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Temperature, inocula and substrate: Contrasting electroactive consortia, diversity and performance in microbial fuel
E S Heidrich1, J Dolfing1, M J Wade1
1School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
Bioelectrochemistry (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|September 15, 2017
Summary
Substrate type significantly impacts microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance and diversity. Complex wastewater substrates supported higher microbial diversity, which correlated with better MFC performance, unlike simple acetate substrates.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Ecology
- Bioelectrochemical Systems
- Environmental Engineering
Background:
- Microbial community assembly in bioelectrochemical systems (BES) is not well understood.
- Factors influencing BES performance, such as inoculum, temperature, and substrate, require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the relative importance of inoculum source, temperature, and substrate on microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance and microbial community structure.
- To assess the relationship between microbial diversity and MFC performance under different conditions.
Main Methods:
- Sixteen MFC reactors were operated under varying conditions: inoculum (Arctic soil vs. wastewater), temperature (26.5°C vs. 7.5°C), and substrate (acetate vs. wastewater).
- Microbial community diversity and MFC performance metrics (power density, coulombic efficiency) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Substrate type was the dominant factor influencing both MFC performance and microbial diversity.
- Wastewater substrate unexpectedly yielded higher microbial diversity compared to acetate substrate.
- Microbial diversity correlated positively with performance (power density and coulombic efficiency) in wastewater-fed MFCs, but not in acetate-fed MFCs.
- Temperature had a minimal effect on power density, suggesting potential self-heating in MFC biofilms, even at low ambient temperatures.
Conclusions:
- Substrate composition is critical for optimizing MFC performance and microbial community development.
- Wastewater is a viable substrate for MFCs at ambient temperatures, supporting diverse microbial communities and high performance.
- MFCs operating with wastewater at low temperatures do not directly model systems fed with acetate at warm temperatures.
- Future applications of MFC technology should focus on utilizing real wastewater at ambient temperatures.
