared among the organisms. 16s rRNA sequencing was done for the best strain after comparison. The bio-film formed on the anode for studied using scanning electron microscope.
... By oxidising the organic compounds, microorganisms make electrons available. This is transferred to the anode, and from there to the cathode through a circuit where they reduce the oxidant [110,117]. Hence, the efficiency of this transfer from chemical to electricity dramatically depends on the anode. The anode is the primary location where the microorganisms attach [47,118]. ...
The palladium (Pd)-catalysed reaction has attracted much attention, making Pd the most valuable of the four major precious metals. Several different forms of Pd can be used as a catalyst; nanoparticles (NPs) have the advantage of a high surface area:volume ratio. Since the chemical production of Pd NPs is not environmentally friendly, biological synthesis interest has grown. However, the production mechanism remained unknown in several cases and was recently described for the electroactive bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. The application of these green synthesised NPs was established in different fields. This review discusses the production pathway and the novel biological-inspired methods to produce tailored biogenic palladium nanoparticles (bio-Pd NPs), with their broad application fields as biogenic nanocatalysts. Two significant applications – reductive bioremediation of persistent organic contaminants and energy-producing microbial fuel cells – are discussed in detail. The current challenges in optimising bio-Pd NPs production and the potential research directions for the complete utilisation of its novel catalytic properties are highlighted.
... However, well-known researchers [10,11], such as Suzuki et al., [12] in 1976, made multiple attempts that resulted in a successful MFC design. The stereotypical design of MFC was given by Bennetto et al., [13] and Later, the University of Queensland in Australia, in collaboration with Foster's Brewing, produced a prototype MFC. In the anode chamber, microorganisms release electrons during substrate oxidation are transported to the cathode chamber via a conductive substance in an MFCs system. ...
The goal of this research was to improve electron generation in BMFC by utilizing potatoes waste as an electron donor source for bacterial species. Pollutant remediation is a secondary applications of BMFC, hence the current research investigated heavy metal remediation from wastewater and energized the system using potato waste. Within 20 days of operation, the present study provided 112 mV, with a maximum current density of 36.84 mA/m². The cell measured an internal resistance of 1557 Ω, which is bit higher than the external resistance. Several electrochemical studies were also carried out to validate the BMFC findings. On day 30, the specific capacitance was measured with a cyclic voltameter at 0.00057F/g to investigate the biofilm. It demonstrates that the biofilm remains stable throughout the BMFC process. Overall, the electrochemical studies demonstrated that potato waste was a good source of bacterial activity. The Enterobacter, Proteus, and Xenorhabdus species are detected on the surface of anode. Lastly, within 40 days, the maximum efficiency of metal remediation was found to be 94.20 % (Cd²⁺), 97.34 % (Pb²⁺), and 84.12 % (Cr³⁺).
... Recently, a novel BOD monitoring technology based on the use of microbial fuel cells has gained a lot of research attention due to advantages that can enable it to meet the mentioned requirements (Do et al., 2020). A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a bioelectrochemical device operated by microbial electrochemical activity (Allen, Bennetto, 1993). Generally, an MFC includes one anode and one cathode, which is separated by a protonexchange membrane. ...
