Thaís Almeida, Aluisio Pantaleão

Research Square • 2025

Abstract Sustainable waste management has advanced from pollution control to resource recovery. This study explores the integration of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with microalgae biotechnology for simultaneous wastewater bioremediation, bioelectricity generation, and biomass production. Microalgae enhance the system by photosynthesizing CO₂, supplying oxygen for cathodic reactions, and producing valuable biomass. In Brazil, a major beef producer, livestock waste poses serious environmental risks. This work evaluated the performance of microalgae in wastewater from confined beef cattle production using four concentrations (5%, 20%, 35%, and 50%) in a 1×4 factorial design with triplicates. Bioremediation, energy generation, and biomass characteristics were assessed using SEM and EDX. The 20% concentration delivered optimal results: 50% phosphorus, 30% nitrogen, and 7% potassium reduction; 2.142 μW maximum power; 0.51 μA current; and 4.2 mV voltage. SEM revealed biofilm formation on the anode, while EDX confirmed phosphorus (4.26%) and magnesium (4.03%) bioaccumulation. The integrated system efficiently treats wastewater while generating clean energy and high-value biomass, such as biofuels and animal feed. This approach supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and underscores Brazil’s potential to lead in sustainable agribusiness technologies.

Harshit Mittal

Qeios • 2024

In the instantaneous global industrialisation, there has been an increase in the generalised waste, one of the major pollutants of wastewater. There should be advancements in the existing wastewater treatment technologies to cater for the current water demands. Wastewater treatment requires the oxidation and reduction of organic and drug molecules. Conventional wastewater technologies are expensive for such degradation, and the treatment efficiency is inadequate per the current demands. Hence microbial fuel cells, which are affordable, multi-applicability systems, should be considered for wastewater treatment technologies. This study analyses various country- and industry-wise wastewater production to demonstrate microbial fuel cell treatment technology requirements. According to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), this review also thoroughly discusses the Life Cycle Assessment of various types of Microbial Fuel Cells in order to observe which microbial fuel cells could be applied for different levels of wastewater accumulated geologically as well as industrially. For a thorough treatment of wastewater through MFCs, the review also economically analysed the microbial fuel cells both component-wise and unit-wise, especially towards scale-up. A comprehensive socioeconomic and technological perspective has also been portrayed in order to showcase the need to transition from conventional wastewater treatment technologies towards microbial fuel cells.

Roger Randriamampianina,

• 2025

Our presentation aims to describe the development and operationalisation of the Destination Earth (DestinE) Extremes Digital Twin (DT), including the On-Demand component, a system designed to improve the prediction and management of extreme weather events in Europe. The system leverages high-resolution weather models using information from Extreme Detection (EDF) and Triggering (DTF) Frameworks, as well as ECMWF ensemble, incorporating impact-specific models for hydrology, air quality, renewable energy, and more. A key component is a configuration lookup table prioritising end-user needs and available resources. The system incorporates various masking techniques (ACCORD models configurations, geographical, capacity, event type) to refine forecasts. The presentation describes the system's architecture, data sources, and workflow, emphasising the integration of multiple models and data sources, and the use of cutting-edge technologies such as GPUs and machine learning for enhanced forecasting and efficient resource utilisation. Pilot regions are used for testing and operationalisation, with a phased approach planned for broader deployment. The project addresses challenges in forecasting accuracy, communication of uncertainty, and the integration of forecasts into decision-making processes across various sectors.

Peiying Hong

• 2023

Wastewater contains a wide suite of microbial and chemical contaminants. However, not all microorganisms in wastewater are bad. They can be a source of inoculum which we can then tap into to assemble microbial barriers within biotechnologies. These microbial barriers can aid in efficient wastewater treatment. In this seminar, we discuss the role of microbial barriers in removing antibiotic resistance genes and organic micropollutants from wastewater. With the help of microbial barriers in bioreactors, wastewater can be converted into high-quality reclaimed water to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) of providing clean water and sanitation for all and to allow sustainable cities and communities to develop (SDG11). The reclaimed water can also be used for food (SDG2) and energy production (SDG7).

