Microbial Fuel Cells for Biomass Valorization: Bridging Climate Action and Terrestrial Ecosystem Protection

Demographic growth and the global environmental crisis have intensified the need to reconcile energy generation with the protection of terrestrial ecosystems. Traditional organic waste management systems are inefficient in handling high pollutant loads, leading to uncontrolled methane emissions and degradation of soil and water. In response to this challenge, the present study aimed to conduct a critical review of how Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) valorize biomass to align climate action (SDG 13) with the protection of terrestrial life (SDG 15). Through a bibliometric analysis of the Scopus database (2010-2026), supported by tools such as Bibliometrix, 460 documents were examined, complemented by a systematic literature review addressing biomass types, microbial interactions, and electrode modifications. The main findings indicate that MFC research is currently in an exponential growth phase (R² = 0.99954), with Environmental Sciences (23%) and Chemical Engineering (15%) as the predominant fields. Industrial and plant residues exhibit the highest bioelectric potential, while mixed microbial consortia-particularly fungal-bacterial synergies-outperform pure cultures in degradative efficiency and energy generation, reaching up to 1760 mW/m² with Geobacter sulfurreducens bioaugmentation. Electrode modification with nanomaterials such as NiO or MWCNTs substantially enhances charge transfer. Standardization of measurement protocols, ecological impact assessment of nanomaterials, and evaluation of the economic-environmental feasibility of MFC-integrated biorefineries are recommended to ensure scalability and effective contributions to SDGs 13 and 15.