scholarly journals Treatment of Dairy Wastewaters: Evaluating Microbial Fuel Cell Tools and Mechanism

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aman Dongre ◽  
Monika Sogani ◽  
Kumar Sonu ◽  
Zainab Syed ◽  
Gopesh Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cell ◽  
Suspended Solids ◽  
Electrode Materials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Treatment Method ◽  
Operational Parameters ◽  
Oil And Grease

Pollution caused by chemical and dairy effluent is a major concern worldwide. Dairy wastewaters are the most challenging to treat because of the presence of various pollutants in them. The characteristics of effluent like temperature, color, pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), dissolved solids, suspended solids, chloride, sulfate, oil, and grease depend solely on the volume of milk processed and the form of finished produce. It is difficult to select an efficient wastewater treatment method for the dairy wastewaters because of their selective nature in terms of pH, flow rate, volume, and suspended solids. Thus there exists a clear need for a technology or a combination of technologies that would efficiently treat the dairy wastewaters. This chapter explains the energy-generating microbial fuel cell or MFC technologies for dairy wastewaters treatment having different designs of MFCs, mechanism of action, different electrode materials, their surface modification, operational parameters, applications and outcomes delivered through the technology in reducing the COD, BOD, suspended solids and other residues present in the wastewaters. The chapter also elaborates on the availability of various natural low-cost anode materials which can be derived from agricultural wastes. The current chapter elaborates on MFC technology and its tools used for dairy wastewater treatment, providing useful insight for integrating it with existing conventional wastewater treatment methods to achieve the degradation of various dairy pollutants including emerging micropollutants.

scholarly journals Effect of Anolyte pH on the Performance of a Dual-Chambered Microbial Fuel Cell Operated with Different Biomass Feed

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Md. Abdul Halim ◽  
Md. Owaleur Rahman ◽  
Mohammad Ibrahim ◽  
Rituparna Kundu ◽  
Biplob Kumar Biswas
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
River Water ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cell ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Coulombic Efficiency ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Cod Removal ◽  
Bioelectricity Generation ◽  
Alternative Energy Resources

Finding sustainable alternative energy resources and treating wastewater are the two most important issues that need to be solved. Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has demonstrated a tremendous potential in bioelectricity generation with wastewater treatment. Since wastewater can be used as a source of electrolyte for the MFC, the salient point of this study was to investigate the effect of pH on bioelectricity production using various biomass feed (wastewater and river water) as the anolyte in a dual-chambered MFC. Maximum extents of power density (1459.02 mW·m−2), current density (1288.9 mA·m−2), and voltage (1132 mV) were obtained at pH 8 by using Bhairab river water as a feedstock in the MFC. A substantial extent of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal (94%) as well as coulombic efficiency (41.7%) was also achieved in the same chamber at pH 8. The overall performance of the MFC, in terms of bioelectricity generation, COD removal, and coulombic efficiency, indicates a plausible utilization of the MFC for wastewater treatment as well as bioelectricity production.

Factors affecting the performance of a single-chamber microbial fuel cell-type biological oxygen demand sensor

2013 ◽  
Vol 68 (9) ◽  
pp. 1914-1919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gai-Xiu Yang ◽  
Yong-Ming Sun ◽  
Xiao-Ying Kong ◽  
Feng Zhen ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cell ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Response Signal ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Single Chamber ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Stable Voltage

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are devices that exploit microorganisms as biocatalysts to degrade organic matter or sludge present in wastewater (WW), and thereby generate electricity. We developed a simple, low-cost single-chamber microbial fuel cell (SCMFC)-type biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) sensor using carbon felt (anode) and activated sludge, and demonstrated its feasibility in the construction of a real-time BOD measurement system. Further, the effects of anodic pH and organic concentration on SCMFC performance were examined, and the correlation between BOD concentration and its response time was analyzed. Our results demonstrated that the SCMFC exhibited a stable voltage after 132 min following the addition of synthetic WW (BOD concentration: 200 mg/L). Notably, the response signal increased with an increase in BOD concentration (range: 5–200 mg/L) and was found to be directly proportional to the substrate concentration. However, at higher BOD concentrations (>120 mg/L) the response signal remained unaltered. Furthermore, we optimized the SCMFC using synthetic WW, and tested it with real WW. Upon feeding real WW, the BOD values exhibited a standard deviation from 2.08 to 8.3% when compared to the standard BOD5 method, thus demonstrating the practical applicability of the developed system to real treatment effluents.

