Abstract
Three identical sets of constructed wetland-microbial fuel cells (CW-MFCs) fabricated with biomass carbon source addition were constructed and underwent the short- and long-term experiments. For this, the efficacy of biomass dosage and Pb(II) concentration towards Pb(II) removal and concurrent bioelectricity production of CW-MFCs were systematically explored. From the perspective of integrated capabilities and economic benefits, the solid biomass carbon sources equivalent to 500 mg/L COD was regarded as the optimal dosage, and the corresponding device was labeled as CW-MFC-2. For the short-term experiment, the closed-circuit CW-MFC-2 produced maximum output voltages and power densities in a range of 386–657 mV and 1.55 × 103–6.31 × 103 mW/m2 with the increasing Pb(II) level, respectively. Also, Pb(II) removal up to 94.4–99.6% was obtained in CW-MFC-2. With respect to long-term experiment, Pb(II) removal, the maximum output voltage, and power density of CW-MFC-2 ranged from 98.7 to 99.2%, 322 to 387 mV, and 3.28 × 102 to 2.26 × 103 mW/m2 upon 200 mg/L Pb(II) level, respectively. The migration results confirmed the potential of substrate and biomass for Pb(II) adsorption and fixation. For the cathode, Pb(II) was fixed and removed via binding to O. This study enlarges our knowledge of effective modulation of CW-MFCs for the treatment of high-level Pb(II)-containing wastewater and bioelectricity generation via adopting desirable biomass dosage.
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This study was supported by the scientific research program of Anhui Provincial Education Department (KJ2021A0496), Anhui Polytechnic University Startup Foundation for Introduced Talents (2020YQQ059).
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DX formulated overarching research goals and aims. XT and LW performed material preparation, data collection, and analysis. The first draft of the manuscript was written by XT. Revision was charged by QZ and ZT. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Highlights
1. CW-MFC was spiked with diverse biomass dosages to treat varying levels of Pb(II).
2. CW-MFC-2 (biomass equivalent to 500 mg/L COD) showed the optimal overall capacity.
3. The gradual increase in Pb(II) levels boosted the bioelectric outputs of CW-MFC-2.
4. The adsorptive profiles of substrate and biomass mainly aided in Pb(II) migration.
5. For the cathode, Pb(II) was fixed and removed via the potential binding to O.
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Tang, X., Wang, L., Zhang, Q. et al. Performance optimization for Pb(II) -containing wastewater treatment in constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell triggered by biomass dosage and Pb(II) level. Environ Sci Pollut Res 31, 15039–15049 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32137-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32137-z