[Electricity generation using high concentration terephthalic acid solution by microbial fuel cell]

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Environmental Science
• Microbiology

Context:

• Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offer a sustainable method for wastewater treatment and energy generation.
• Terephthalic acid (TA) is a common industrial pollutant, presenting a challenge for environmental remediation.
• Investigating TA as a substrate in MFCs could provide a dual solution for energy production and pollution control.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the feasibility of using high-concentration terephthalic acid (TA) as a substrate in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for electricity generation.
• To determine the optimal operating conditions, specifically pH and substrate concentration, for maximizing power output in TA-fueled MFCs.
• To quantify the performance of the MFC in terms of power density, coulombic efficiency, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate.

Summary:

• Anaerobic activated sludge was used to inoculate a microbial fuel cell (MFC) with terephthalic acid (TA) as the substrate, achieving an open-circuit voltage of 0.54 V.
• The study found that pH 8.0 and increasing substrate concentration enhanced voltage output, with Monod equation regression yielding a maximum voltage output (Umax) of 0.5 V and a half-saturation constant (Ks) of 785.2 mg/L.
• At a COD of 4000 mg/L, the MFC demonstrated a maximum power density of 96.3 mW/m², a coulombic efficiency of 2.66%, and an 80.3% COD removal rate.

Impact:

• This research validates terephthalic acid as a viable substrate for electricity generation in microbial fuel cells.
• The findings provide crucial data for optimizing MFC design and operation for efficient TA degradation and energy recovery.
• The study contributes to the development of sustainable bio-electrochemical systems for treating industrial wastewater and generating clean energy.