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Microbial electrochemical system for the phenol degradation using alternating current: Metabolic pathway study
Zohreh Moghiseh1, Abbas Rezaee1, Somayyeh Dehghani1
1Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Bioelectrochemistry (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|July 22, 2019
Summary
Alternating current (AC) effectively removes phenol in microbial electrochemical systems (MES), generating non-toxic by-products. This study optimizes AC parameters for efficient and low-energy phenol degradation.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Electrochemistry
- Microbiology
Background:
- Phenol is a common industrial pollutant.
- Microbial electrochemical systems (MES) offer a promising approach for wastewater treatment.
- AC application in MES for pollutant removal is an emerging research area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of alternating current (AC) for phenol removal in a microbial electrochemical system (MES).
- To identify the by-products generated during AC-enhanced phenol degradation.
- To optimize operating parameters for efficient phenol removal using AC in MES.
Main Methods:
- A batch-mode bioreactor was utilized with an AC power supply.
- Key parameters investigated included frequency, voltage, duty cycle, C/N ratio, and initial phenol concentration.
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to analyze by-products.
Main Results:
- Optimal conditions were identified as 5 Hz frequency, 0.4 Vpp, 100 mg/L initial phenol, pH 7, C/N ratio of 1, and a sine wave.
- Complete phenol degradation was achieved within 2 hours under optimal conditions.
- GC-MS analysis detected non-toxic by-products such as carboxylic acid, oxalic acid, and propionic acid.
Conclusions:
- AC application in MES is an effective method for complete phenol removal.
- The process generates low-hazard, non-toxic by-products with low energy consumption.
- Optimized AC parameters enhance the efficiency of phenol degradation in MES.
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