Abstract
Single chamber air cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a promising and sustainable technology to generate electricity. In the present study, the potential of air cathode MFC treating dye processing wastewater was investigated at various organic loads with interest focused on power densities, organic removal and coulombic efficiencies. The highest power density of about 515 mW/m2 (6.03 W/m3) with 56% of coulombic efficiency was procured at 1.0 (g COD/L) organic load. The high potency of TCOD (total chemical oxygen demand), SCOD (soluble chemical oxygen demand) and TSS (Total Suspended Solids) removal of about 85%, 73% and 68% respectively was achieved at the organic load of 1.0 (g COD/L). The bacterial strains in anode region at the initial stage of MFC operation were reported to be responsible for potential organic removal. The bacterial strains in air cathode MFC were identified as Paenibacillus sp. strain JRA1 (MH27077), Pseudomonas sp. strain JRA2 (MH27078), Ochrobactrum sp. strain JRA3 (MH27079), Sphingobacterium sp. strain JRA4 (MH27080), Stenotrophomonas sp. strain JRA5 (MH27081), Bacillus sp. strain JRA6 (MH27082) and Clostridium sp. strain JRA7 (MH27083) using phylogenetic analysis. After 60 days of air cathode MFC operation, the bacterial community in biofilm samples was dominated by Bacillus, Ochrobactrum and Pseudomonas (20–22%). The biofilm sample collected from the carbon brush consisted of Bacillus (33%), Ochrobactrum (30%), Pseudomonas (28%), Clostridium (6%) and Stenotrophomonas (3%). The present study revealed the treatment efficiency of dye processing wastewater along with power generation in single chambered air cathode MFC.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adishkumar S, Kanmani S, Rajesh Banu J, Yeom IT (2016) Evaluation of bench-scale solar photocatalytic reactors for degradation of phenolic wastewaters. Desalin Water Treat 57:16862–16870. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443994.2015.1083481
Behera M, Ghangrekar MM (2009) Performance of MFC in response to change in SLR at different anodic feed pH. Bioresour Technol 100:5114–5121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2009.05.020
Bergel A, Feron D, Mollica A (2005) Catalysis of oxygen reduction in PEM fuel cell by seawater biofilm. Electrochem Commun 7:900–904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elecom.2005.06.006
Chen BY, Ma CM, Han K, Yueh PL, Qin LJ, Hsueh CC (2016) Influence of textile dye and decolorized metabolites on microbial fuel cell-assisted bioremediation. Bioresour Technol 200:1033–1038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2015.10.011
Cheng S, Liu H, Logan BE (2006) Increased performance of single chamber microbial fuel cells using an improved cathode structure. Electrochem Commun 8:489–494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elecom.2006.01.010
Ekambaram SP, Perumal SS, Annamalai U (2016) Decolorization and biodegradation of remazol reactive dyes by Clostridium species. 3 Biotech 6:20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-015-0335-0
Feng Y, Wang X, Logan BE, Lee H (2008) Brewery wastewater treatment using air cathode microbial fuel cells. Appl Microb Biotechnol 78:873–880. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-008-1360-2
Fikret K, Serkan E (2009) High power generation with simultaneous COD removal using a circulating column microbial fuel cell. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 84:961–965. https://doi.org/10.1002/jctb.2118
He Z, Minteer SD, Angenent TL (2005) Electricity generation from artificial wastewater using an upflow microbial fuel cell. Environ Sci Technol 39:5262–5267. https://doi.org/10.1021/es0502876
Huang L, Logan BE (2008) Electricity generation and treatment of wastewater of paper recycling wastewater using a microbial fuel cell. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 80:349–355. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-008-1546-7
Jamal MT, Pugazhendi A (2018) Degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons and treatment of refinery wastewater under saline condition by a halophilic bacterial consortium enriched from marine environment (Red Sea), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 3 Biotech 8:276. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-018-1296-x
Jayaprakash J, Parthasarathy A, Viraraghavan R (2016) Decolorization and degradation of monoazo and diazo dyes in Pseudomonas catalyzed microbial fuel cell. Environ Prog Sustain Energy 35:1623–1628. https://doi.org/10.1002/ep.12397
Jayashree C, Sweta S., Arulazhagan P, Yeom IT, Iqbal MII, Banu JR (2015) Electricity generation from retting wastewater consisting of recalcitrant compounds using continuous upflow microbial fuel cell. Biotechnol Bioprocess Eng 20:753–759. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12257-015-0017-0
Jayashree C, Tamilarasan K, Rajkumar M, Arulazhagan P, Yogalakshmi KN, Srikanth M, Rajesh Banu J (2016) Treatment of seafood processing wastewater using upflow microbial fuel cell for power generation and identification of bacterial community in anodic biofilm. J Environ Manag 180:351–358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.05.050
Khan MD, Abdulateif H, Ismail IM, Sabir S, Khan MZ (2015) Bioelectricity Generation and Bioremediation of an azo-dye in a microbial fuel cell coupled activated sludge process. PLoS One 10:1–18. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0138448
Kim KY, Yang W, Logan BE (2015) Impact of electrode configurations on retention time and domestic wastewater treatment efficiency using microbial fuel cells. Water Res 80:41–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2015.05.021
Kim KY, Yang W, Evans PJ, Logan BE (2016) Continuous treatment of high strength wastewaters using air-cathode microbial fuel cells. Bioresour Technol 221:96–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2016.09.031
