Edith Osorio de la Rosa, J. V. Castillo, Mario Carmona Campos et al.

Sensors • 2019

The emergence of modern technologies, such as Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), the Internet-of-Things (IoT), and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications, involves the use of batteries, which pose a serious environmental risk, with billions of batteries disposed of every year. However, the combination of sensors and wireless communication devices is extremely power-hungry. Energy Harvesting (EH) is fundamental in enabling the use of low-power electronic devices that derive their energy from external sources, such as Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC), solar power, thermal and kinetic energy, among others. Plant Microbial Fuel Cell (PMFC) is a prominent clean energy source and a step towards the development of self-powered systems in indoor and outdoor environments. One of the main challenges with PMFCs is the dynamic power supply, dynamic charging rates and low-energy supply. In this paper, a PMFC-based energy harvester system is proposed for the implementation of autonomous self-powered sensor nodes with IoT and cloud-based service communication protocols. The PMFC design is specifically adapted with the proposed EH circuit for the implementation of IoT-WSN based applications. The PMFC-EH system has a maximum power point at 0.71 V, a current density of 5 mA cm−2, and a power density of 3.5 mW cm−2 with a single plant. Considering a sensor node with a current consumption of 0.35 mA, the PMFC-EH green energy system allows a power autonomy for real-time data processing of IoT-based low-power WSN systems.

J. Estrada-López, J. Vázquez-Castillo, A. Castillo-Atoche et al.

Energies • 2023

Intelligent sensing systems based on the edge-computing paradigm are essential for the implementation of Internet of Things (IoT) and Agriculture 4.0 applications. The development of edge-computing wireless sensing systems is required to improve the sensor’s accuracy in soil and data interpretation. Therefore, measuring and processing data at the edge, rather than sending it back to a data center or the cloud, is still an important issue in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The challenge under this paradigm is to achieve a sustainable operation of the wireless sensing system powered with alternative renewable energy sources, such as plant microbial fuel cells (PMFCs). Consequently, the motivation of this study is to develop a sustainable forage-grass-power fuel cell solution to power an IoT Long-Range (LoRa) network for soil monitoring. The stenotaphrum secundatum grass plant is used as a microbial fuel cell proof of concept, implemented in a 0.015 m3-chamber with carbon plates as electrodes. The BQ25570 integrated circuit is employed to harvest the energy in a 4 F supercapacitor, which achieves a maximum generation capacity of 1.8 mW. The low-cost pH SEN0169 and the SHT10 temperature and humidity sensors are deployed to analyze the soil parameters. Following the edge-computing paradigm, the inverse problem methodology fused with a system identification solution is conducted, correcting the sensor errors due to non-linear hysteresis responses. An energy power management strategy is also programmed in the MSP430FR5994 microcontroller unit, achieving average power consumption of 1.51 mW, ∼19% less than the energy generated by the forage-grass-power fuel cell. Experimental results also demonstrate the energy sustainability capacity achieving a total of 18 consecutive transmissions with the LoRa network without the system’s shutting down.

Helbert da Rocha, Paolo Caruso, J. Pereira et al.

Sensors • 2023

Everyday tasks use sensors to monitor and provide information about processes in different scenarios, such as monitoring devices in manufacturing or homes. Sensors need to communicate, with or without wires, while providing secure information. Power can be derived from various energy sources, such as batteries, electrical power grids, and energy harvesting. Energy harvesting is a promising way to provide a sustainable and renewable source to power sensors by scavenging and converting energy from ambient energy sources. However, low energy is harvested through these methods. Therefore, it is becoming a challenge to design and deploy wireless sensor networks while ensuring the sensors have enough power to perform their tasks and communicate with each other through careful management and optimization, matching energy supply with demand. For this reason, data cryptography and authentication are needed to protect sensor communication. This paper studies how energy harvested with microbial fuel cells can be employed in algorithms used in data protection during sensor communication.

Masato Niwa, Zhenni Pan, S. Shimamoto

2020 IEEE 17th Annual Consumer Communications & Networking Conference (CCNC) • 2020

The low power consumption in mW of the IEEE802.15.4/ZigBee standard is one of its feature, even though it requires the exchange of batteries. The cost of battery exchange for wireless sensors is considered as one of the critical problems for wireless sensor networks (WSN). Sediment microbial fuel cell (SMFC) can be a promising technology to replace conventional energy sources by renewable energy sources for wireless sensors, which has the potential to supply sustainable WSN without a replacement of batteries. However, SMFC cannot drive a microcontroller directly since it only provides ultra-low voltage and ultra-low current. In addition, from a general perspective, SMFC is costly to build for wireless sensors due to its materials costs. Considered about those challenges, this paper proposed a novel energy harvesting system for the ZigBee network which consists of the SMFC sensor and a power management circuit to accumulate adequate energy for load. Intermittent data transmission between the ZigBee end-device and coordinator is conducted with the designed energy harvesting system. The experimental results showed that the SMFC-powered ZigBee sensor device is eligible to enable intermittent communication in replacement of conventional battery.

E. Osorio-de-la-Rosa, J. Vázquez-Castillo, A. Castillo-Atoche et al.

IEEE Sensors Journal • 2021

Plant–Microbial Fuel Cell (P–MFC) is a renewable power source which generates bioelectricity through the plant-microbe interrelationship at the rhizosphere region of a plant. As a step toward sustainable wireless sensing, PMFC can harness the metabolism of microorganism as a catalyst and use organic matter to generate electrical energy. However, these energy sources tend to produce low power outputs (mW), and the P–MFC energy capacity can be affected by perturbations. The P–MFC needs to be analyzed for an accurate integration in harvester circuits and wireless technologies, such as LPWAN, to develop sustainable wireless communication applications. In this study, a P–MFC array is implemented as a promising self-sustainable green energy communication technology for Internet of Things (IoT)-based wireless sensor network (WSN). The serial-parallel configuration of the Dypsis lutescens plant type is characterized and adapted with an energy harvester (EH) circuit which manages the energy from P–MFC. An energy capacity model is proposed to analyze the supercapacitor’s charge response and the recovery effect after each Long-Range (LoRa) transmission of the sensor node. The integration of a power management strategy is used to improve the sustainable operation in each sensor node. Experimental results show an open circuit voltage of 1.75 V, and a short current circuit of 5.6 mA for the serial-parallel configuration of the P–MFC array. The test-scenarios demonstrate sustainable operation of the LoRa-WSNs after one month with a daily generation capacity of 80 J, which is sufficient for the WSN’s node operation.