Nowadays, instant assessment of the organic content in wastewater is an urgent requirement to reduce water pollution. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can be used as effective biosensors for rapidly measuring BOD concentration of wastewater. However, wastewaters from different sources may consist of diverse chemical components, which may affect the BOD-measuring performance of MFC-type biosensors. Therefore, in this research, we tested different input substrates for the BOD sensor type MFC (MFC_BOD) to investigate their effects on the performance of the MFC. The substrates belonging to diverse groups such as carbohydrates, organic acids, amino acids and some chlorinated compounds (xenobiotics) were tested at different concentrations equivalent to BOD levels from 10 to 200 mg L-1. Concurrently, we also analyzed the alteration of the bacterial community in the anode of the MFC when tested with those different substrates by using PCR-DGGE. Our results showed that the MFC_BOD could have linear current-to-BOD responses (with the respective R2 values >0.9) to more metabolizable substrates such as carbohydrates, organic acid and glycerol; while it responded less sensitively at different degrees to some amino acids (serine, threonine and methionine) and did not respond to chloroform and chlorobenzene (chlorinated compounds). PCA and bacterial community analysis results surprisingly imply that such different responses may be solely due to different bio(electro)chemical processes associated with the substrates but not due to changes in the composition of the bacterial community. The results suggest that, to enable the MFC_BOD to accurately sense the BODs of the wastewaters containing recalcitrant or toxic substrates, special procedures are required to enrich in the anode the bacterial communities acclimated to the substrates right from the beginning
This paper aimed to design, build, and test microbial fuel cells that source their fuel from organic waste, using microbial fuel cells to power LED lights. The research concluded that microbial fuel is a prospective energy source for future electricity that can be produced and used by all consumers. Single Chamber Microbial fuel cells were set up using material readily available around, i.e. the slurry and, in the market, i.e. the other microbial fuel cell. Microbial fuel cells are a type of bio-electrochemical system that converts chemical energy from organic compounds/renewable energy sources to electrical energy/bio-electrical energy through microbial catalysis at the anode under anaerobic conditions. The process is becoming an attractive and alternative methodology for generating electricity. Based on the tests, the single chamber MFC has a minimum two-and-a-half-month lifespan and can produce a maximum voltage of over 500 mV. Of the thirty MFCs that were manufactured, eighteen of them-producing a steady and increasing voltage-were linked in series within the frame. Five red LED lights were successfully powered by the entire arrangement. This demonstrates that a larger number of MFCs installed may generate more electricity to run a control system.
A resource recovery from waste material is an important topic. Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is getting interest nowadays due to its superiority to generate electricity from a wide range of substrates by utilizing organic wastes. This study was aimed to investigate the potential electricity generation by utilizing animal dung and leaf mold as a very prospective substrate for bioelectricity generation using MFC. MFC as a direct current source (DC), in this experiment we focus to prove the potential difference (voltage) generated by the material. The best result is 10980 ± 11.32 mV/m 2 for a mixed sample of Test V (leaf mold and soil), while for the pure samples showed at 10880 ± 4.784 mV/m 2 for Test IV (chicken dropping). The advancements in this environmentally friendly study have expanded that cow dung, chicken droppings and leaf mold as a variety of organic wastes which contains large amounts of nutrients and various other minerals, as a microbial fuel cell proved to generate sustainable green and safe electricity moreover as an efficient, eco-friendly solution for organic waste management.
Extracellular electron transfer (EET) is a biological mechanism that plays a crucial role in various bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) and has substantial implications for renewable energy production. By utilizing the metabolic capacities of exoelectrogens, BESs offer a viable and environmentally friendly approach to electricity generation and chemical production; however, the diminished effectiveness of EET remains a hindrance to their optimal application in practical contexts. This paper examines the various strategies that have the potential to be employed to enhance the efficiency of EET systems and explores the potential for the integration of BESs technology with contemporary technologies, resulting in the development of an enhanced and sustainable system. It also examines how quorum sensing, electrode modifications, electron shuttles, and mediators can aid in improving EET performance. Many technological innovations, such as additive manufacturing, the science of nanotechnology, the technique of genetic engineering, computational intelligence, and other combinations of technologies that can be used to augment the efficacy of BESs are also discussed. Our findings will help readers understand how BESs, though an evolving technology, can play an important role in addressing our environmental concerns. Technical constraints are identified, and future directions in the field of EET are suggested.
As the world grapples with an imminent energy crisis brought on by the depletion of nonrenewable resources, such as petroleum, the necessity for alternative and eco-friendly power sources becomes increasingly apparent. In this regard harnessing knowledge gained from natural microorganisms to produce electricity using economical substrates is a promising solution through microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Microbial fuel cells leverage microbes' catabolic abilities to break down organic matter and release electrons that are subsequently transported across an external circuit for electricity generation. This article delves into the fundamental components involved in MFC construction and explores crucial factors that impact their performance including substrate oxidation, electron transfer, and internal resistance. Additionally, it offers a comprehensive analysis of existing microbial fuel cell designs while highlighting their respective strengths and weaknesses. Finally, the article showcases cost-effective MFC models based on thorough studies conducted worldwide while illuminating potential practical applications of this renewable energy technology.