GM I. Islam

• 2021

This study examined the impact of the antibiotic tetracycline at environmentally relevant concentrations (1μg/L and 10μg/L) on the composition and function of the microbial community that are responsible for the secondary treatment step in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP). Specifically, this study examined whether nitrification is inhibited by the presence of tetracycline under high and low nutrient replacement conditions. Aerated semi-batch reactors were set up containing activated sludge samples from a MWTP. Reactors were replenished with a synthetic wastewater media at two constant replacement rates for a period of 4 weeks. Parameters such as ammonia, nitrate/nitrite and total Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations were monitored to evaluate the nitrogen removal efficiency. Under a low nutrient replacement rate, tetracycline was observed to have a positive impact on ammonia removal and nitrification than at the higher one. However, total Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations increased in low nutrient replacement reactors under the presence of tetracycline which suggested a potential inhibitory effect on denitrification. At high nutrient replacement rates, tetracycline did not demonstrate an inhibitory effect on both nitrification and denitrification processes. Overall, it appears that both antibiotic presence and nutrient replacement rates can influence the community composition and function of microbial communities found in a MWTP.

Balaji B. Prasath, Karen Poon

Preprints.org • 2018

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) representing a promising technology for the extract of energy and resources through wastewater and it also offer an economic solution to the problem of environment effluent and energy crisis in near future. The advance device is rather appealing, due its potential benefits, its practical application is, however hindered by several drawbacks, such an internally competing microbial reaction, and low power generation. This report is an endeavor to address various design connected to the MFCs application to wastewater treatment, in particular cost effective bioelectricity from waste water are reviewed and discussed with a multidisciplinary approach. The conclusions drawn herein can be of practical interest to all new researchers dealing with effluent wastewater treatment using MFCs.

Ciro Bustillo Lecompte

• 2021

Environmental protection initiatives and increasing market demand for green practices are driving the meat processing industry to consider sustainable methods for wastewater treatment of slaughterhouse wastewater. On- site treatment is the preferred option to treat the slaughterhouse effluents for water reuse and potential energy recovery due to the conversion of organics into biogas. A thorough review of advancements in slaughterhouse wastewater characteristics, treatment, and management in the meat processing industry, environmental impacts, health effects, and regulatory frameworks relevant to the slaughterhouse wastewater management is presented in this study. Significant progress in high-rate anaerobic treatment, nutrient removal, advanced oxidation processes, and combined processes for an actual slaughterhouse wastewater treatment are highlighted. The optimization of individual and combined processes was performed in this study using quadratic modeling, degradation mechanisms, and response surface methodology to maximize CH4 yield and the removal of TOC and TN while minimizing TSS and H2O2 residuals. The effects of the flow rate, pH, influent TOC concentration, H2O2 dosage, and their interaction on the overall treatment efficiency and CH4 yield were studied. In the final part of this study, an optimized combined anaerobic–aerobic and UV/H2O2 system with recycle was evaluated using a cost- effectiveness analysis by minimizing treatment time, electrical energy consumption, and the overall incurred treatment costs. The agreement between model predictions and experimental values indicated that the proposed models could describe the performance of individual and combined systems for actual SWW treatment. The maximum TOC and TN removals of 91.29 and 86.05%, CH4 yield of 55.72%, and minimum H2O2 residual of 1.45% were found at optimum conditions of influent TOC concentration of 626 mg/L, feed flow rate of 45 mL/min, H2O2 dosage of 350 mg/L, and pH of 6.59. The minimum total retention time was determined to be 10 h with individual residence times of 6.82 h, 2.40 h, and 47 min in the ABR, AS bioreactor, and UV/H2O2 photoreactor, respectively. A minimum electrical power consumption of 0.0194 kWh for an overall treatment cost of 0.12 $/m3 were obtained based on the cost-effectiveness analysis. Results show that the application of combined biological and advanced oxidation processes is useful for on-site slaughterhouse wastewater treatment. Keywords: Slaughterhouse wastewater, anaerobic digestion, activated sludge, advanced oxidation processes, process optimization, cost-effectiveness analysis.

