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Urine disinfection and in situ pathogen killing using a Microbial Fuel Cell cascade system

Ioannis Ieropoulos1, Grzegorz Pasternak1,2, John Greenman1

  • 1Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom.

Plos One
|May 3, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) effectively treat waste and eliminate pathogens. Closed-circuit MFCs demonstrated superior disinfection of Salmonella enterica, reducing viable counts and bioluminescence significantly.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Electrochemistry
  • Wastewater Treatment

Background:

  • Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) show promise for waste treatment.
  • The impact of MFCs on pathogenic bacteria is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the fate of Salmonella enterica in an MFC cascade system.
  • To evaluate the disinfecting potential of MFCs treating urine.

Main Methods:

  • Introducing a bioluminescent S. enteritidis strain into an MFC cascade fed with urine.
  • Comparing pathogen reduction in closed-circuit versus open-circuit MFCs.
  • Monitoring viable bacterial counts and bioluminescence levels.

Main Results:

  • MFCs significantly reduced viable counts and bioluminescence of S. enteritidis by up to 4.43 and 4.21 log-fold, respectively.
  • Closed-circuit MFCs exhibited higher killing efficacy (1.69-1.72 log-fold reduction) than open-circuit MFCs.
  • Bactericidal properties correlated with MFC power performance and oxidation-reduction potential.

Conclusions:

  • MFCs possess significant disinfecting capabilities against enteric pathogens.
  • Closed-circuit operation enhances the antimicrobial efficacy of MFCs.
  • MFC performance metrics are key indicators of their pathogen inactivation potential.

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