Soichiro Hirose, Trang Nakamoto, Kozo Taguchi

Resourceedings • 2023

Environmental pollution is one of the problems that humankind must solve for a sustainable future. Monitoring of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) is an important indicator for monitoring the status of organic pollution in water. However, conventional methods for monitoring COD face high costs and complicated design issues. In this study, the use of microbial fuel cells (MFC) composed of low-cost and easy-to-fabricate electrodes using smoked charcoal from rice husks and Japanese ink was investigated for use in COD sensors. Rice husks are an industrial waste product. Therefore, they can be used at a low cost, and using them can help solve the waste problem, which is one of the causes of environmental pollution. With these materials, the electrodes were fabricated for the cost of $0.022/cm3. In addition, floating MFC was used for the sake of sensing COD in rivers, waterways, and lakes. The high physical stability of the block-shaped electrode used in this study allowed a biofilm to form on the anode surface by inserting the anode into the soil. The block-shaped electrodes were physically stable in solution. The results showed that there was a correlation between COD concentration (30~150 mg/L) and MFC voltage for more than four months. Block-shaped electrodes fabricated with rice husk smoked charcoal and Japanese ink would be a promising electrode for MFC to monitor COD in solution in real-time.

A. Revil, P. Fernandez, D. Mao et al.

The Leading Edge • 2015

A bioelectrochemical system was developed to facilitate biodegradation of an organic contaminant (propylene glycol) using a sandbox containing an iron bar that crossed the capillary fringe. In the days following the introduction of the organic contaminant, a strong negative electric potential anomaly (on the order of −35 to 50 mV) was observed at the top surface of the sandbox, evidencing the transport of electrons in the metallic bar and the degradation of the organic contaminant. The iron bar served to transmit electrons between the electron donor (i.e., biodegradation of the propylene glycol) and oxygen used as the terminal electron acceptor. Numerical modeling indicates that the source of current associated with the electric potential anomaly is at the position of the iron bar. The monitoring of this anomaly possibly can be used to monitor the amount of electrons passing through the electronic conductor and the radius of influence of the bioelectrochemical cells with respect to biodegradation of the organic contaminant.

Lu Li, Zeliang Zhu, Yi Yang et al.

2024 3rd Asian Conference on Frontiers of Power and Energy (ACFPE) • 2024

With the rapid growth in the scale of renewable energy in China, the number of trading entities is increasing and trading activities are becoming more and more frequent. There has been a phenomenon of unidentified green power sources and irregular transactions. Therefore, it is necessary to improve and standardize the rules and standards system of the renewable energy market. Blockchain technology shows great potential to break through technical bottlenecks, eliminate energy islands, and promote the gridding of energy markets by virtue of its traceability, immutability of information, and decentralization. This paper analyzes in detail the examples of blockchain technology applied to renewable energy transactions at home and abroad, and closely combines of China policy orientation and national conditions to comprehensively examine and reveal various problems currently facing of China renewable energy blockchain field. On the basis of these analyses, specific and feasible suggestions are put forward to provide useful ideas and references for the healthy and sustainable development of renewable energy blockchain in China.

Souvik Sengupta, Banhirup Sengupta, Amir Sinaeepourfard et al.

2024 6th International Conference on Blockchain Computing and Applications (BCCA) • 2024

Organizations worldwide are under pressure to reduce their use of non-renewable energy sources and carbon emissions due to their increasing negative impact on the ongoing climate crisis. Blockchain technology, popularized by its use in Bitcoin, has been adopted for various use cases but is criticized for its high energy consumption, depending on the consensus mechanism used. Consensus mechanisms are vital for securing blockchain networks by ensuring all nodes agree on the ledger’s state, but they often trade-off between low energy consumption and high security. This paper analyzes the critical factors contributing to power consumption in blockchain networks, focusing on consensus mechanisms and hashing techniques. Through a comprehensive State-of-the-Art (SOTA) review and algorithmic analysis, we examine how various consensus algorithms impact energy usage and detail the computational and space complexities of different hashing algorithms. We also investigate the energy profiles and reduction strategies of major blockchain platforms. Our findings highlight the potential to enhance blockchain energy efficiency without compromising security or performance, providing a foundation for future research in sustainable blockchain technologies.

Yongjun Lv

Frontiers in Energy Research • 2023

The pressing issues of climate change and the limited availability of non-renewable energy resources have created a growing need for sustainable energy alternatives. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the pressing need for sustainable energy solutions and the complex relationship between energy and the economy. The challenges and opportunities presented by the transition to sustainable energy sources are explored, including the need for investment in renewable energy technologies, policy changes to incentivize sustainable energy use, and the potential for job creation in the sustainable energy sector. On the other hand, it is recognized that there are considerable hurdles that need to be addressed, including the substantial initial expenses associated with establishing renewable energy systems, as well as the political and societal barriers to enacting change. The economic benefits of transitioning to sustainable energy, such as improved energy security, reduced dependence on fossil fuels, and the potential for increased economic growth, are evaluated. The complex relationship between energy and the economy is thoroughly analyzed, presenting a valuable contribution to the academic literature on sustainable energy. Furthermore, an inquiry is being made into the potential contribution of blockchain technology in advancing a sustainable energy landscape. This includes its ability to augment the effectiveness and openness of energy markets, as well as its capacity to assist in the assimilation of renewable energy resources. Hence, this research underscores the importance of transitioning to sustainable energy sources for their environmental and economic merits. The findings presented offer valuable insights to inform policy decisions and guide future research endeavors in this field. By promoting the advancement of sustainable energy technologies, this study contributes to the development of a more sustainable global economy.

