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Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization
Published on: December 29, 2013
Bioenergy generation and simultaneous nitrate and phosphorus removal in a pyrite-based constructed wetland-microbial
Xiaoyan Ge1, Xin Cao1, Xinshan Song1
1College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Environmental Protection Engineering Center for Pollution Treatment and Control in Textile Industry, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
Abstract:
This study investigates the performance of a pyrite-based constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell (PCW-MFC) in chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrate (NO3--N), total inorganic nitrogen (TIN), and total phosphorus (TP) removal and bioelectricity generation, and explores the mechanisms involved. Four microcosms were used: a constructed wetland (CW), a pyrite-based constructed wetland (PCW), a constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC), and a PCW-MFC. After 180 days' operation, the PCW-MFC exhibited enhanced simultaneous nitrate and phosphorus removal and bioelectricity output. The maximum COD, NO3--N, TIN, and TP removal efficiencies in the PCW-MFC were 71.9%, 70.1%, 63.2%, and 91.2%, respectively, for a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 6 h. The mean bioelectricity output of the PCW-MFC was 19.0-28.4% higher than that of the CW-MFC. The nitrate removal rate constant of the PCW-MFC was 1.04 d-1, which is significantly higher than those of the others. Geobacter and sulfate-reducing bacteria were enriched in the PCW-MFC.
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