Cody S. Madsen, Michaela A. TerAvest

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) • 2019

Abstract Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 is quickly becoming a synthetic biology workhorse for bioelectrochemical technologies due to a high level of understanding of its interaction with electrodes. Transmembrane electron transfer via the Mtr pathway has been well characterized, however, the role of NADH dehydrogenases in feeding electrons to Mtr has been only minimally studied in S. oneidensis MR-1. Four NADH dehydrogenases are encoded in the genome, suggesting significant metabolic flexibility in oxidizing NADH under a variety of conditions. Strains containing in-frame deletions of each of these dehydrogenases were grown in anodic bioelectrochemical systems with N-acetylglucosamine or D,L-lactate as the carbon source to determine impact on extracellular electron transfer. A strain lacking the two dehydrogenases essential for aerobic growth exhibited a severe growth defect with an anode (+0.4 V SHE ) or Fe(III)-NTA as the terminal electron acceptor. Our study reveals that the same NADH dehydrogenase complexes are utilized under oxic conditions or with a high potential anode. Understanding the role of NADH in extracellular electron transfer may help improve biosensors and give insight into other applications for bioelectrochemical systems. TOC Graphic

N Fazli, N S A Mutamim, S A Rahim

IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering • 2020

Abstract The study aims to treat spent caustic wastewater by using a bioelectrochemical cell (BeCC) integrated with Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) as the bacterial attachment medium. BeCC is a bioelectrochemical reactor which employs microorganisms for substrates degradation and has the capacity to produce energy simultaneously. Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is also known as the bioreactor that could treat wastewater while producing energy. However, the BeCC reactor in the present study is more cost effective than an MFC reactor, since the BeCC was operated without the employment of a proton exchange membrane (PEM). The reactor was operated in a hybrid of anoxic and aerobic conditions whereby a baffle is used as the separator to minimize the oxygen transfer from the cathodic to the anodic side of the reactor. For enhancement of the BeCC performance, 10 g of suspended GAC was added into the BeCC reactor. The use of the suspended GAC is to allow higher surface area available for bacteria attachment. The study determined the best operating solid retention time (SRT) and organic loading rate (OLR) of BeCC in treating spent caustic wastewater and its performance throughout 30 days of operation was evaluated based on its Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal and open circuit voltage (OCV). For SRT study, BeCC was tested at various SRT of range within 10 to 30 days whereas for OLR study, BeCC was tested at various OLR of range within 700 to 900 mg COD/L.d. From the study, the highest COD removal were 94.17% and 92.7% achieved at SRT of 30 days and OLR of 700 mg COD/L.d respectively. Whereas for energy recovery, the highest OCV were 336.4 mV and 362 mV achieved at SRT of 20 days and OLR of 800 mg COD/L.d respectively. Biochemical bacteria identification test was also carried out to identify the bacteria morphology attached on GAC in the BeCC at SRT of 20 days with 700 mg COD/L.d of OLR and it is found that Klebsiella Oxytoca was the dominant bacteria attached on the GAC.