Meriem Aoudia, Mustafa B. M. Alaraj, Omnia Abu Waraga et al.

Frontiers in Energy Research • 2024

With the rise of the 3Ds—decarbonization, decentralization, and digitalization—the number of electric vehicles is projected to increase, necessitating the implementation of modern technologies to avoid unnecessary energy wastage. Numerous studies have been developed proposing electric vehicle (EV) charging frameworks in networks empowered by renewable energy resources. In addition, more focus has recently been directed on incorporating blockchain technology to assure security and transparency in trading systems. However, fewer studies have delved into developing a practical implementation of their solution due to the complexity of the topic. Therefore, this paper thoroughly investigates integrating blockchain technology in electric vehicle charging systems, analyzing the existing practical implementation and their characteristics. It comprises 48 relevant studies between 2017 and 2023, covering the following main research areas: (i) renewable energy-based electric charging systems, (ii) blockchain frameworks used in energy trading, and (iii) performance metrics of simulated and implemented solutions. Results show that blockchain applications in EVs and energy trading systems are highly current, and researchers are actively exploring ways to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.

Shyam Agarwal, Shailesh Kapoor, Amit Jain

2024 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Electrical Power and Energy Systems (ICEPES) • 2024

The integration of renewable energy sources and technological advancements in the electricity grid has revolutionized the energy sector, paving way for the smart grid. Within this smart grid framework, prosumers possessing surplus energy aim to sell their surplus energy to consumers. However, conventional centralized energy trading methods used in smart grid for energy exchange poses challenges. To overcome these challenges, a decentralized system based on blockchain technology is employed for energy trading. This paper discusses the double auction mechanism-based energy trading which is facilitated by blockchain platform. It reviews existing research that uses double auction mechanism, based on blockchain for energy trading. Also, a case study is conducted in this paper on a smart microgrid, comprising two prosumers and one consumer, all connected with the main grid. Within this smart microgrid, energy trading takes place among prosumer and consumer, involving residential load. For the implementation of energy trading, a uniform price double auction mechanism, facilitated by blockchain is utilized. The blockchain platform chosen for this implementation is based on Ganache Platform. The results show that engaging blockchain technology in local energy trading leads to considerable cost savings for prosumers and consumers. These findings are presented in the paper, highlighting the advantages of the proposed approach.

Juan Zhang, Zeyu Lin, Junpeng Chen

International Journal of Electric Power and Energy Studies • 2024

The energy sector faces significant challenges related to supply chain traceability, including issues with transparency, data integrity, regulatory compliance, and fraud prevention. Blockchain technology, with its decentralized, transparent, and immutable ledger, offers promising solutions to these challenges. This review explores the application of blockchain technology in enhancing supply chain traceability in the energy sector. It examines the potential benefits in terms of visibility, data integrity, compliance, and sustainability, and discusses real-world applications, challenges, and future directions. Case studies from renewable energy, fossil fuels, and smart grids illustrate blockchain's impact. Despite the promising benefits, technical, regulatory, and implementation challenges remain. Future research and development, along with supportive policy frameworks, are essential for realizing blockchain's full potential in transforming the energy supply chain into a more efficient, transparent, and sustainable system.

Safa Otoum, I. A. Ridhawi, H. Mouftah

IEEE Internet of Things Journal • 2023

Through the digitization of essential functional processes, Industry 4.0 aims to build knowledgeable, networked, and stable value chains. Network trustworthiness is a critical component of network security that is built on positive interactions, guarantees, transparency, and accountability. Blockchain technology has drawn the attention of researchers in various fields of data science as a safe and low-cost platform to track a large number of eventual transactions. Such a technique is adaptable to the renewable energy-trade sector, which suffers from security and trustworthy issues. Having a decentralized energy infrastructure, that is supported by blockchain and artificial intelligence, enables smart and secure microgrid energy trading. The new age of industrial production will be highly versatile in terms of production volume and customization. As such a robust collaboration solution between consumers, businesses, and suppliers must be both secure and sustainable. In this article, we introduce a cooperative and distributed framework that relies on computing, communication, and intelligence capabilities of edge and end devices to enable secure energy trading, remote monitoring, and network trustworthiness. The blockchain and federated learning-enabled solution provide secure energy trading between different critical entities. Such a technique, coupled with 5G and beyond networks, would enable mass surveillance, monitoring, and analysis to occur at the edge. Performance evaluations are conducted to test the effectiveness of the proposed solution in terms of reliability and responsiveness in a vehicular network energy-trade scenario.

Muhammad Faheem, B. Raza, Muhammad Shoaib Bhutta et al.

IET Blockchain • 2024

The rapid and green energy transition is essential to deal with the fast‐growing energy needs in both public and industrial sectors. This has paved the way to integrate distributed renewable energy resources () such as solar, hydro, wind, and geothermal into the power grid (). Wind and solar are free, zero‐carbon emission, and everlasting power sources that contribute 5% and 7% of global electricity generation, respectively. Therefore, the fast, secure, and reliable integration of these green is critical to achieve the instant energy demands. Smart grid due to inherited characteristics such as intelligent sensing, computing, and communication technologies can effectively integrate the . However, the existing smart grid communication architecture faces various cyberattacks, resulting in poor integration, monitoring, and control of . In this respect, blockchain technology can provide fast, secure, and efficient end‐to‐end communication between in the smart grid. In this study, the authors propose a blockchain‐based resilient and secure scheme called for wireless sensor networks ‐based events monitoring and control in . Experimental studies and performance analyses are carried out to predict the efficiency of the proposed scheme by considering numerous standard metrics. The extensive numerical results demonstrated that the proposed scheme is significant in terms of secure, resilient, and reliable information transmission for in .

Andreas Zeiselmair, Bernd Steinkopf, Ulrich Gallersdörfer et al.

