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Updated: May 4, 2026

Self-standing Electrochemical Set-up to Enrich Anode-respiring Bacteria On-site
Published on: July 24, 2018
Syntrophic interactions between H2-scavenging and anode-respiring bacteria can improve current density in microbial
Yaohuan Gao1, Hodon Ryu2, Jorge W Santo Domingo2
1Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
Abstract:
High current density of 10.0-14.6A/m(2) and COD removal up to 96% were obtained in a microbial electrochemical cell (MEC) fed with digestate at hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 4d and 8d. Volatile fatty acids became undetectable in MEC effluent (HRT 8d), except for trivial acetate (4.16±1.86mgCOD/L). Accumulated methane only accounted for 3.42% of ΔCOD. Pyrosequencing analyses showed abundant fermenters (Kosmotoga spp.) and homoacetogens (Treponema spp.) in anolytes. In anode biofilm, propionate fermenters (Kosmotoga, and Syntrophobacter spp.), homoacetogens (Treponema spp.), and anode-respiring bacteria (ARB) (Geobacter spp. and Dysgonomonas spp.) were dominant. These results imply that syntrophic interactions among fermenters, homoacetogens and ARB would allow MECs to maintain high current density and coulombic efficiency.
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