N Fazli, N S A Mutamim, S A Ibrahim

IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering • 2020

Abstract The study present the feasibility of a bioelectrochemical cell (BeCC) integrated with Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) as the bacterial attachment medium in treating spent caustic wastewater. BeCC is a bioelectrochemical reactor that uses activated sludge for substrate degradation while also capable in energy recovery. Unlike the general MFC configuration, the BeCC reactor is cost effective as it was operated without a proton exchange membrane (PEM). Instead, a baffle is used to reduce the oxygen transfer to the other side of the reactor and the employment of the baffle has divide the reactor into hybrid of anoxic and aerobic conditions. Also, instead of using packed GAC, the BeCC was integrated with 10 g of suspended GAC in order to increase the surface area available for bacteria to attach. The study investigated the best operating MLSS for the system to treat spent caustic wastewater whereby the BeCC was tested at various MLSS of range within 2500 mg/L to 4000 mg/L and its performance in terms of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and sulfide removal as well as it open circuit voltage (OCV) were evaluated throughout 30 days of operation. From the study, the highest COD removal of the system was 95.6% achieved at MLSS of 3500 mg/L whereas the highest sulfide removal was 87.1% achieved at MLSS of 3000 mg/L. The highest OCV was 413.7 mV achieved at MLSS of 3000 mg/L.

Marcelinus Christwardana, Athanasia Amanda Septevani, Dilla Dayanti

Journal of Electrochemical Science and Engineering • 2023

An important part of a photo-bioelectrochemical cell (PBEC) is the photo-biocatalyst substrate taken as anode. This study aims to explain the effect of CNT/TiO2/chlorophyll photocatalyst coated on the cellulose nanopaper (CNP) substrate on the PBEC performance and to compare the results with those obtained for the commercial indium tin oxide (ITO) glass and flexible ITO as substrates. The results showed high sheet resistance of CNP, which is 61182 Ω sq-1, which is reduced by 80 % in the presence of CNT/TiO2/Chl biocatalyst. The highest output voltage of 0.95 to 1 V was produced by coating CNT/TiO2/Chl on the flexible ITO. The maximum current density (Jmax) of 3726 mA m-2 and the highest maximum power density value of around 574 mW m-2 were obtained for illuminated CNT/TiO2/Chl on the rigid ITO anode. In dark conditions, the highest power density was observed for CNP as the supporting substrate. The photo-bioelectrochemical cell adopting CNT/TiO2/Chl and CNP as the supporting substrate material has great potential for a variety of applications, such as wearable electronics, environmental monitoring, remote or off-grid energy supply, and renewable energy systems, thereby contributing to the advancement of sustainable energy technologies.

Afşin Çetinkaya, Sadullah Levent Kuzu, Ahmet Demir

Environmental Research and Technology • 2020

Bio-electroactive fuel cells are systems that produce useful products from renewable sources without causing environmental pollution and treating waste. In this study, general design properties, operation mechanisms, application areas, and historical advancement of the bio-electroactive fuel cell was reviewed. Electricity generating microbial fuel cells offer new opportunities as with hydrogen and methane-producing microbial electrolysis cells due to their attractive variety of electroactive microorganisms and operating situations. This article provides an up-to-date review for Bio-electroactive fuel cells and outlines instructions for future studies.

Vita Meylani, Elsa Nurfauziah, Diana Hernawati

Journal of Agriculture and Applied Biology • 2022

Vegetable waste, one of which is cabbage waste, has long been recognized as a cause of a significant environmental problems in traditional markets and must be addressed. However, cabbage waste can be used as an alternative energy source through the Microbial Fuel Cell process. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential of cabbage waste as a producer of bioelectricity and the storage time of cabbage waste that produces the largest bioelectricity using Microbial Fuel Cells. This research was conducted in February 2022 at Laboratory of Microbiology and Botany, Universitas Siliwangi. The study employed a completely randomized design (CRD), with treatment consisting of a control group (without storage), five storage treatments, namely: treatment 1 (2 days storage), treatment 2 (4 days storage), treatment 3 (6 days storage), treatment 4 (eight days storage), and treatment 5 (10 days storage). All treatments were repeated 4 times. A digital multimeter is used to determine the resulting electric current. The results indicated that the highest average total electric current generated was 0.022 mA from the 4 days storage treatment. The lowest average total electric current generated was 0.010 mA from the 10th days storage. These data indicate that the treatment of storage time of up to 4 days can increase the amount of electric current generated, then it decreases with increasing length of storage. It is influenced by several variables, including the growth phase of the bacterium, the availability of organic molecules, and the population of bacterium.