Frontiers in Blockchain • 2021

The energy system is becoming increasingly decentralized. This development requires integrating and coordinating a rising number of actors and small units in a complex system. Blockchain could provide a base infrastructure for new tools and platforms that address these tasks in various aspects—ranging from dispatch optimization or dynamic load adaption to (local) market mechanisms. Many of these applications are currently in development and subject to research projects. In decentralized energy markets especially, the optimized allocation of energy products demands complex computation. Combining these with distributed ledger technologies leads to bottlenecks and challenges regarding privacy requirements and performance due to limited storage and computational resources. Verifiable computation techniques promise a solution to these issues. This paper presents an overview of verifiable computation technologies, including trusted oracles, zkSNARKs, and multi-party computation. We further analyze their application in blockchain environments with a focus on energy-related applications. Applied to a distinct optimization problem of renewable energy certificates, we have evaluated these solution approaches and finally demonstrate an implementation of a Simplex-Optimization using zkSNARKs as a case study. We conclude with an assessment of the applicability of the described verifiable computation techniques and address limitations for large-scale deployment, followed by an outlook on current development trends.

Anees Fathima, Noor Ayesha, Zahira Tabassum et al.

Blockchain Applications for the Energy and Utilities Industry • 2025

Blockchain has evolved from supporting cryptocurrencies to transforming industries like finance, healthcare, and supply chain management. Emerging trends focus on scalability with Layer 2 solutions, sharding, and cross-chain interoperability. Sustainability efforts include transitioning to Proof-of-Stake, carbon-neutral blockchains, and renewable energy. AI integration enables decentralized models, secure data sharing, and AI-driven smart contracts. Governments explore CBDCs, while privacy technologies like Zero-Knowledge Proofs enhance security. Challenges remain in regulation, security risks, and adoption, but ongoing innovations are driving blockchain's widespread acceptance.

Saad Alateef, Amjad Aldweesh, Mohammad Alauthman et al.

Blockchain Applications for the Energy and Utilities Industry • 2025

This paper proposes a blockchain-based framework to optimize energy supply chain management, delineating its potential to transform energy sourcing, allocation, and consumption processes.The framework elucidates critical components such as decentralized record-keeping, smart contracts for automated transactions, and robust security protocols, thereby ensuring data integrity and resilience against cyberattacks. A prototype system is developed and tested to evaluate performance metrics, including scalability, transaction speed, and energy tracking accuracy.The results highlight the considerable benefits of blockchain, including enhanced transparency, cost efficiency, and improved stakeholder collaboration. Conclusively, the paper identifies current challenges ranging from technical scalability to regulatory hurdles and suggests future directions for augmenting blockchain's impact on energy supply chains, ultimately reinforcing the global transition towards more sustainable energy systems

Enrique Arias, Jose Antonio Mateo, Ali Maqousi et al.

Blockchain Applications for the Energy and Utilities Industry • 2025

Meteorological data is critical not only for climate modeling and weather prediction but also for renewable energy forecasting, demand response, and grid stability in the energy and utilities sector. Conventional data systems rely on centralized architectures vulnerable to single points of failure and poor traceability. This chapter presents a blockchain-based oraculus for storing and retrieving weather observations on an immutable ledger tailored for energy contexts. Specialized oracles, robust consensus, and secure data pipelines ensure tamper-proof storage. Testing confirms reliable retrieval for key stakeholders, including grid operators and regulators. The design supports accurate archiving, real-time ingestion, and flexible access control—vital for planning and operations. By offering a scalable pipeline addressing tampering and integrity, this framework fosters reliable, auditable meteorological systems.

Natalie Colantonio, Younggy Kim

ChemistrySelect • 2016

Abstract Advanced treatment, such as tight membrane filtration and ion exchange, can be applied for Pb 2+ removal from wastewater but these methods are expensive with a high demand for electric energy and chemicals. Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are an emerging wastewater treatment technology and MECs can remove Pb 2+ by reduction and precipitation at the cathode and biosorption at the anode; however, reduction at the anode has not been reported. We investigated Pb 2+ removal mechanisms using lab‐scale MECs. Using an anion exchange membrane, independent Pb 2+ removal in the anode and cathode chambers was observed at various voltage applications, including open circuit, 0.3 V, 0.6 V, and 0.9 V. A substantial amount of metallic Pb (0. 10 ± 0.02 mg) was found on the graphite fiber anode. Also, the observed anode potential (−0.15 to −0.33 V vs. SHE) indicated sufficient driving force for Pb 2+ reduction at the anode for the Pb 2+ concentration of 0.1 to 2.5 mg L −1 . Inactivation of exoelectrogens using ethanol resulted in no Pb 2+ removal. The findings show that Pb 2+ removal is achieved by various mechanisms in MECs, including electrodeposition at the anode by exoelectrogens.

Ananda Rao Hari, Krishna P. Katuri, Bruce E. Logan et al.

Scientific Reports • 2016

Abstract Anode potential has been shown to be a critical factor in the rate of acetate removal in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), but studies with fermentable substrates and set potentials are lacking. Here, we examined the impact of three different set anode potentials (SAPs; −0.25, 0, and 0.25 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode) on the electrochemical performance, electron flux to various sinks, and anodic microbial community structure in two-chambered MECs fed with propionate. Electrical current (49–71%) and CH 4 (22.9–41%) were the largest electron sinks regardless of the potentials tested. Among the three SAPs tested, 0 V showed the highest electron flux to electrical current (71 ± 5%) and the lowest flux to CH 4 (22.9 ± 1.2%). In contrast, the SAP of −0.25 V had the lowest electron flux to current (49 ± 6%) and the highest flux to CH 4 (41.1 ± 2%). The most dominant genera detected on the anode of all three SAPs based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing were Geobacter, Smithella and Syntrophobacter , but their relative abundance varied among the tested SAPs. Microbial community analysis implies that complete degradation of propionate in all the tested SAPs was facilitated by syntrophic interactions between fermenters and Geobacter at the anode and ferementers and hydrogenotrophic methanogens in suspension.

Abhijeet P. Borole, Alex J. Lewis

Sustainable Energy & Fuels • 2017

Proton transfer in microbial electrochemical cells is as important as electron transfer. This study quantifies proton transfer rates in MEC for the first time. Control of flow rate and loading rate allows improvement in proton transfer rates enabling hydrogen productivities >10 L per L per day.

