Treatment of high-strength sulfate wastewater using an autotrophic biocathode in view of elemental sulfur recovery

Blázquez, Enric; Gabriel, David; Baeza, Juán Antonio; Guisasola, Albert

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2016.09.014

Cited by 91 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Biocathodes can degrade many substances such as high-strength sulfate wastewater, 155 heavy metals, 156 sulfate, 157 p-nitrophenol, 158 and p-chloronitrobenzene. 159 To enhance the dechlorination of 2,4-dichloronitrobenzene, a coupled microbial electrosynthesis-upflow anaerobic sludge reactor was developed by Chen et al 160 The results indicated that biocathodes at a lower potential are favorable for the enrichment of dechlorination-related microbes.…”

Section: Electron Transfer Pathways In the Biocathode Of Mecmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial electrolysis cell as an emerging versatile technology: a review on its potential application, advance and challenge

Hua

et al. 2019

J of Chemical Tech & Biotech

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Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) have been studied in a wide range of potential applications such as recalcitrant pollutants removal, chemicals synthesis, resources recovery and biosensors. However, MEC technology is still in its infancy and poses serious challenges for practical large‐scale applications. To understand the diversified applications of MEC, this review aims to explore MEC applications in the following contexts: an overview of MEC for energy generation and recycling such as hydrogen, methane, formic acid and hydrogen peroxide; contaminant removal, specifically complex organic pollutants and inorganic pollutants; as a sensor; as well as resource recovery. New concepts of MEC technology; configuration optimization; electron transfer pathways in biocathodes, and coupling with other technologies for value‐added applications such as MEC‐anaerobic digestion, MEC‐MFC, MEC‐MDC and bio‐E‐Fenton system are discussed. Finally, challenges and outlooks are suggested. The review aims to assist researchers and engineers to understand the latest trends in MEC technologies and applications. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry

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Section: Electron Transfer Pathways In the Biocathode Of Mecmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial electrolysis cell as an emerging versatile technology: a review on its potential application, advance and challenge

Hua

et al. 2019

J of Chemical Tech & Biotech

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“…For real application of BES in sulfaterich water treatment, a second step of sulfide transformation to elemental sulfur should be integrated. Two recent studies have combined the bioelectroreduction of sulfate to sulfide with the recovery of elemental sulfur (S 0 ) through the use of sulfuroxidizing bacteria in the anodic chamber of a separate BES, resulting in a S 0 recovery of 74% (Pozo et al, 2017b), or in the same biocathodic system by using part of the anodic-produced oxygen that partially diffuse to the cathode through the ion exchange membrane (Blázquez et al, 2016).…”

Section: Sulfate-rich Waters Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sulfate-Reducing ElectroAutotrophs and Their Applications in Bioelectrochemical Systems

Agostino

Rosenbaum

2018

Front. Energy Res.

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Electroautotrophs are microbes able to perform different biocathodic reactions by using CO 2 as sole carbon source and electrochemical reducing power as a sole energy source. Electroautotrophy has been discovered in several groups of microorganisms, including iron-oxidizing bacteria, iron-reducing bacteria, nitrate-reducing bacteria, acetogens, methanogens and sulfate-reducing bacteria. The high diversity of electroautrophs results in a wide range of Bioelectrochemical Systems (BES) applications, ranging from bioproduction to bioremediation. In the last decade, particular research attention has been devoted toward the discovery, characterization and application of acetogenic and methanogenic electroautotrophs. Less attention has been given to autotrophic sulfate-reducing microorganisms, which are extremely interesting biocatalysts for multiple BES technologies, with concomitant CO 2 fixation. They can accomplish water sulfate removal, hydrogen production and, in some case, even biochemicals production. This mini-review gives a journey into electroautotrophic ability of sulfate-reducing bacteria and highlights their possible importance for biosustainable applications. More specifically, general metabolic features of autotrophic sulfate reducers are introduced. Recently discovered strains able to perform extracellular electron uptake and possible molecular mechanisms behind this electron transfer capacity are explored. Finally, BES technologies based on sulfate-reducing electroautotrophs are illustrated.

