Abstract
The microbial fuel cell (MFC) is one of the sustainable technologies, which alongside treating wastewater, can generate electricity. However, its performance is limited by factors like methanogenesis where methanogens compete with the anode respiring bacteria for substrate, reducing the power output. Thus, sodium nitrate, which has been previously reported to target the hydrogenotrophic methanogens, was used as a methanogenic suppressor in this study. The performance of MFC with and without sodium nitrate was studied during the treatment of rice mill wastewater. A significantly higher power density and coulombic efficiency (CE) were noted in the MFC with sodium nitrate (MFCT) (271.26 mW/m3) as compared to the control MFC (MFCC) (107.95 mW/m3). Polarization studies showed lower internal resistance for the MFCT (330 Ω) as compared to MFCC (390 Ω). Linear sweep voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry indicated a higher electron discharge on the anode surface due to enhancement of electrogenic activity. Considerable reduction (76.8%) in specific methanogenic activity was also observed in anaerobic sewage sludge mixed with sodium nitrate compared to the activity of anaerobic sewage sludge without any treatment. Due to the inhibition of methanogens, a lower chemical oxygen demand (COD) and phenol removal efficiency were observed in MFCT as compared to MFCC. The COD balance study showed an increase in substrate conversion to electricity despite the increase in nitrate concentration. Therefore, selective inhibition of methanogenesis had been achieved with the addition of sodium nitrate, thus enhancing the power generation by MFCs.
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All the authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Somdipta Bagchi and Rudra Narayan Sahoo. The first draft of the manuscript was jointly written by Somdipta Bagchi and Rudra Narayan Sahoo. The manuscript was edited by Dr. Manaswini Behera. All authors commented on the previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Conceptualization: Somdipta Bagchi, Rudra Narayan Sahoo, Manaswini Behera; methodology: Somdipta Bagchi, Rudra Narayan Sahoo; formal analysis and investigation: Somdipta Bagchi, Rudra Narayan Sahoo; writing—original draft preparation: Somdipta Bagchi, Rudra Narayan Sahoo; writing—review and editing: Manaswini Behera; supervision: Manaswini Behera
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Bagchi, S., Sahoo, R.N. & Behera, M. Sodium nitrate as a methanogenesis suppressor in earthen separator microbial fuel cell treating rice mill wastewater. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 61803–61810 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14940-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14940-0