Erin Gaffney, Matteo Grattieri, Shelley D. Minteer

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2019

Photo-bioelectrochemical systems allow for the integration of photosynthetic bacteria at an electrode surface for the conversion of solar energy into electrical current. 1 Among various applications, these systems open for the continuous monitoring of toxic compounds in the environment based on their cytotoxic effects on bacteria activity. However, a challenge for the on-field application is the exposure of bacterial cells to a diverse range of condition, requiring robust, versatile microorganisms capable of tolerating dynamic environments. Rhodobacter capsulatus ( R. capsulatus ) is a purple, photosynthetic bacterium with an outstanding versatile metabolism. Specifically, its versatility is thought to be due to a bacteria phage-like element, the R. capsulatus gene transfer agent (rcGTA), enabling horizontal gene transfer across microorganisms, which results in an expedited evolution to new environmental stresses. The rcGTA has been seen to facilitate resistance to antibiotics 2 and provides a mechanism for adaptation to various environmental conditions. Integrating this bacterium with an electrode for photo-bioelectrochemical system development proves to be challenging due to the active redox center’s location inside of the thick cellular membrane. Previous work in our group has succeeded in mediating this redox active center employing monomeric quinones for mediating the extracellular electron transfer to the electrode. 3 Current research is focused on engineering redox hydrogels to enhance the extracellular electron transfer in high saline, resulting in equal or higher currents compared to non-saline. To further improve photo-bioelectrocatalysis performance through adaptation of the cells to high saline conditions, we investigated the adaptation mechanism using techniques to study the rcGTA, and bioinformatics to evaluate differential expression of genes in both saline and non-saline conditions. Further research will be focused on harnessing these findings to decrease adaptation time to high salinities and evaluating the bioelectrochemical performance of these adapted strains through chronoamperometry and cyclic voltammetry experiments. The successful completion of this study will contribute towards the design of a photo-bioelectrochemical system for toxic compound detection in high saline conditions, and further increase our knowledge of salt adaptation mechanisms and the gene transfer agent of Rhodobacter capsulatus . References: (1) Grattieri, M.; Minteer, S. D. Decoupling Energy and Power. Nat. Energy 2018 , 3 (1), 8–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-017-0076-x. (2) Lang, A. S.; Zhaxybayeva, O.; Beatty, J. T. Gene Transfer Agents: Phage-like Elements of Genetic Exchange. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2802. (3) Grattieri, M.; Rhodes, Z.; Hickey, D. P.; Beaver, K.; Minteer, S. D. Understanding Biophotocurrent Generation in Photosynthetic Purple Bacteria. ACS Catal. 2019 , 9 (2), 867–873. https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.8b04464.

Md Tabish Noori, Dayakar Thatikayala, Booki Min

Energies • 2022

Consistent accumulation of petroleum hydrocarbon (PH) in soil and sediments is a big concern and, thus, warrants a static technology to continuously remediate PH-contaminated soil. Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) can offer the desired solution using the inimitable metabolic response of electroactive microbes without involving a physiochemical process. To date, a wide range of BES-based applications for PH bioremediations under different environmental conditions is readily available in the literature. Here, the latest development trend in BESs for PH bioremediation is critically analyzed and discussed. The reactor design and operational factors that affect the performance of BESs and their strategic manipulations such as designing novel reactors to improve anodic reactions, enhancing soil physiology (electrical conductivity, mass diffusion, hydraulic conductivity), electrode modifications, operational conditions, microbial communities, etc., are elaborated to fortify the understanding of this technology for future research. Most of the literature noticed that a low mass diffusion condition in soil restricts the microbes from interacting with the contaminant farther to the electrodes. Therefore, more research efforts are warranted, mainly to optimize soil parameters by specific amendments, electrode modifications, optimizing experimental parameters, integrating different technologies, and conducting life cycle and life cycle cost analysis to make this technology viable for field-scale applications.

