Simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal using a litre-scale upflow microbial fuel cell

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Electrochemistry
• Microbiology

Background:

• Wastewater treatment requires efficient methods for simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal.
• Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offer a promising bio-electrochemical approach for pollutant degradation and energy recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct and evaluate a 10 L upflow microbial fuel cell (UMFC) for simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal from wastewater.
• To assess the performance of the UMFC under various conditions and with different substrates.

Main Methods:

• Construction and operation of a 10 L upflow microbial fuel cell (UMFC).
• Utilized synthetic and chicken manure wastewater as substrates.
• Monitored parameters including dissolved oxygen, external resistance, pH, power density, nitrification rate, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency.

Main Results:

• The UMFC consistently removed carbon and nitrogen while generating electricity over a 6-month period.
• Optimal conditions yielded a maximum power density (Pmax) of 19.5 mW m⁻² and a nitrification rate of 17.9 mg·(L d)⁻¹.
• High COD removal efficiency of 94.1% was achieved with chicken manure wastewater, and ammonia was effectively degraded via denitrification.

Conclusions:

• The developed UMFC demonstrates significant potential for simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal and electricity generation.
• The findings support the advancement of pilot-scale microbial fuel cells for sustainable wastewater treatment and resource recovery.