Redox potential-induced regulation of extracellular polymeric substances in an electroactive mixed community biofilm

Electroactive biofilms are promising in achieving efficient wastewater treatment and energy conversion in bioelectrochemical systems (BESs). Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are important for physical contact with electrode surface and extracellular electron transfer (EET) within biofilm. Redox potential is an important trigger for the regulation of EPS in microbial aggregates, but this yet is lacking for electroactive mixed community biofilms. This study first explored how redox potential affected EPS of electroactive mixed community biofilms, which were cultured in BES reactors with different anode potentials (-0.3 V, 0 V, +0.3 V, +0.6 V vs. SCE) using artificial brewery wastewater as substrate. The anode potential regulated biocurrent generation, overall EPS production, EPS composition and EPS redox properties. The biofilms poised at 0 V exhibited the highest current production (7.2 mA) and EPS redox capacity, while the +0.6 V biofilms had the lowest current production (1.2 mA) with lowest EPS redox capacity. The steady-state current exhibited a significant positive correlation with EPS redox capability, suggesting an important role of EPS in anode potential-dependent current production. Significant positive correlations between proteins or humic substances in EPS and EPS redox properties further verified that EPS redox feature raised from proteins and humic substances. This study provided a potential mechanism that anode potential determined the electroactivity of anode biofilm via regulating EPS composition and redox properties, and will facilitate the use of electroactive biofilms in bioelectrochemical applications.