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Biochar improves sediment microbial fuel cell performance in low conductivity freshwater sediment

  • Sediments, Sec 5 • Sediment Management • Research Article
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The low conductivity of sediments for mass and electron transport is the most severe limiting factor in sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs), so that sediment ameliorations yielded more remarkable effects than electrode improvements. The objective of this research was to enhance the electricity generation of SMFCs with amendments of biochar to freshwater sediments for conductivity enhancement.

Materials and methods

Laboratory-scale SMFCs were constructed and biochars were produced from coconut shells at different temperatures. Variations in the power output, electrode potential, internal resistance, total organic carbon (TOC) content, and microbial communities were measured.

Results and discussion

Amending with biochar reduced the charge transfer resistances of SMFCs and enriched the Firmicutes (mainly Fusibacter sp.) in the sediment, which improved the SMFC power generation by two- to tenfold and enhanced the TOC removal rate by 1.7- to fourfold relative to those without the amendment.

Conclusions

The results suggested that biochar amendment is a promising strategy to enhance SMFC power production, and the electrical conductivity of biochar should be considered important when interpreting the impact biochar has on the electrical performance of soil or freshwater sediment MFCs.

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Acknowledgments

We are thankful for the grants from the Guangdong Natural Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholars (2014A030306033) and the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangzhou (2014Y2-00522), which supported this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China

    Shanshan Chen, Jiahuan Tang, Li Fu & Shungui Zhou

  2. Guangdong Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China

    Yong Yuan

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  1. Shanshan Chen
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  2. Jiahuan Tang
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  3. Li Fu
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  4. Yong Yuan
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  5. Shungui Zhou
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Correspondence to Shungui Zhou.

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Responsible editor: Trudy J. Estes

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Chen, S., Tang, J., Fu, L. et al. Biochar improves sediment microbial fuel cell performance in low conductivity freshwater sediment. J Soils Sediments 16, 2326–2334 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1452-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1452-z

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