Enhancing biodegradation and energy generation via roughened surface graphite electrode in microbial desalination cell

Abstract

The microbial desalination cell (MDC) is known as a newly developed technology for water and wastewater treatment. In this study, desalination rate, organic matter removal and energy production in the reactors with and without desalination function were compared. Herein, a new design of plain graphite called roughened surface graphite (RSG) was used as the anode electrode in both microbial fuel cell (MFC) and MDC reactors for the first time. Among the three type of anode electrodes investigated in this study, RSG electrode produced the highest power density and salt removal rate of 10.81 W/m and 77.6%, respectively. Such a power density was 2.33 times higher than the MFC reactor due to the junction potential effect. In addition, adding the desalination function to the MFC reactor enhanced columbic efficiency from 21.8 to 31.4%. These results provided a proof-of-concept that the use of MDC instead of MFC would improve wastewater treatment efficiency and power generation, with an added benefit of water desalination. Furthermore, RSG can successfully be employed in an MDC or MFC, enhancing the bio-electricity generation and salt removal.

Microbial fuel cell‐enhanced electrokinetic process for remediation of chromium from marine sediments

“…This pH reduction increased the internal resistance of the cell and had also an inhibitory effect on bacterial activity in the anode chamber. Previously reported studies also demonstrated a descending trend of pH in the anode chamber of microbial desalination cells 40 …”

“…In the first step of the experiment, synthetic wastewater was employed in the MEKC anode chamber. The anode chambers in three initial experiments were fed with the synthetic wastewater containing (per liter of deionized water) 1.6 g CH 3 COONa, 1.07 g K 2 HPO 4 , 0.53 g KH 2 PO 4 , 0.5 g NaCl, 0.15 g NH 4 Cl, 0.02 g CaCl 2 , 0.015 g MgSO 4 , 0.1 g yeast extract, and 10 ml of trace metals mineral solution 40 . The medium was autoclaved at 121°C and 15 psi for 20 min.…”

Electrokinetic and Sediment Remediation in Microbial Fuel Cell

“…The specifications of synthetic sewage used in the system are described in Table 1. The trace element solution used in this study was reported in our previous work [18].…”

Electrical Energy Management in Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant

“…In recent decades, public attention has been drawn to the quality standards of wastewater effluents [1]. Energy use is overlooked in designing treatment plants so that they are designed more on the basis of experience than on the basis of the best practices or the latest and the most recent scientific findings.…”