Biohydrogen generation from distillery effluent using baffled up-flow microbial electrolysis cell.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are crucial for wastewater treatment and hydrogen generation.
• Up-flow microbial electrolysis cells (UPMECs) offer enhanced efficiency and substrate degradation.
• Distillery wastewater presents a viable substrate for biohydrogen production and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and investigate a baffled UPMEC for improved performance.
• To evaluate the impact of key process parameters on hydrogen production and wastewater treatment.
• To optimize the baffled UPMEC for maximum biohydrogen yield and COD reduction.

Main Methods:

• A baffled UPMEC was designed with a multi-region anode using sieve plates.
• Process parameters including flow rate, electrode area, and catholyte buffer concentration were systematically varied.
• Distillery wastewater was used as the substrate for experimental runs.

Main Results:

• Maximum biohydrogen production of 0.6837 ± 0.02 mmol/L was achieved at 150 mM buffer concentration with a 150 cm² electrode area.
• A chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction of 49 ± 1.0% was observed under optimized conditions.
• The maximum current density reached 1335.94 mA/m² at a flow rate of 15 mL/min and 150 cm² electrode area.

Conclusions:

• The baffled UPMEC design effectively enhances biohydrogen production and wastewater treatment.
• Optimized flow rate and buffer concentration are critical for maximizing UPMEC performance.
• This technology shows promise for sustainable biohydrogen generation and effluent remediation.