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Bioelectrochemical System Integrated with Photocatalysis: Principle and Prospect in Wastewater Treatment

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Bioelectrochemistry Stimulated Environmental Remediation

Abstract

With the increasing consumption of fossil energy, more and more refractory pollutants are released into the environment. Using eco-friendly ways to treat the pollutants and gain energy is urgently needed. By using microbial fuel cells (MFCs), contaminant degradation and energy recovery can be achieved simultaneously but limited by the finite kinds of degradation of pollutants and the low power production efficiency. To promote the energy productivity and pollutant degradation ability, some researchers are focused on introducing solar energy into the system. Some semiconductors can absorb solar energy and convert it into electricity. Meanwhile, the typical structure of the photo-excited semiconductor can improve the performance of contaminant removal. Another ideal energy convention way is the photosynthesis. Some researchers use aquatic microalgae to harness the solar energy and then release the energy by MFC. In addition to producing oxygen and capturing CO2 and other nutrient, the microalga is a promising combination material. The coupling system of MFC and one of semiconductors or microalgae can be seen as microbial-photo-electro-chemical cell (MPEC) systems. The development background and research advances on MPECs are briefly introduced in this chapter. The existing coupling forms of the technology are classified, and the coupling mechanisms of various forms are explained in detail. Finally, the future development of this coupling technology is prospected.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Shu-Sen Wang, Hafiz Muhammad Adeel Sharif, Hao-Yi Cheng & Ai-Jie Wang

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Shu-Sen Wang & Hafiz Muhammad Adeel Sharif

  3. State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resources and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China

    Ai-Jie Wang

Authors
  1. Shu-Sen Wang
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  2. Hafiz Muhammad Adeel Sharif
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  3. Hao-Yi Cheng
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  4. Ai-Jie Wang
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Correspondence to Hao-Yi Cheng or Ai-Jie Wang .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Ai-Jie Wang

  2. Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Bin Liang

  3. School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China

    Zhi-Ling Li

  4. Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Hao-Yi Cheng

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Wang, SS., Sharif, H.M.A., Cheng, HY., Wang, AJ. (2019). Bioelectrochemical System Integrated with Photocatalysis: Principle and Prospect in Wastewater Treatment. In: Wang, AJ., Liang, B., Li, ZL., Cheng, HY. (eds) Bioelectrochemistry Stimulated Environmental Remediation. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8542-0_9

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