Ahmad Walid Ayoobi, Mehmet Inceoğlu

Energies • 2024

The building sector is a major contributor to resource consumption, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable architecture offers a solution, leveraging Building Energy Modeling (BEM) for early-stage design optimization. This study explores the use of genetic algorithms for optimizing sustainable design strategies holistically. A comprehensive analysis and optimization model was developed using genetic algorithms to individually optimize various sustainable strategies. The optimized strategies were then applied to a pre-existing building in Kabul City, a region facing significant environmental challenges. To enhance accuracy, this study integrated energy simulations with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This research combines genetic algorithms with energy simulation and CFD analysis to optimize building design for a specific climate. Furthermore, it validates the optimized strategies through a real-world case study building. Optimizing the Window-to-Wall Ratio (WWR) and shading devices based on solar exposure significantly improved the building’s energy performance. South (S)-facing single windows and specific combinations of opposing and adjacent windows emerged as optimal configurations. The strategic optimization of building component materials led to substantial energy savings: a 58.6% reduction in window energy loss, 78.3% in wall loss, and 69.5% in roof loss. Additionally, the optimized pre-existing building achieved a 48.1% reduction in cooling demand, a 97.5% reduction in heating demand, and an overall energy reduction of 84.4%. Improved natural ventilation and controlled solar gain led to a 72.2% reduction in peak-month CO2 emissions. While this study focused on applicable passive design strategies, the integration of advanced technologies like Phase Change Materials (PCMs), kinetic shading devices, and renewable energy systems can further improve building performance and contribute to achieving net-zero buildings.

Leilei Xiao, Yiping Wang, E. Lichtfouse et al.

Frontiers in Microbiology • 2021

Recycling waste into new materials and energy is becoming a major challenge in the context of the future circular economy, calling for advanced methods of waste treatment. For instance, microbially-mediated anaerobic digestion is widely used for conversion of sewage sludge into biomethane, fertilizers and other products, yet the efficiency of microbial digestion is limited by the occurrence of antibiotics in sludges, originating from drug consumption for human and animal health. Here we present antibiotic levels in Chinese wastewater, then we review the effects of antibiotics on hydrolysis, acidogenesis and methanogenesis, with focus on macrolides, tetracyclines, β-lactams and antibiotic mixtures. We detail effects of antibiotics on fermentative bacteria and methanogenic archaea. Most results display adverse effects of antibiotics on anaerobic digestion, yet some antibiotics promote hydrolysis, acidogenesis and methanogenesis.

J. Kelly, Maxwell G. London, A. McCormick et al.

PLOS ONE • 2021

Microplastics are ubiquitous contaminants in aquatic habitats globally, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are point sources of microplastics. Within aquatic habitats microplastics are colonized by microbial biofilms, which can include pathogenic taxa and taxa associated with plastic breakdown. Microplastics enter WWTPs in sewage and exit in sludge or effluent, but the role that WWTPs play in establishing or modifying microplastic bacterial assemblages is unknown. We analyzed microplastics and associated biofilms in raw sewage, effluent water, and sludge from two WWTPs. Both plants retained >99% of influent microplastics in sludge, and sludge microplastics showed higher bacterial species richness and higher abundance of taxa associated with bioflocculation (e.g. Xanthomonas) than influent microplastics, suggesting that colonization of microplastics within the WWTP may play a role in retention. Microplastics in WWTP effluent included significantly lower abundances of some potentially pathogenic bacterial taxa (e.g. Campylobacteraceae) compared to influent microplastics; however, other potentially pathogenic taxa (e.g. Acinetobacter) remained abundant on effluent microplastics, and several taxa linked to plastic breakdown (e.g. Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, and Sphingomonas) were significantly more abundant on effluent compared to influent microplastics. These results indicate that diverse bacterial assemblages colonize microplastics within sewage and that WWTPs can play a significant role in modifying the microplastic-associated assemblages, which may affect the fate of microplastics within the WWTPs and the environment.

Nathan K. McLain, Melissa Gómez, E. Gachomo

Microbial Ecology • 2022

The practice of using recycled wastewater (RWW) has been successfully adopted to address the growing demand for clean water. However, chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) including pharmaceutical products remain in the RWW even after additional cleaning. When RWW is used to irrigate crops or landscapes, these chemicals can enter these and adjacent environments. Unfortunately, the overall composition and concentrations of CECs found in different RWW sources vary, and even the same source can vary over time. Therefore, we selected one compound that is found frequently and in high concentrations in many RWW sources, acetaminophen (APAP), to use for our study. Using greenhouse grown eggplants treated with APAP concentrations within the ranges found in RWW effluents, we investigated the short-term impacts of APAP on the soil bacterial population under agricultural settings. Using Illumina sequencing-based approaches, we showed that APAP has the potential to cause shifts in the microbial community most likely by positively selecting for bacteria that are capable of metabolizing the breakdown products of APAP such as glycosides and carboxylic acids. Community-level physiological profiles of carbon metabolism were evaluated using Biolog EcoPlate as a proxy for community functions. The Biolog plates indicated that the metabolism of amines, amino acids, carbohydrates, carboxylic acids, and polymers was significantly higher in the presence of APAP. Abundance of microorganisms of importance to plant health and productivity was altered by APAP. Our results indicate that the soil microbial community and functions could be altered by APAP at concentrations found in RWW. Our findings contribute to the knowledge base needed to guide policies regulating RWW reuse in agriculture and also highlight the need to further investigate the effects of CECs found in RWW on soil microbiomes.

