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Wastewater treatment and bioelectricity production in microbial fuel cell: salt bridge configurations

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Abstract

This study obtained the maximum pollutant reduction and power production from the dairy industry wastewater using double-chambered salt bridge microbial fuel cell by the Taguchi method. The maximum removal of chemical oxygen demand from dairy industry wastewater was found to be 89.7% in double-chambered salt bridge microbial fuel cell. Similarly, the current, voltage, power, current density and power density obtained in double-chambered salt bridge microbial fuel cell from dairy industry wastewater were 17.28 mA, 815.32 mV, 14.09 mW, 1309.09 mA/m2 and 1067.33 mW/m2, respectively. The maximum removal of chemical oxygen demand and power production was observed for the process parameters viz., 1 M KCl concentration, 10% agarose concentration, and 0.05 m salt bridge. It may be pointed out from the analysis of variance that the order of prevailing process parameters was agarose concentration followed by KCl molar concentration and salt bridge length for getting the maximum pollutants reduction and power production from dairy industry wastewater using double-chambered salt bridge microbial fuel cell. The other pollutants viz., TSS, TDS, BOD, COD, nitrate, phosphate, sulphate, chloride, ammonia, and oil and grease in a dairy industry wastewater also reduced to the maximum for the best-optimized process parameters of 1 M KCl concentration, 10% agarose concentration, and 0.05 m salt bridge. The regression model obtained in this study was utilized to select the appropriate combination of process parameters for obtaining the required maximum reduction of pollutants and simultaneous power production. Thus, this study suggested that double-chambered salt bridge microbial fuel cell can be performed well for maximum pollutant reduction and simultaneous power production for the appropriate process parameters value from any wastewater.

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Abbreviations

A :

Surface area

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

APHA:

American Public Health Association

BOD:

Biochemical oxygen demand

CD:

Current density

C i :

Initial concentration

C o :

Final concentration

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

DCSB-MFC:

Double-chambered salt bridge microbial fuel cell

HCl:

Hydrochloric acid

I :

Current

K3Fe(CN)6 :

Potassium ferricyanide

KCl:

Potassium chloride

KNO3 :

Potassium nitrate

MFC:

Microbial fuel cell

NaCl:

Sodium chloride

NaOH:

Sodium hydroxide

P :

Power

PD:

Power density

R 2 :

Coefficient of determination

S/N ratio:

Signal-to-noise ratio

TDS:

Total dissolved solids

TSS:

Total suspended solids

V :

Voltage

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Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the financial and technical supports extended from Vel Tech High Tech Dr. Rangarajan Dr. Sakunthala Engineering College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, for carrying out the research work. The author also wish to thank the Director, Ambattur Dairy Products, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, for providing dairy industry wastewater to carry out this study.

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  1. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Anand Nagar, Krishnankoil-626126, Tamil Nadu, India

    D. Sivakumar

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Editorial responsibility: M. Abbaspour.

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Sivakumar, D. Wastewater treatment and bioelectricity production in microbial fuel cell: salt bridge configurations. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 18, 1379–1394 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-020-02864-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-020-02864-0

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