Fei Wu, Lanqun Mao

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2019

Bioelectrocatalysts have enabled a rapid development of sensing methods and devices for in vivo quantification of chemical species, which is crucial for understanding the molecular basis of life. However, these sophisticated functional units face a set of challenges when operated in vivo . One inevitable issue is the kinetic barrier for heterogeneous electron transfer at the electrode-enzyme interface, especially when direct electron transfer (DET) is preferred as toxic and unstable mediators are not suitable for in vivo applications. Different strategies have been explored to improve DET efficiency, and lately, a new method for regulating the molecular orientation of laccase on single-walled carbon nanotubes was developed based on the principle of surface wetting. Electrochemical and vibrational spectroscopic investigation drew a mechanistic picture of how enzymes behave in the presence of wetting reagents (such as ethanol), offering a new guidance for the design of bioelectrochemical interfaces. Another issue associated with in vivo biosensing rises from interference of intrinsically existing substrates (other than the analytes) for enzymes, e.g., oxygen and NAD + that function as electron acceptors for commonly employed oxidases and dehydrogenases. In our recent studies, we have explored a new enzyme candidate, ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase (Fd-GltS), as a bioelectrocatalyst. Containing multiple redox centers, Fd-GltS can be fined tuned with various mediators to enable either bioelectrosynthsis of glutamate or bioelectrochemical oxidation of glutamate. By this means, we can construct a new bioelectrochemical interface devoid of oxygen and cofactor interference, thus providing a new option for the development of biosensing platform for glutamate-mediated neurotransmission.

Hannah Bird, Sharon Velasquez-Orta, Elizabeth Heidrich

Frontiers in Microbiology • 2025

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are innovative environmental engineering systems that harness the metabolic activities of microbial communities to convert chemical energy in waste into electrical energy. However, MFC performance optimization remains challenging due to limited understanding of microbial metabolic mechanisms, particularly with complex substrates under realistic environmental conditions. This study investigated the effects of substrate complexity (acetate vs. starch) and varying mass transfer (stirred vs. non-stirred) on acclimatization rates, substrate degradation, and microbial community dynamics in air-cathode MFCs. Stirring was critical for acclimating to complex substrates, facilitating electrogenic biofilm formation in starch-fed MFCs, while non-stirred MFCs showed limited performance under these conditions. Non-stirred MFCs, however, outperformed stirred systems in current generation and coulombic efficiency (CE), especially with simple substrates (acetate), achieving 66% CE compared to 38% under stirred conditions, likely due to oxygen intrusion in the stirred systems. Starch-fed MFCs exhibited consistently low CE (19%) across all tested conditions due to electron diversion into volatile fatty acids (VFA). Microbial diversity was higher in acetate-fed MFCs but unaffected by stirring, while starch-fed MFCs developed smaller, more specialized communities. Kinetic analysis identified hydrolysis of complex substrates as the rate-limiting step, with rates an order of magnitude slower than acetate consumption. Combined hydrolysis-fermentation rates were unaffected by stirring, but stirring significantly impacted acetate consumption rates, likely due to oxygen-induced competition between facultative aerobes and electrogenic bacteria. These findings highlight the trade-offs between enhanced substrate availability and oxygen-driven competition in MFCs. For real-world applications, initiating reactors with dynamic stirring to accelerate acclimatization, followed by non-stirred operation, may optimize performance. Integrating MFCs with anaerobic digestion could overcome hydrolysis limitations, enhancing the degradation of complex substrates while improving energy recovery. This study introduces novel strategies to address key challenges in scaling up MFCs for wastewater treatment, bridging the gap between fundamental research and practical applications to advance environmental systems.