L. Carles, S. Wullschleger, A. Joss et al.

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) • 2022

Wastewater treatment plant effluents can impact microbial communities in receiving streams. However, little is known about the role of microorganisms in wastewater as opposed to other wastewater constituents, such as nutrients and micropollutants. We aimed therefore at determining the impact of wastewater microorganisms on the microbial diversity and function of periphyton, key microbial communities in streams. Periphyton was grown in flow-through channels that were continuously alimented with a mixture of stream water and unfiltered or ultra-filtered wastewater. Impacts were assessed on periphyton biomass, activities and tolerance to micropollutants, as well as on microbial diversity. Our results showed that wastewater microorganisms colonized periphyton and modified its community composition, resulting for instance in an increased abundance of Chloroflexi and a decreased abundance of diatoms and green algae. This led to shifts towards heterotrophy, as suggested by the changes in nutrient stoichiometry and the increased mineralization potential of carbon substrates. An increased tolerance towards micropollutants was only found for periphyton exposed to unfiltered wastewater but not to ultra-filtered wastewater, suggesting that wastewater microorganisms were responsible for this increased tolerance. Overall, our results highlight the need to consider the role of wastewater microorganisms when studying potential impacts of wastewater on the receiving water body. Environmental implication The present study investigates the impact of wastewater microorganisms on periphyton, i.e. communities forming the microbial skin of streambeds. We were able to disentangle specific effects of wastewater microorganisms in the context of the complex wastewater matrix. Indeed, wastewater microorganisms induced strong changes in periphyton community composition and function, suggesting the need to consider wastewater microbial communities as a stressor per se, similarly to, e.g., nutrients and micropollutants. Moreover, since periphyton is at the basis of the food web in streams, these changes may have consequences for higher trophic levels.

Shiwangi Kesarwani, Diksha Panwar, J. Mal et al.

Fermentation • 2022

The availability of clean water and the depletion of non-renewable resources provide challenges to modern society. The widespread use of conventional wastewater treatment necessitates significant financial and energy expenditure. Constructed Wetland Microbial Fuel Cells (CW-MFCs), a more recent alternative technology that incorporates a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) inside a Constructed Wetland (CW), can alleviate these problems. By utilizing a CW’s inherent redox gradient, MFC can produce electricity while also improving a CW’s capacity for wastewater treatment. Electroactive bacteria in the anaerobic zone oxidize the organic contaminants in the wastewater, releasing electrons and protons in the process. Through an external circuit, these electrons travel to the cathode and produce electricity. Researchers have demonstrated the potential of CW-MFC technology in harnessing bio-electricity from wastewater while achieving pollutant removal at the lab and pilot scales, using both domestic and industrial wastewater. However, several limitations, such as inadequate removal of nitrogen, phosphates, and toxic organic/inorganic pollutants, limits its applicability on a large scale. In addition, the whole system must be well optimized to achieve effective wastewater treatment along with energy, as the ecosystem of the CW-MFC is large, and has diverse biotic and abiotic components which interact with each other in a dynamic manner. Therefore, by modifying important components and optimizing various influencing factors, the performance of this hybrid system in terms of wastewater treatment and power generation can be improved, making CW-MFCs a cost-effective, cleaner, and more sustainable approach for wastewater treatment that can be used in real-world applications in the future.

S. Malik, Archna Dhasmana, S. Preetam et al.

Nanomaterials • 2022

Water scarcity due to contamination of water resources with different inorganic and organic contaminants is one of the foremost global concerns. It is due to rapid industrialization, fast urbanization, and the low efficiency of traditional wastewater treatment strategies. Conventional water treatment strategies, including chemical precipitation, membrane filtration, coagulation, ion exchange, solvent extraction, adsorption, and photolysis, are based on adopting various nanomaterials (NMs) with a high surface area, including carbon NMs, polymers, metals-based, and metal oxides. However, significant bottlenecks are toxicity, cost, secondary contamination, size and space constraints, energy efficiency, prolonged time consumption, output efficiency, and scalability. On the contrary, green NMs fabricated using microorganisms emerge as cost-effective, eco-friendly, sustainable, safe, and efficient substitutes for these traditional strategies. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art microbial-assisted green NMs and strategies including microbial cells, magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), bio-augmentation and integrated bioreactors for removing an extensive range of water contaminants addressing the challenges associated with traditional strategies. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the efficacies of microbe-assisted green NM-based water remediation strategy with the traditional practices in light of crucial factors like reusability, regeneration, removal efficiency, and adsorption capacity has been presented. The associated challenges, their alternate solutions, and the cutting-edge prospects of microbial-assisted green nanobiotechnology with the integration of advanced tools including internet-of-nano-things, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence have been discussed. This review opens a new window to assist future research dedicated to sustainable and green nanobiotechnology-based strategies for environmental remediation applications.

G. Tsekouras, Panagiota M. Deligianni, F. Kanellos et al.

Frontiers in Energy Research • 2022

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have undergone great technological development in the last 20 years, but very little has been done to commercialize them. The simultaneous power production and wastewater treatment are features those greatly increase the interest in the use of MFCs. This kind of distributed power generation is renewable and friendly and can be easily integrated into a smart grid. However, there are some key issues with their commercialization: high construction costs, difficulty in developing high power structures, MFC lifespan, and maintaining a high level of efficiency. The objective of this article is to explore the possibilities of using MFCs in urban wastewater not only regarding the technical criteria of their application, but also mainly from an economic point of view, to determine the conditions through which the viability of the investment is ensured and the possibilities of their integration in a smart grid are identified. Initially, this article explores the implementation/configuration of a power plant with MFCs within an urban wastewater treatment plant on a theoretical basis. In addition, based on the corresponding physical quantities for urban wastewater treatment, the construction and operational costs are determined and the viability of the investment is examined based on classic economic criteria such as net present value, benefit–cost ratio, internal rate of return, and discounted payback period. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis is carried out, concerning both technical parameters, such as the percentage of organic matter removal, power density, sewage residence time, MFC efficiency, etc., and economical parameters, such as the reduction of construction costs due to change of materials, change of interest rate, and lifetime. The advantages and disadvantages of their use in smart grids is also analyzed. The results show that the use of MFCs for power generation cannot be utopian as long as they are integrated into the structure of a central wastewater treatment plant on the condition that the scale-up technical issues of MFCs are successfully addressed.

Yamini Koul, Viralkunvar Devda, Sunita Varjani et al.

