Deriving electricity from dye processing wastewater using single chamber microbial fuel cell with carbon brush anode and platinum nano coated air cathode

Abstract

Single chamber air cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a promising and sustainable technology to generate electricity. In the present study, the potential of air cathode MFC treating dye processing wastewater was investigated at various organic loads with interest focused on power densities, organic removal and coulombic efficiencies. The highest power density of about 515 mW/m 2 (6.03 W/m 3) with 56% of coulombic efficiency was procured at 1.0 (g COD/L) organic load. The high potency of TCOD (total chemical oxygen demand), SCOD (soluble chemical oxygen demand) and TSS (Total Suspended Solids) removal of about 85%, 73% and 68% respectively was achieved at the organic load of 1.0 (g COD/L). The bacterial strains in anode region at the initial stage of MFC operation were reported to be responsible for potential organic removal. The bacterial strains in air cathode MFC were identified as Paenibacillus sp. strain JRA1 (MH27077), Pseudomonas sp. strain JRA2 (MH27078), Ochrobactrum sp. strain JRA3 (MH27079), Sphingobacterium sp. strain JRA4 (MH27080), Stenotrophomonas sp. strain JRA5 (MH27081), Bacillus sp. strain JRA6 (MH27082) and Clostridium sp. strain JRA7 (MH27083) using phylogenetic analysis. After 60 days of air cathode MFC operation, the bacterial community in biofilm samples was dominated by Bacillus, Ochrobactrum and Pseudomonas (20-22%). The biofilm sample collected from the carbon brush consisted of Bacillus (33%), Ochrobactrum (30%), Pseudomonas (28%), Clostridium (6%) and Stenotrophomonas (3%). The present study revealed the treatment efficiency of dye processing wastewater along with power generation in single chambered air cathode MFC.

Treatment of seafood industrial wastewater coupled with electricity production using air cathode microbial fuel cell under saline condition

“…Cathode projected surface area in the reactor was used to estimate the power and current density. The external resistance ranging between 100 and 16 000 Ω was used to plot polarization curve 17 …”

“…The predominant occupancy of Bacillus leads to inhibit the methanogens and generate high power production in MFC. 39 Recently, Karuppiah et al 17 also reported Bacillus as the dominant bacterial strain with 33% occupancy in ACMFC operated with dye wastewater. Interestingly in the present study at 1.25 gCOD/L OL, the anode film was dominated by Rhodococcus (42.3%) revealed high power production (530 mW/m 2 ) under saline condition.…”

“…The external resistance ranging between 100 and 16 000 Ω was used to plot polarization curve. 17 The coulombic efficiency (CE) was calculated for fedbatch cycle as detailed by Karuppiah et al 17 ACMFC was operated at different OL, after attaining study state, eventually different external resistance was used to plot the polarization curve.…”

Improved decolorization of dye wastewater and enhanced power output in the electrically stacked microbial fuel cells with H2O2 modified corncob anodes

“…These stackings were done in series and parallel as depicted in Figure 2 The external resistance directly influences the power production and the anodic biofilm community structure 38 and the range here has been selected based on the study by Yu et al 39 The internal resistance was obtained by the polarization curve method as described by the Chouler et al and Li et al 32,40 Coulombic efficiency (CE) was calculated based on the COD concentration converted to electrical energy in a single chambered MFC. 41 The CE for fed-batch cycle was calculated as per the following equation. 42…”

“…The CE of the single MFC for batch cycle was measured based on COD concentration reduction 41 as outlined in the Materials and Methods section. A CE of 22% ± 2.3% and 36% ± 2.2% for the MFC with the bare anode and 20% H 2 O 2 modified anode was obtained respectively.…”