Performance of an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor coupled with anoxic and aerobic bioreactors for treating poultry slaughterhouse wastewater

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Basitere ◽  
Y. Williams ◽  
M. S. Sheldon ◽  
S. K. O. Ntwampe ◽  
D. De Jager ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Solids ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Granular Sludge ◽  
Cod Removal ◽  
Oil And Grease ◽  
Dissolved Air Flotation ◽  
Slaughterhouse Wastewater ◽  
Anaerobic Reactor ◽  
Aerobic Bioreactors

Generally, slaughterhouses have the largest consumption of fresh water and thus generate large quantities of high strength wastewater, which can be treated successfully using low cost biological treatment processes. In this study, the feasibility of using an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) anaerobic reactor coupled with anoxic and aerobic bioreactors for the treatment of poultry slaughterhouse wastewater was investigated. The poultry slaughterhouse was characterized by high chemical oxygen demand (COD), 2 to 6 g/L, with average biological oxygen demand of 2.4 g/L and average fats, oil and grease (FOG) being 0.55 g/L. A continuous EGSB anaerobic reactor was operated for 26 days at different hydraulic retention times (HRT), i.e. 7, 4, 3 days, and organic loading rates (OLR) of 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 g COD/L.day, respectively, to assess the bioremediation of the poultry slaughterhouse wastewater. The average COD removal from the EGSB was 40%, 57% and 55% at the different OLR and HRT assessed. At high OLR of 1.0 g COD/L.day, the overall COD removal from the system (EGSB-anoxic/aerobic) averaged 65%. The system experienced periodical sludge washout during high FOG and suspended solids loading. It was concluded that the EGSB system requires a dissolved air flotation system, for FOG/suspended solid reduction, as the performance of the overall system was observed to deteriorate over time due to the presence of a high quantity of FOG including suspended solids.

scholarly journals Wastewater Treatment and Electricity Production in a Microbial Fuel Cell with Cu–B Alloy as the Cathode Catalyst

Catalysts ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paweł P. Włodarczyk ◽  
Barbara Włodarczyk
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cell ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Cathode Catalyst ◽  
Similar Reduction ◽  
Fuel Cell Operation

The possibility of wastewater treatment and electricity production using a microbial fuel cell with Cu–B alloy as the cathode catalyst is presented in this paper. Our research covered the catalyst preparation; measurements of the electroless potential of electrodes with the Cu–B catalyst, measurements of the influence of anodic charge on the catalytic activity of the Cu–B alloy, electricity production in a microbial fuel cell (with a Cu–B cathode), and a comparison of changes in the concentration of chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH4+, and NO3– in three reactors: one excluding aeration, one with aeration, and during microbial fuel cell operation (with a Cu–B cathode). During the experiments, electricity production equal to 0.21–0.35 mA·cm−2 was obtained. The use of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) with Cu–B offers a similar reduction time for COD to that resulting from the application of aeration. The measured reduction of NH4+ was unchanged when compared with cases employing MFCs, and it was found that effectiveness of about 90% can be achieved for NO3– reduction. From the results of this study, we conclude that Cu–B can be employed to play the role of a cathode catalyst in applications of microbial fuel cells employed for wastewater treatment and the production of electricity.

scholarly journals Microbial Fuel Cell with Ni–Co Cathode Powered with Yeast Wastewater

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paweł Włodarczyk ◽  
Barbara Włodarczyk
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cell ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Sewage Treatment Plant ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Yeast Wastewater