Kondaveeti S, Lee J, Kakarla R, Kim HS, Min B (2014) Low-cost separators for enhanced power production and field application of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Electrochim Acta 132:434–440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2014.03.046
Lefebvre O, Shen Y, Tan Z, Uzabiaga A, Chang IS, Ng HY (2011) Full-loop operation and cathodic acidification of a microbial fuel cell operated on domestic wastewater. Bioresour Technol 102:5841–5848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2011.02.098
Li N, Kakarla R, Min B (2016) Effect of influential factors on microbial growth and the correlation between current generation and biomass in an air cathode microbial fuel cell. Int J Hydrogen Energy 41:20606–20614. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.09.094
Logan BE (2008) Microbial fuel cells. Wiley, New York
Logan BE, Cheng S, Watson V, Estadt G (2007) Graphite fiber brush anodes for increased power production in air-cathode microbial fuel cells. Environ Sci Technol 41:3341–3346. https://doi.org/10.1021/es062644y
Lorenzo MD, Scott K, Curtis TP, Head IM (2010) Effect of increasing anode surface area on the performance of a single chamber microbial fuel cell. Chem Eng J 156:40–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2009.09.031
Mateo-Ramírez F, Addi H, Hernández-Fernández FJ, Godínez C, De los Ríos AP, Lotfi EM, Mahi ME, Lozano Blanco LJ (2017) Air breathing cathode-microbial fuel cell with separator based on ionic liquid applied to slaughterhouse wastewater treatment and bio-energy production. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 92:642–648. https://doi.org/10.1002/jctb.5045
Min B, Logan BE (2004) Continuous electricity generation from domestic wastewater and organic substrates in a flat plate microbial fuel cell. Environ Sci Technol 38:5809–5814. https://doi.org/10.1021/es0491026
Mise SR, Saware S (2016) Electricity generation using textile wastewater by single chambered microbial fuel cell. Int Res J Eng Technol 3:710–716
Noori MT, Ghangrekar MM, Mukherjee CK (2016) V2O5 microflower decorated cathode for enhancing power generation in air-cathode microbial fuel cell treating fish market wastewater. Int J Hydrogen Energy 41:3638–3645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2015.12.163
Ou S, Kashima H, Aaron DS, Regan JN, Mench MM (2016) Multi-variable mathematical models for the air-cathode microbial fuel cell system. J Power Sources 314:49–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.02.064
Pu L, Li K, Chen Z, Zhan P, Zhang X, Fu Z (2014) Silver electrodeposition on the activated carbon air cathode for performance improvement in microbial fuel cells. J Power Sources 268:476–481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2014.06.071
Pugazhendi A, Qari J, Basahi JMA, Godon JJ, Dhavamani J (2017) Role of a halothermophilic bacterial consortium for the biodegradation of PAHs and the treatment of petroleum wastewater at extreme conditions. Int Biodeterior Biodegradation 121:44–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2017.03.015
Puspasari T, Peinemann KV (2016) Application of thin film cellulose composite membrane for dye wastewater reuse. J Water Process Eng 13:176–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2016.08.008
Rice EW, Baird RB, Eaton AD (eds) (2017) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 23rd edn. American Public Health Association, APHA, Washington
Sahinkaya E, Yurtsever A, Cinar O (2017) Treatment of textile industry wastewater using dynamic membrane bioreactor: Impact of intermittent aeration on process performance. Sep Purifi Technol 174:445–454. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2016.10.049
Sciarria TP, Merlino G, Scaglia B, D’Epifanio A, Mecheri B, Borin S, Licoccia S, Adani F (2015) Electricity generation using white and red wine lees in air cathode microbial fuel cells. J Power Sources 274:393–399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2014.10.050
Shaikh J, Patil NP, Shinde V, Gaikwad VB (2016) Simultaneous Decolorization of Methyl Red and Generation of Electricity in Microbial Fuel Cell by Bacillus circulans NPP1. J Microb Biochem Technol 8:428–432. https://doi.org/10.4172/1948-5948.1000320
Tamilarasan K, Rajesh Banu J, Jayashree C, Yogalakshmi KN, Gokulakrishnan K (2017) Effect of organic loading rate on electricity generating potential of upflow anaerobic microbial fuel cell treating surgical cotton industry wastewater. J Environ Chem Eng 5:1021–1026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2017.01.025
Tee PF, Abdullah MO, Tan IAW, Amin MAM, Nolasco-Hipolito C, Bujang K (2016) Performance evaluation of a hybrid system for efficient palm oil mill effluent treatment via an air-cathode, tubular upflow microbial fuel cell coupled with a granular activated carbon adsorption. Bioresour Technol 216:478–485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2016
Watanabe K (2008) Recent developments in microbial fuel cell technologies for sustainable bioenergy. J Biosci Bioeng 106:528–536. https://doi.org/10.1263/jbb.106.528.
Yang W, Kim KY, Logan BE (2015) Development of carbon free diffusion for activated carbon air cathode of microbial fuel cells. Bioresour Technol 197:318–322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2015.08.119
Zhuang L, Zheng Y, Zhou S, Yuan Y, Yuan H, Chen Y (2012) Scalable microbial fuel cell (MFC) stack for continuous real wastewater treatment. Bioresour Technol 106:82–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2011.11.019
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Karuppiah, T., Pugazhendi, A., Subramanian, S. et al. Deriving electricity from dye processing wastewater using single chamber microbial fuel cell with carbon brush anode and platinum nano coated air cathode. 3 Biotech 8, 437 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-018-1462-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-018-1462-1