Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization
Published on: December 29, 2013
Cattle wastes as substrates for bioelectricity production via microbial fuel cells
1Civil Engineering Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88011, USA.
Abstract:
A new 2 l scale microbial fuel cell (MFC) configuration was developed to generate bioelectricity from particulate substrates. Voltage and power densities generated in this MFC fed with sucrose, particulate cattle manure, and manure wash-water as the substrates were evaluated in batch mode, with and without external mediators. Voltages averaged 0.5 V in open circuit, and 0.4 V under a resistive load of 470 Ω. Power densities (67 to 215 mW/m(2)) were comparable to previous work that had used liquid wastes as substrates. Based on the energy yield per unit mass of feedstock (~10 kJ/kg wet manure), cattle manure has limited potential to serve as a feedstock for electricity production via MFCs.
Related Concept Videos
Microbial Fuel Cells
Biofuels
Environmental Applications of Microorganisms
Microbial Wastewater Treatment
Amino Acid Catabolism
Microbes and Methanogenesis