Wastewater originating from the yeast industry is characterized by high concentration of pollutants that need to be reduced before the sludge can be applied, for instance, for fertilization of croplands. As a result of the special requirements associated with the characteristics of this production, huge amounts of wastewater are generated. A microbial fuel cell (MFC) forms a device that can apply wastewater as a fuel. MFC is capable of performing two functions at the same time: wastewater treatment and electricity production. The function of MFC is the production of electricity during bacterial digestion (wastewater treatment). This paper analyzes the possibility of applying yeast wastewater to play the function of a MFC (with Ni–Co cathode). The study was conducted on industrial wastewater from a sewage treatment plant in a factory that processes yeast sewage. The Ni–Co alloy was prepared by application of electrochemical method on a mesh electrode. The results demonstrated that the use of MFC coupled with a Ni–Co cathode led to a reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 90% during a period that was similar to the time taken for reduction in COD in a reactor with aeration. The power obtained in the MFC was 6.1 mW, whereas the volume of energy obtained during the operation of the cell (20 days) was 1.27 Wh. Although these values are small, the study found that this process can offer an additional level of wastewater treatment as a huge amount of sewage is generated in the process. This would provide an initial reduction in COD (and save the energy needed to aerate wastewater) as well as offer the means to generate electricity.

Studies on Power Generation and Wastewater Treatment Using Modified Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell

2015 ◽  
Vol 1113 ◽  
pp. 823-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nik Mahmood Nik Azmi ◽  
Nazlee Faisal Ghazali ◽  
Ahmad Fikri ◽  
Md Abbas Ali
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cell ◽  
Mixed Culture ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Wastewater Sample ◽  
Single Chamber ◽  
Wastewater Samples

A membrane-less and mediator-less system was designed and tested with wastewater sample as fuel to generate electricity. Microorganisms were first isolated from the wastewater sample to pure culture and were used as the ‘machinery’ that converts wastewater into energy. The wastewater samples were treated either by sterilization or non-sterilization methods. These tests were run using a modified air-cathode single chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC). By sterilizing the wastewater, the calculated power density was much lower compared to non-sterilized wastewater indicating a significant role of microbial activity in the SCMFC system and substrate availability. Furthermore, mixed culture was observed to give larger power density compared to an individual microbe (18.42 ± 5.84 mW/m2 for mixed culture and 8.82 ± 4.56 mW/m2 to 9.46 ± 4.87 mW/m2 for individual microbe, Bukholderi capecia and Acidovorax sp. respectively) to prove that larger power value could be achieved with a mixed microbial system. In addition, the system proved to remove 68.57% of chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the wastewater sample tested. In conclusion, the designed SCMFC has been proven capable of power generation and wastewater treatment comparable to other SCMFCs to date.

scholarly journals MICROBIAL FUEL CELL (MFC) IN TREATING SPENT CAUSTIC WASTEWATER

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-25
Author(s):  
Norsafiah Fazli ◽  
Noor Sabrina Ahmad Mutamim ◽  
Mohd Faizal Ali
Keyword(s):  
Water Pollution ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cell ◽  
Treatment Method ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
The World ◽  
Low Efficiency ◽  
Spent Caustic

Some of the major problems encountered by the world are water pollution and natural resources depletion. One of the major factors which contribute to water pollution is insufficiently treated wastewater whereas the depletion of natural resources is due to the dependability of the fossil fuel as the main energy source. Both of these issues show the world urgently required an effective technology of wastewater treatment and energyrecovery. Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a treatment method that can achieve the needs of effective treatment of wastewater and energy recovery simultaneously. As mentioned, insufficiently treated wastewater is one of the main causes which contributes to water pollution. Spent caustic wastewater is one of the industrial wastewater that is difficult to be treated, handled and disposed due to its noxious properties. Existing treatment method of treating spent caustic wastewater are limited by low efficiency. However, by applying MFCs, organic and inorganic contaminants are oxidized by biomass and produce electron that is transferred to electrode. The movement of the electron from anode to cathode generate electricity and turns MFC into a treatment method that able to provide both wastewater treatment and energy production. This article presents a review of spent caustic wastewater and its existing treatment method as well as the MFC researches in terms of its configuration and factors affecting its performance

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