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Microbial Electrolysis Cells for Biohydrogen Generation and Wastewater Treatment—A Short Review and Current Trends

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Wastewater Management and Technologies

Part of the book series: Water and Wastewater Management ((WWWE))

Abstract

The world growing population and industrial activities are demanding energy at increasing rates in the last decades. It is well known that the demand for hydrocarbons, which are one of the most energy sources used today, exceeds the reserves forecast for the next decades. Thus, the whole world is searching for alternative, environmentally friendly energy sources able to satisfy the current and future energy demands. Nowadays, high-rate conventional wastewater treatment technologies rely on biological and physicochemical processes to meet the stringent environmental policies on disposal. Aerobic activated sludge stands out for its high treatment efficiency, but this wastewater treatment process focuses mainly on the removal of organic matter and nitrogen and neglects the valorization of by-products as an energy resource. In this context, Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MEC) have recently gained significant interest due to their potential for energy recovery in the form of hydrogen from renewable soluble organic matter. Hydrogen promises to be a viable alternative as a clean energy soon. In this way, MEC provide a new alternative to simultaneously treat wastewater and to produce bioenergy. In this chapter, MEC systems are reviewed. Contribution on modeling, experimental lab scale, achievements at pilot scale, barriers to industrial-scale adoption, latest contributions, and the next stage of research lines are considered.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, México

    Victor Alcaraz-Gonzalez & Victor González-Alvarez

  2. Departamento Ciencias de la Sustentabilidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico

    René Alejandro Flores-Estrella

  3. Sustainability Graduate Program, School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities of University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Marcelo Nolasco

  4. Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Polytechnic School of University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Vitor Cano

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  1. Victor Alcaraz-Gonzalez
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  2. René Alejandro Flores-Estrella
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  3. Marcelo Nolasco
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Correspondence to Victor Alcaraz-Gonzalez .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Environ. Engineering, Davutpasa Campus, Yıldız Technical University, Esenler, Istanbul, Türkiye

    Eyüp Debik

  2. Institute for Ecological and Sustainable Chemistry, TU Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Niedersachsen, Germany

    Müfit Bahadir

  3. Exceed Excellence Centre, Leichtweiß Institute for Hydroengineeri, Braunschweig, Germany

    Andreas Haarstrick

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Alcaraz-Gonzalez, V., Flores-Estrella, R.A., Nolasco, M., Cano, V., González-Alvarez, V. (2023). Microbial Electrolysis Cells for Biohydrogen Generation and Wastewater Treatment—A Short Review and Current Trends. In: Debik, E., Bahadir, M., Haarstrick, A. (eds) Wastewater Management and Technologies. Water and Wastewater Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36298-9_6

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