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Effect of Temperature on Nitrogen Removal and Electricity Generation of a Dual-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell

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Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have gained increasing attention as an effective pathway for wastewater treatment and electrical energy recovery. In this study, the pollutant removal, N2O production, and electricity generation at different temperatures (25–45 °C) in a dual-chamber MFC were investigated. The optimal temperature for pollutant removal and electricity generation was 35 °C. The results showed that maximal removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium (NH4+), and total nitrogen (TN) were 73.98 ± 0.92%, 99.24 ± 0.85%, and 8.28 ± 0.45%, respectively. The maximum of nitrous oxide (N2O) was 4.27 ± 0.11 mg L−1 at 35 °C. Meanwhile, the maximum of power density, current density, and coulombic efficiency (CE) were 0.54 W m−3, 6.51 A m−3, and 8.12 ± 0.04%, respectively. The results indicate that MFC is a promising technology for simultaneous pollutant removal and electricity generation in temperate regions. Moreover, microbial community analysis suggested that the dominant reaction in the cathode may include aerobic nitrification, autotrophic denitrification, heterotrophic denitrification (aerobic and anoxic), reduction of oxygen, and nitrogen fixation.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51778057) and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 310828171004).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an, 710064, Shaanxi, China

    Sha Wang, Jianqiang Zhao, Shuang Liu & Rixiang Zhao

  2. Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effect in Arid Region of Ministry of Education, Xi’an, 710064, Shaanxi, China

    Jianqiang Zhao

  3. School of Civil Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an, 710064, Shaanxi, China

    Bo Hu

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  1. Sha Wang
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Correspondence to Jianqiang Zhao.

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Wang, S., Zhao, J., Liu, S. et al. Effect of Temperature on Nitrogen Removal and Electricity Generation of a Dual-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell. Water Air Soil Pollut 229, 244 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-018-3840-z

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