This review article addresses microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as a renewable energy source. MFCs are bioelectrochemical systems that use exoelectrogenic bacterial communities under anaerobic conditions to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. These systems are attracting attention due to their potential to reduce overall energy consumption, produce zero carbon emissions, and exhibit high energy density. The rapid development of renewable energy sources has increased the potential for bioenergy, particularly MFCs, to become one of the most important energy sources of the future. In addition to energy production, MFCs show potential for bioremediation and efficient removal of various pollutants. While MFC technology currently has limited application at the laboratory level, it is expected to increase in commercial use in the near future and offers great potential in the areas of renewable energy and environmental sustainability. This review article focuses on the historical and ecological development of the components used in MFCs, examining in detail their evolution and use in MFCs for renewable energy production.
Anode material and surface properties have a crucial impact on the performance of MFCs. Designing and fabricating various modified carbon-based anodes with functional materials is an effective strategy to improve anode performance in MFCs. Anode materials with excellent bioaffinity can promote bacterial attachment, growth, and extracellular electron transfer. In this study, positively charged nano hydroxyapatite (nHA) with remarkable biocompatibility combined with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with unique structure and high conductivity were used as anode modifying material. The nHA/CNTs modified carbon brush (CB) exhibited improved bacteria adsorption capacity, electrochemical activity and reticular porous structure, thus providing abundant sites and biocompatible microenvironment for the attachment and growth of functional microbial and accelerating extracellular electron transfer. Consequently, the nHA/CNTs/CB-MFCs achieved the maximum power density of 4.50 ± 0.23 mW m-2, which was 1.93 times higher than that of the CB-MFCs. Furthermore, diclofenac sodium (DS), which is a widely used anti-inflammatory drug and is also a persistent toxic organic pollutant constituting a serious threat to public health, was used as the model organic pollutant. After 322 days of long-term operation, enhanced diclofenac sodium removal efficiency and simultaneous bioelectricity generation were realized in nHA/CNTs/CB-MFCs, benefiting from the mature biofilm and the diverse functional microorganisms revealed by microbial community analysis. The nHA/CNTs/CB anode with outstanding bioaffinity, electrochemical activity and porous structure presents great potential for the fabrication of high-performance anodes in MFCs.
Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is an interesting technology capable of converting the chemical energy stored in organics to electricity. It has raised high hopes among researchers and end users as the world continues to face climate change, water, energy, and land crisis. This review aims to discuss the journey of continuously progressing MFC technology from the lab to the field so far. It evaluates the historical development of MFC, and the emergence of different variants of MFC or MFC-associated other technologies such as sediment-microbial fuel cell (S-MFC), plant-microbial fuel cell (P-MFC), and integrated constructed wetlands-microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC). This review has assessed primary applications and challenges that are needed to overcome existing limitations for its commercialization. In addition, it further illustrates the design and potential applications of S-MFC, P-MFC, and CW-MFC and presents their status as budding technologies. Lastly, the maturity and readiness of MFC, S-MFC, P-MFC, and CW-MFC for real-world implementation was assessed by multicriteria-based assessment. Wastewater treatment efficiency, bioelectricity generation efficiency, energy demand, cost investment, and scale-up potential were mainly considered as key criteria. Other sustainability criteria, such as life cycle and environmental impact assessments, to get insight into the longevity of commercialized technology were also evaluated.
Enzymes and related products derived from microorganisms form the foundation for the working of bio-based technologies due to their enzymatic activities. The microorganisms offer wide applications such as delignification, oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, etc., with the help of enzymes and related products derived from them. They can be used to produce various value-added products/chemicals and biofuels. Numerous bio-based alternatives have been explored worldwide to develop sustainable technologies via the utilization of microorganisms and enzymes. These bio-based products can be used to replace the conventional chemicals and fuels currently used, leading to a greener society. Applications of microbes and their enzymatic system have also been extended to various domains such as healthcare, bioremediation, food industry, bioelectricity, etc. Bioelectricity by using microorganisms in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) has been receiving attention globally as it can be an efficient source for a steady supply of energy and job opportunities. Also, the utilization of wastewater in MFCs for electricity generation adds up to its positive environmental impacts. The current chapter deals with the use of microorganisms and derived enzymes in various industrial sectors. The principle behind the utilization of microbes in MFCs and wastewater mitigation strategies are also discussed. Lastly, the limitations and prospects are highlighted to understand its potential future role and possible opportunities.
Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is an outstanding technology recently creating the headlines relating to energy and environment field that been discovered since the earlier 20th century. It has been furthered implemented for energy renewable through simultaneous bioremediation of wastes. MFC works by converting chemical energy store in the waste into electrical energy with the help of selected microorganisms. Regarding to this, the principle of bioremediation was applied using MFC as the renewable energy where the microorganisms consume the substrate thus generating electrical energy. Many studies done by researches are mostly focusing on MFC utilizing waste and measuring the power generation on different type of MFC but lack of studies on the effect of series and parallel circuit in MFC setup and how does it differentiate the outcome of the studies. This paper reviews the history, working principle, design of MFC, classification of different substrates and its power output and the effect of series and parallel circuit of MFC setup for simultaneous bioremediation and energy recovery.
Nowadays there is a concern to improve the quality of education by including an interdisciplinary approach of concepts and their integration in the curriculum of scientific disciplines. The development of microbial fuel cells as a potential alternative for production of renewable energies gives undergraduate students the challenge of integrating interdisciplinary concepts in a hot topic of global interest as alternative energies. We present a laboratory experiment that has been part of a third‐year undergraduate course in biology where students gained experience in assembling microbial fuel cells and the understanding of how they work. In this process, the students could integrate biological, biochemical, and electric concepts. In addition, the acquisition of manual skills and experimental design decisions are important for the development of future professionals.
Innovations in biotechnology have contributed immensely in the age of growing phyto-power systems. This has fueled the use of integrated plant biotechnology and ecotechnology to develop oxygenated biofuels by using a phyto base as a primary source for the production of biofuels. Furthermore, it has also contributed to the reduction of power output, with greater energy efficiency of these fuels. While various research studies have been conducted to study physicochemical and toxicological characters of these, along with studying the impact of oxygen levels on plant productivity. It has led to developing eco-friendly solutions such as the leaner lifted-flame combustion strategy, which offers a reduction in soot and provides an alternative to low-temperature combustion, and others such as ethanol and biodiesel, which represent the first generation of biofuel technology. With the advancement in this technology, advanced biofuels are also manufactured from nonfood crops and algae as the main feedstock, thereby increasing the fuel potential and providing a diverse array of carbon sources. In this chapter we discuss the development of oxygenated biofuels through the intervention of plant biotechnology with futuristic mechanics that have integrated and upgraded the fuel potential and created a diverse refinery over natural resources for a sustainable future.
The jumps are the fundamental activities of human beings which had catered the food gathering and safety need of man kind right from the ancient times. Competitive jumps had come a long way in the development of technique and style. Purpose of this study was to compare the various joint breadths of Indian elite male athletes of different jumping events, 100 Indian elite male Jumpers (25 each of High jump, Long Jump, Triple Jump and Pole vault) were selected from various National level competitions and sports camps, and SAI Hostels of India. The gathered data of Humerous and Femerous bi-epicondylar, Wrist and Ankle joint was analysed by Analysis of variance (ANOVA). The
Result of the study had shown that Triple jumpers are greater in Humerus bi-epicondylar, Ankle breadth and Wrist breadth than long jumpers, high jumpers and pole vaulters whereas no significant difference was seen in Femerus bi-epicondyle width of elite male jumpers of India.
Oxidation denitration is one of the most efficient ways to remove NOx from flue gas in a coal-fired power plant. However, this oxidation denitration produces saline solution containing a high concentration of nitrate, which needs to be well treated. In this paper, MFC was firstly used to treat the high nitrate content saline denitration solution from ozone oxidation denitration of a coal-fired power plant. The influences of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and initial nitrate concentration on the nitrate removal and electricity generation of MFC were investigated by sequencing batch mode. The results showed that using MFCs could efficiently remove nitrate from coal-fired power plant saline denitration solution with nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N) concentration up to 1510 mg/L. The average nitrate nitrogen removal rate was as high as 248.3 mg/(L·h) at initial nitrate nitrogen concentration of 745 mg/L and COD concentration of 6.5 g/L, which was eight times as high as that of the conventional biological method. Furthermore, the MFC required an average COD consumption of 3.42 g/g-NO3—N which was lower than most of the conventional biological methods. In addition, MFC could produce a maximum power density of 241.1 mW/m2 while treating this saline denitration solution.