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“…Several three-dimensional carbon electrodes have been proposed in order to increase microbial-surface interaction due to their high conductivity, good chemical stability and smooth surface (Jourdin et al 2015a;Jourdin et al 2016a;Marshall et al 2012;Virdis et al 2011). Although some research has been carried out on carbonbased surface as electron material for autotrophic sulfate removal (Su et al 2012;Coma et al 2013;Luo et al 2014;Teng et al 2016;Blázquez et al 2016), no single study exists which described autotrophic sulfate reduction using three-dimensional coating multiwalled carbon nanotubes on reticulated vitreous carbon (MWCNT-RVC) as the electrode material.…”

Section: Elucidation Of Autotrophic Sulfate-reducing Mechanisms In Bimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) has been applied several times to detect electrodeposition of elemental sulfur (Dutta et al 2009;Blázquez et al 2016). However, the various oxidation states of sulfur atom from II to…”

Section: Bio-electrochemical System As a Resource Recovery And Treatmmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bio-Electrochemical process for Metal and Sulfur Recovery from Acid Mine Drainage

Zamora¹,

Alonso²

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Water recycling and resource recovery from acid mine drainage (AMD) are increasingly being regarded as desirable practices with direct benefits for the environment and the operational and economic viability of the resources sector.This thesis proves the concept of a novel bioelectrochemical system (BES) for the direct electrode-driven resource recovery and practically permanent AMD treatment. The technology consists of a two-cell bioelectrochemical setup to enable the removal of sulfate from the ongoing reduction-oxidation sulfur cycle, thereby also reducing salinity, without external addition of chemicals.In particular, the goals of this thesis are: (i) to enrich a sulfate reducing bacterial community capable of directly utilising a carbon based cathode as electron donor for autotrophic sulfate reduction, or via bioelectrochemically-produced H 2 ; (ii) to elucidate the electron flux pathways of autotrophic sulfate reduction and microbial interactions in cathodic mixed cultures; (iii) to develop a high-rate sulfate reducing bioelectrochemical reactor based on high surface area electrode materials; (iv) to design and implement a combined chemical-free bioelectrochemical process that enables the sulfur, metal and water recovery from AMD.In order to elucidate whether cathodes can effectively release electrons and act as the only electron donor to support sulfate reduction process, the effect of cathode potential and inoculum source were evaluated using electrochemical tools, including the recording of chronoamperometry and cyclic/linear sweep voltammetry (Chapter 5). Electrochemical and off-gas analysis coupled to liquid phase sampling was carried out to determine the electron fluxes from the electrode to the final electron acceptor (sulfate) during autotrophic sulfate reduction (Chapter 6). Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and digital image analysis (DAIME) of the microbial communities in z-stack confirmed the microbial stratification. After obtaining a well-functioning biocathode for autotrophic sulfate reduction, its performance was experimentally optimised in terms of high-surface area electrode materials, like multi-wall carbon nanotubes on reticulated vitreous carbon (MWCNT-RVC) and carbon granules (CG) (Chapter 7). Finally, a novel BES was tested for AMD treatment , outcompeting methanogens and homoacetogens for the hydrogen without the need to add chemical inhibitors.The findings of this thesis show that inexpensive CG can achieve higher current-tosulfide efficiencies at lower power consumption than the nano-modified three-dimensional MWCNT-RVC. Sequencing analysis of the 16S rRNA gene on day 58 revealed that MWCNT-RVC retained the bacteria and archaea population from the inoculum, while CG electrode surface was able to select for bacteria over archaea.The feasibility to integrate a two-stage BES was proven with a lab-scale setup for AMD treatment. Using AMD, the BES operation enhanced the sulfate reduction rate ( The solid metal-sludge was 2 times less voluminous and 9 times more readily s...

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Treatment of high-strength sulfate wastewater using an autotrophic biocathode in view of elemental sulfur recovery

Cited by 91 publications

References 38 publications

Microbial electrolysis cell as an emerging versatile technology: a review on its potential application, advance and challenge

Microbial electrolysis cell as an emerging versatile technology: a review on its potential application, advance and challenge

Sulfate-Reducing ElectroAutotrophs and Their Applications in Bioelectrochemical Systems

Bio-Electrochemical process for Metal and Sulfur Recovery from Acid Mine Drainage

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