Bioengineered • 2022

ABSTRACT Wastewater is one of the most common by-products of almost every industrial process. Treatment of wastewater alone, before disposal, necessitates an excess of energy. Environmental concerns over the use of fossil fuels as a source of energy have prompted a surge in demand for alternative energy sources and the development of sophisticated procedures to extract energy from unconventional sources. Treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater alone accounts for about 3% of global electricity use while the amount of energy embedded in the waste is at least 2–4 times greater than the energy required to treat the same effluent. The microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) is one of the most efficient technologies for waste-to-product conversion that uses electrochemically active bacteria to convert organic matter into hydrogen or a variety of by-products without polluting the environment. This paper highlights existing obstacles and future potential in the integration of Microbial Electrolysis Cell with other processes like anaerobic digestion coupled system, anaerobic membrane bioreactor and thermoelectric micro converter. Graphical abstract_R1

Shahjahon Begmatov, A. Dorofeev, V. Kadnikov et al.

Scientific Reports • 2022

Microbial communities in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) play a key role in water purification. Microbial communities of activated sludge (AS) vary extensively based on plant operating technology, influent characteristics and WWTP capacity. In this study we performed 16S rRNA gene profiling of AS at nine large-scale WWTPs responsible for the treatment of municipal sewage from the city of Moscow, Russia. Two plants employed conventional aerobic process, one plant—nitrification/denitrification technology, and six plants were operated with the University of Cape Town (UCT) anaerobic/anoxic/oxic process. Microbial communities were impacted by the technology and dominated by the Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota and Actinobacteriota. WWTPs employing the UCT process enabled efficient removal of not only organic matter, but also nitrogen and phosphorus, consistently with the high content of ammonia-oxidizing Nitrosomonas sp. and phosphate-accumulating bacteria. The latter group was represented by Candidatus Accumulibacter, Tetrasphaera sp. and denitrifiers. Co-occurrence network analysis provided information on key hub microorganisms in AS, which may be targeted for manipulating the AS stability and performance. Comparison of AS communities from WWTPs in Moscow and worldwide revealed that Moscow samples clustered together indicating that influent characteristics, related to social, cultural and environmental factors, could be more important than a plant operating technology.

Stephanie L. Rich, Michael T. Zumstein, D. Helbling

Environmental Science & Technology • 2021

The goal of this research was to identify functional groups that determine rates of micropollutant (MP) biotransformations performed by wastewater microbial communities. To meet this goal, we performed a series of incubation experiments seeded with four independent wastewater microbial communities and spiked them with a mixture of 40 structurally diverse MPs. We collected samples over time and used high-resolution mass spectrometry to estimate biotransformation rate constants for each MP in each experiment and to propose structures of 46 biotransformation products. We then developed random forest models to classify the biotransformation rate constants based on the presence of specific functional groups or observed biotransformations. We extracted classification importance metrics from each random forest model and compared them across wastewater microbial communities. Our analysis revealed 30 functional groups that we define as either biotransformation promoters, biotransformation inhibitors, structural features that can be biotransformed based on uncharacterized features of the wastewater microbial community, or structural features that are not rate-determining. Our experimental data and analysis provide novel insights into MP biotransformations that can be used to more accurately predict MP biotransformations or to inform the design of new chemical products that may be more readily biodegradable during wastewater treatment.

Yulin Zhang, Yulin Wang, M. Tang et al.

Microbiome • 2023

Background Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are one of the largest biotechnology applications in the world and are of critical importance to modern urban societies. An accurate evaluation of the microbial dark matter (MDM, microorganisms whose genomes remain uncharacterized) proportions in WWTPs is of great value, while there is no such research yet. This study conducted a global meta-analysis of MDM in WWTPs with 317,542 prokaryotic genomes from the Genome Taxonomy Database and proposed a “wanted list” for priority targets in further investigations of activated sludge. Results Compared with the Earth Microbiome Project data, WWTPs had relatively lower genome-sequenced proportions of prokaryotes than other ecosystems, such as the animal related environments. Analysis showed that the median proportions of the genome-sequenced cells and taxa (100% identity and 100% coverage in 16S rRNA gene region) in WWTPs reached 56.3% and 34.5% for activated sludge, 48.6% and 28.5% for aerobic biofilm, and 48.3% and 28.5% for anaerobic digestion sludge, respectively. This result meant MDM had high proportions in WWTPs. Besides, all of the samples were occupied by a few predominant taxa, and the majority of the sequenced genomes were from pure cultures. The global-scale “wanted list” for activated sludge contained four phyla that have few representatives and 71 operational taxonomic units with the majority of them having no genome or isolate yet. Finally, several genome mining methods were verified to successfully recover genomes from activated sludge such as hybrid assembly of the second- and third-generation sequencing. Conclusions This work elucidated the proportion of MDM in WWTPs, defined the “wanted list” of activated sludge for future investigations, and certified potential genome recovery methods. The proposed methodology of this study can be applied to other ecosystems and improve understanding of ecosystem structure across diverse habitats. Video Abstract

Zicheng Su, Tao Liu, Jianhua Guo et al.

Environmental Science & Technology • 2023

Microbial nitrite oxidation is the primary pathway that generates nitrate in wastewater treatment systems and can be performed by a variety of microbes: namely, nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). Since NOB were first isolated 130 years ago, the understanding of the phylogenetical and physiological diversities of NOB has been gradually deepened. In recent endeavors of advanced biological nitrogen removal, NOB have been more considered as a troublesome disruptor, and strategies on NOB suppression often fail in practice after long-term operation due to the growth of specific NOB that are able to adapt to even harsh conditions. In line with a review of the history of currently known NOB genera, a phylogenetic tree is constructed to exhibit a wide range of NOB in different phyla. In addition, the growth behavior and metabolic performance of different NOB strains are summarized. These specific features of various NOB (e.g., high oxygen affinity of Nitrospira, tolerance to chemical inhibitors of Nitrobacter and Candidatus Nitrotoga, and preference to high temperature of Nitrolancea) highlight the differentiation of the NOB ecological niche in biological nitrogen processes and potentially support their adaptation to different suppression strategies (e.g., low dissolved oxygen, chemical treatment, and high temperature). This review implicates the acquired physiological characteristics of NOB to their emergence from a genomic and ecological perspective and emphasizes the importance of understanding physiological characterization and genomic information in future wastewater treatment studies.