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are biochemical devices with the tendency to produce energy from bacteria-catalyzed by-products, in turn solving environmental pollution problems emanating from fossil fuel energy releases. High levels of wastewater produced during palm oil processing may have deleterious effects on environmental systems and biological entities. MFCs are quite effective for wastewater treatment, biosensing, robotics, biohydrogen, and bioelectricity production. Palm oil processing wastewater can be used in bioelectricity production, thereby minimizing the amount of energy derived from fossil fuels. Moreover, it can solve the problem of the direct discharge of wastewater into the environment. This study focuses on the various types of MFCs and their architectural design and intrinsic and extrinsic factors that may influence bioelectricity production, the treatment efficiency of palm oil mill effluents, and their sustainability. This chapter also presents the potential barriers involved in the process. Some artificial intelligence processes are discussed, particularly the incorporation of smart technology for efficient energy use. This is covered because this technology may have strong potential for maximizing the management of palm oil mill effluents, particularly because of its likelihood to lessen the negative environmental impacts associated with the indiscriminate discharge of these effluents. This type of technology may provide a sustainable clean energy solution with a tendency to reduce environmental damage associated with wastewater release while highlighting some positive and innovative applications of MFCs in waste minimization.
Electroactive microorganisms play a significant role in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). These devices are environmentally friendly and can turn large quantities of organic material into renewable energy based on microbial diversity. Based on broad microbial diversity, it is necessary to obtain a comprehensive understanding of their resource distribution and to discover potential resources. In this study, sweet potato tissues were selected to isolate endophytic bacteria, and the electrochemical activity potential of those bacteria was evaluated by high-throughput screening with a WO3 nanoprobe. This study was screened and obtained a strain SHE10 with electrochemical performance from the rhizome of sweet potato by a WO3 nanoprobe, which was identified as Shinella zoogloeoides. After nearly 600 h of voltage monitoring and cyclic voltammetry analysis, the results showed that the average voltage of S. zoogloeoides SHE10 reached 122.5 mV in stationary period. The maximum power density is 78.3 ± 1.8 mW/m², and the corresponding current density is 223.0 mA/m². The good redox reaction also indicated that the strain had good electrical activity. Its electron transfer mode was diverse, but its power generation mechanism still needs to be further discussed. The study of S. zoogloeoides SHE10 provides scientific theoretical reference for expanding the resource pool of electroproducing bacteria and the types of electroproducing microorganisms.
Environmental pollution and energy shortage are two important concerns that may seriously impair the sustainable development of our society. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are attractive technology for the direct conversion of chemical energy of organic wastes into electric power to realize simultaneous electrical power recovery and environmental remediation. In comparison to organic wastewater, solid organic waste is more difficult to be degraded. Food waste as one of the important organic wastes has significant impact on our ecosystem. Here, by taking solid potato waste (SPW) as a typical solid food waste, the impact of waste activated sludge (WAS) as a second waste to introduce synergistic effects between them to enhance waste-to-power conversion in microbial fuel cell (MFC) was systematically investigated. For the MFCs with seven different mixing ratios of SPW and WAS, the MFC with mixing ratio of 6:1 produced the highest maximum current density and maximum power density of 320.1 mA/m² and 14.1 mW/m². Mixing larger ratios of WAS (2:1 and 4:1) resulted in only a very slight increase in coulombic efficiency; while mixing smaller ratios of WAS (6:1, 8:1 and 10:1) significantly increased the coulombic efficiency, and the coulombic efficiency showed an obvious increase as the WAS mixing ratio decreased. Less humic acid- and fulvic acid-like substances were formed from the hydrolysis and degradation of SPW and WAS, and most of dissolved macromolecular organic matters were hydrolyzed into organic fractions with small molecular weight. Principal component analysis indicated that the composition of dissolved organic matters was significantly influenced by different mixing ratios of SPW and WAS throughout the operation. The study provides a promising strategy for enhancing energy recovery from SPW in MFCs.
Soil has been used to generate electrical power in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and unveiled numerous potential applications. This study aims to disclose the outcome of soil properties on the generated electricity and the range of soil source exoelectrogenic bacteria. Soil samples will be studied across Nashik area and packed into air-cathode MFCs to generate electricity over a long duration such as 270 days period. The bacteria are cultured using the agar solution in the laboratory. Culturable strains of Fe(III)-reducing bacteria were isolated and identified phylogenetically. Their exoelectrogenic ability was evaluated by polarization measurement. The sequencing of Fe(III)-reducing bacteria showed that Clostridia were dominant in all soil samples. The expected outcomeof the study is that soil OC content had the most important effect on power generation and that the Clostridiaceae were the dominant exoelectrogenic bacterial group in soil. This study might lead to the discovery of more soil source exoelectrogenic bacteria species.
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