Electricity generation and brewery wastewater treatment from sequential anode-cathode microbial fuel cell

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Electrochemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Brewery wastewater poses significant environmental challenges due to high organic load.
• Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offer a promising technology for simultaneous wastewater treatment and energy generation.
• Sequential anode-cathode MFC designs can enhance treatment efficiency by utilizing effluent from one stage as feed for the next.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of a sequential anode-cathode MFC for brewery wastewater treatment.
• To evaluate the electricity generation performance of the MFC.
• To identify performance-limiting factors in the MFC system.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a double-chamber MFC with carbon fiber anode and biofilm-coated carbon felt cathode.
• Operation with brewery wastewater effluent from the anode chamber feeding the aerated cathode chamber.
• System monitoring of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and electrochemical performance (voltage, power density, polarization resistance).

Main Results:

• Achieved high COD removal efficiencies ranging from 91.7% to 95.7% at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 14.7 h.
• Demonstrated stable operation and electricity generation with an open circuit voltage of 0.434 V and a maximum power density of 830 mW/m³.
• Electrochemical analysis indicated that anode polarization resistance was the primary limiting factor for MFC performance.

Conclusions:

• The sequential anode-cathode MFC with a bio-cathode is effective for brewery wastewater treatment.
• This MFC configuration offers a sustainable and efficient method for simultaneous pollutant removal and energy recovery.
• Further optimization focusing on anode performance could enhance overall MFC efficiency.