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Biosensor nanostructures based on dual-chamber microbial fuel cells for rapid determination of biochemical oxygen demand and microbial community analysis

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Abstract

A low-cost dual-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) was constructed as a biosensor for the rapid determination of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in domestic sewage. The operating conditions were optimized during the operation of the MFCs. The changes in the microbial community structure in the anode compartment were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology. The results indicated that the MFCs-BOD biosensor reached a steady state (maximum voltage of around 550 mV) within 1 week. The optimal working conditions were K3[Fe(CN)6] of 50 mm, anolyte pH of 7, and external resistance of 1000 Ω. The maximum current density and highest power density can be as high as 221.88 mA/m2 and 78.77 mW/m2, respectively. Compared with other studies, the start-up period of this MFCs-BOD biosensor was shorter (96–192 h), the determination range was wider (50–500 mg/L), and the determination time was short (within 3 h). The MFCs-BOD biosensor can accurately determine the BOD content of sewage water samples. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that the anodic microbial community after the domestication changed significantly compared with the original inoculated anaerobic activated sludge flora, and the dominant electrogenic bacteria with the highest relative abundance belonged to Proteobacteria and Enterobacteria. The device has reliability and applicability in the BOD determination in actual domestic sewage, and this study provides a solid foundation for the future application of MFCs-BOD biosensor in the rapid determination of BOD in sewage.

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Funding

We acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 21974097 and 22274117), the Education Department of Guangdong Province (nos. 2020KSYS004 and 2020ZDZX2015), the Science and Technology Bureau of Jiangmen (nos. 2019030102360012639 and 2020030102730008711), and the Undergraduate Training Programs (nos. 202111349019 and pdjh2022b0531).

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  1. School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, 529000, China

    Qian Yang, Mingyang Lai, Junyuan Zhang, Yang Zhang, Changyu Liu, Xiaolong Xu & Jianbo Jia

  2. Jiangmen Bureau of Natural Resources, Gudoushan Provincial Natural Reserve in Jiangmen, Jiangmen, 529000, China

    Dawei Liu

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  1. Qian Yang
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Yang, Q., Lai, M., Liu, D. et al. Biosensor nanostructures based on dual-chamber microbial fuel cells for rapid determination of biochemical oxygen demand and microbial community analysis. J Solid State Electrochem 27, 585–595 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-022-05351-3

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