Klaudia Kwiatkowska, Paulina Ormaniec

Microbial Ecology • 2024

Despite some effectiveness of wastewater treatment processes, microplastics accumulate in sewage sludge and their further use may contribute to the release of plastic microplastics into the environment. There is an urgent need to reduce the amount of microplastics in sewage sludge. Plastic particles serve as solid substrates for various microorganisms, promoting the formation of microbial biofilms with different metabolic activities. The biofilm environment associated with microplastics will determine the efficiency of treatment processes, especially biological methods, and the mechanisms of organic compound conversion. A significant source of microplastics is the land application of sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants. The detrimental impact of microplastics affects soil enzymatic activity, soil microorganisms, flora, fauna, and plant production. This review article summarizes the development of research related to microplastics and discusses the issue of microplastic introduction from sewage sludge. Given that microplastics can contain complex composite polymers and form a plastisphere, further research is needed to understand their potential environmental impact, pathogenicity, and the characteristics of biofilms in wastewater treatment systems. The article also discusses the physicochemical properties of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants and their role in biofilm formation. Then, the article explained the impact of these properties on the possibility of the formation of biofilms on their surface due to the peculiar structure of microorganisms and also characterized what factors enable the formation of specific plastisphere in wastewater treatment plants. It highlights the urgent need to understand the basic information about microplastics to assess environmental toxicity more rationally, enabling better pollution control and the development of regulatory standards to manage microplastics entering the environment.

Thamali Kariyawasam, Christian Helvig, Martin Petkovich et al.

Microbial Biotechnology • 2024

Abstract Pharmaceuticals are of increasing environmental concern as they emerge and accumulate in surface‐ and groundwater systems around the world, endangering the overall health of aquatic ecosystems. Municipal wastewater discharge is a significant vector for pharmaceuticals and their metabolites to enter surface waters as humans incompletely absorb prescription drugs and excrete up to 50% into wastewater, which are subsequently incompletely removed during wastewater treatment. Microalgae present a promising target for improving wastewater treatment due to their ability to remove some pollutants efficiently. However, their inherent metabolic pathways limit their capacity to degrade more recalcitrant organic compounds such as pharmaceuticals. The human liver employs enzymes to break down and absorb drugs, and these enzymes are extensively researched during drug development, meaning the cytochrome P450 enzymes responsible for metabolizing each approved drug are well studied. Thus, unlocking or increasing cytochrome P450 expression in endogenous wastewater microalgae could be a cost‐effective strategy to reduce pharmaceutical loads in effluents. Here, we discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with introducing cytochrome P450 enzymes into microalgae. We anticipate that cytochrome P450‐engineered microalgae can serve as a new drug removal method and a sustainable solution that can upgrade wastewater treatment facilities to function as “mega livers”.

Akash Tripathi, Shraddha Yadav, Santosh Kumar et al.

Resource Recovery from Industrial Wastewater through Microbial Electrochemical Technologies • 2024

A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) has been developed as an effective technology for the microbial conversion of organic matter contained in industrial wastes and sludge into valuable products such as biogas or biochemicals. Exploiting industrial wastewater to produce biogas or chemicals will improve circular economy and concurrently attract industries to pre-treat their wastewater before discharging. However, the products of an MEC such as CH4, H2, H2O2, and other chemicals are not thermodynamically favourable reactions; hence, an external voltage is required to support these reduction reactions. In this regard, optimizing MEC's different operational parameters and reactor configuration is obligatory to reduce the system's external energy demand, and associated energy loss and simultaneously achieving high conversion efficiency. The critical aspects of this chapter are discussing the basic concept of an MEC and its configurations with a detailed description of the thermodynamic aspect of the process. Furthermore, the description of industrial wastewater characteristics provides a better assessment regarding adopting this technology in industries. Overall, this chapter highlights the significance of MECs as a potential solution for transforming industrial wastewater and sludge into valuable resources, while encouraging environmentally friendly and sustainable practices.

Aritro Banerjee, Rajnish Calay, Mohamad Mustafa

Energies • 2022

Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a bio-electrochemical system that generates electricity by anaerobic oxidation of substrates. An anode is the most critical component because the primary conversion of wastewater into electrons and protons takes place on the surface of the anode, where a biofilm is formed. This paper describes the essential properties of the anode and classifies its types according to the material used to make it. Anode material is responsible for the flow of electrons generated by the microorganism; hence biocompatibility and conductivity can considered to be the two most important properties. In this paper, the various modification strategies to improve the performance of anodes of MFC are explained through the review of researchers’ published work in this field. The shape and size of the anode turned out to be very significant as the microbial growth depends on the available surface area. The attachment of biofilm on the surface of an anode largely depends on the interfacial surface chemistry. Methods for improving MFC performance by altering the anode material, architecture, biocompatibility, and longevity are discussed with a future perspective giving special importance to the cost.

Xiaoniu Yu, Xiaohua Pan

Marine Georesources & Geotechnology • 2022

Abstract Seawater based bio-cementation through microbially-induced carbonate precipitation was proposed for the calcareous sand improvement in marine environment. The method used seawater instead of traditional fresh water to culture urease producing-bacteria (UPB) and prepare cementation solution (CS) for the bio-cement. A series of comparative bio-treatment tests using seawater based bio-cementation and traditional bio-cementation methods on three types of soil were conducted. Experimental results indicate that seawater based bio-cementation method has the ability to improve soil physico-mechanical properties, and performed better than traditional bio-cementation method. The dominant reason can be explained as that the mixture of the productions of calcite, monohydrocalcite and calcite magnesium produced during seawater based bio-cementation process have better cementation ability than the mixture of the productions of calcite and vaterite produced during bio-cementation process. UCS of coarse Ottawa sand blocks are smaller than that of medium Ottawa sand blocks is because the specific surface area of fine sand is higher and larger number of effective bondings can be formed. UCS of calcareous sand blocks are smaller than those of coarse Ottawa sand blocks can be attributed to the fact that calcareous sand has higher porosity and rougher surface, resulting in more carbonate crystals being precipitated on un-connected locations.