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Sustainable power production in a membrane-less and mediator-less synthetic wastewater microbial fuel cell

TitleSustainable power production in a membrane-less and mediator-less synthetic wastewater microbial fuel cell
Publication TypeArticolo su Rivista peer-reviewed
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsAldrovandi, A., Marsili E., Stante Loredana, Paganin Patrizia, Tabacchioni Silvia, and Giordano A.
JournalBioresource Technology
Volume100
Pagination3252-3260
ISSN09608524
Keywords16S, aerobic bacterium, Alphaproteobacteria, Ammonia, article, bacterium, Bacteroidetes, Betaproteobacteria, Biocathode, Biodegradation, Bioelectric Energy Sources, Biological materials, Biological water treatment, Biomass, Bioreactor, Bioreactors, Cell membranes, Chemical oxygen demand, Conservation of Energy Resources, Cosmic rays, Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, DNA extraction, electric power plant, Electric resistance, electrical resistivity, Electricity, electricity generation, Electroactive, electrode, Electrodes, electrokinesis, electron transport, Electrophoresis, Energy conversion, Energy Transfer, energy yield, Environmental, Equipment Design, External resistances, Firmicutes, fuel cell, Fuel cells, Gammaproteobacteria, Gel, Gelation, Glucose, Inoculation, Mediator-less, Membrane, methane, Microbial ecologies, microbial ecology, Microbial electrodes, microbial fuel cell, Microbial fuel cells, nucleotide sequence, oxidation reduction potential, PCR-DGGE, pH electrode, Phylogeny, Polyacrylamide Gel, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Power outputs, priority journal, process design, Proteobacteria, reactor design, Renewable electricities, Ribosomal, RNA, RNA 16S, Sustainability, Sustainable power, Synthetic wastewaters, waste water treatment plant, Wastewater, Wastewater reclamation, Wastewater treatment, Wastewater treatment reactors, Water Purification
Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) fed with wastewater are currently considered a feasible strategy for production of renewable electricity. A membrane-less MFC with biological cathode was built from a compact wastewater treatment reactor and fed with synthetic wastewater. When operated with an external resistance of 250 Ω, the MFC produced a long-term power of about 70 mW/m2 for 10 months. Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of the cathode biomass when the MFC was closed on a 2100 Ω external resistance showed that the sequenced bands were affiliated with Firmicutes, α-Proteobacteria, β-Proteobacteria, γ-Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes groups. When the external resistance was varied between 250 and 2100 Ω, minimum sustainable resistance decreased from 900 to 750 Ω, while maximum sustainable power output decreased from 32 to 28 mW/m2. It is likely that these effects were caused by changes in the microbial ecology of anodic and cathodic biomass attached to the electrodes. Results suggest that cathodic biomass enrichment in "electroactive" bacteria may improve MFCs power output in a similar fashion to what has been already observed for anodic biomass. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Notes

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URLhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-63449140090&doi=10.1016%2fj.biortech.2009.01.041&partnerID=40&md5=5b8e036065903fe758343911f1ea9221
DOI10.1016/j.biortech.2009.01.041
Citation KeyAldrovandi20093252