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Updated: Nov 24, 2025

Author Spotlight: Optimized Transformation Protocol for Chlorella vulgaris Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens
Published on: October 27, 2023
Tetracycline inhibition and transformation in microbial fuel cell systems: Performance, transformation intermediates,
Sha Long1, Lin Zhao2, Jinchen Chen3
1School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0512, USA; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
Abstract:
Tetracycline (TC) transformation in the anode of an air cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC) and in the cathode of an MFC-Fenton system was investigated. TC at 10 mg/L in the anolyte was removed by 43-74% in 14-d cycles, mainly attributed to adsorption. The electrochemical activity, COD and acetate consumption of the anodic biofilm were inhibited by TC; inhibition was reversed when TC addition was stopped. Over 84 d of MFC operation with TC, Geobacter and Mycobacterium in the anode biofilm decreased, while Janthinobacterium and Comamonas increased. Over 99% of TC at 10-40 mg/L was removed within 8 h in the MFC-Fenton cathode. O2-•/HO2• and •OH were responsible for the cathodic TC degradation. The maximum current was 0.93 mA (at 250 Ω) and increased by 36.3% by the MFC-Fenton reaction. Cathodic MFC-Fenton is an efficient and energy-saving process for TC removal, compared to slow and problematic anodic TC bio-oxidation.
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