Amit Sarode, Gymama Slaughter

Energies • 2025

The transition toward sustainable and decentralized energy solutions necessitates the development of innovative bioelectronic systems capable of harvesting and converting renewable energy. Here, we present a novel photo-bioelectrochemical fuel cell architecture based on a biohybrid anode integrating laser-induced graphene (LIG), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), and isolated thylakoid membranes. LIG provided a porous, conductive scaffold, while PEDOT enhanced electrode compatibility, electrical conductivity, and operational stability. Compared to MXene-based systems that involve complex, multi-step synthesis, PEDOT offers a cost-effective and scalable alternative for bioelectrode fabrication. Thylakoid membranes were immobilized onto the PEDOT-modified LIG surface to enable light-driven electron generation. Electrochemical characterization revealed enhanced redox activity following PEDOT modification and stable photocurrent generation under light illumination, achieving a photocurrent density of approximately 18 µA cm−2. The assembled photo-bioelectrochemical fuel cell employing a gas diffusion platinum cathode demonstrated an open-circuit voltage of 0.57 V and a peak power density of 36 µW cm−2 in 0.1 M citrate buffer (pH 5.5) under light conditions. Furthermore, the integration of a charge pump circuit successfully boosted the harvested voltage to drive a low-power light-emitting diode, showcasing the practical viability of the system. This work highlights the potential of combining biological photosystems with conductive nanomaterials for the development of self-powered, light-driven bioelectronic devices.

Jarina Joshi

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2019

Bioethanol can be used as an octane enhancer and alternative replacement to blend with petroleum fuels. Using an electrochemical cell for the production of bioethanol facilitates the enhancement in ethanol production exploiting the electrochemical redox reactions occuring inside the cell. The externally supplied voltage is used to drive the chemical reactions to generate the metabolite, i.e; ethanol. A microbial electrochemical cell was designed with porous carbon fiber coated with neutral red as cathode and platinum wire coated with fine platinum as anode. Saccharum spontanum biomass pretreated with hot water at 100 o C for 2 hours followed by acid hydrolysis was neutralized and used for production of ethanol by Saccharomyces cereviseae in electrochemical cell. A total supply of 4V was found to be best for maximum ethanol production in 300 ml fermentation volume. Key words: ethanol, microbial electrochemical cell, voltage.

Renata Toczyłowska-Mamińska

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health • 2020

Although the wood-based panel industry is not considered to be a water-consuming sector, it generates ca. 600 M m3 of wastewater every year on a global scale. The wastewater is usually highly polluted and environmentally toxic even after dilution. Common wastewater treatment techniques require high-energy input or addition of various chemicals to the treated wastewater, which cause secondary pollution and production of toxic sludge. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have become an attractive technology, allowing for zero-energy treatment of various types of wastewater with simultaneous production of electric current. Recent investigations have shown that MFCs can also be utilized for sustainable treatment and energy production from the wastewater generated by the wood-based panel industry. This article contains a critical summary of the investigations in this field as well as a discussion of the research needed and perspectives for the future.

DEEPAK LOHANI

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research • 2025

Paper industry is one of the largest polluting industries in the world. The treatment of recycled paper mill wastewater is a big challenge; the characteristics of effluent vary from one mill to another. The wastewater degradation pathway was identified as formation Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA) which breaks down in to intermediates like acetate and propionate. The mixed inoculum supporting the MFC reaction mechanism was identified as Acinetobacter species and Pseudomonas species. The maximum COD removal achieved by the MFC using FePc/MWCNTs catalyst was nearly equal to the Pt/C catalyst. However, cost of the treatment using this catalyst is much lower than precious metal catalyst. In addition that MFC technoloy revealed better electricity generation and wastewater treatment using non precious catalyst.

Weilin Wu

Journal of Chemistry • 2019

Towards the corrosion issues of oilfield wastewater for water recycling, the dissolved oxygen (DO) is a subsequent corrosive factor after the air desulfurization tower for high-efficiency removal of sulfides. However, an in situ biological technology for efficient DO removal has not been well developed by using organics in oilfield wastewater. A novel upflow bioelectrocatalytic system assembled with three electrodes (cathode-anode-cathode) was designed in this study, in which waste organic matter of oil wastewater was degraded by a bioanode for electron production and dissolved oxygen was efficiently reduced by a biocathode under an assistant external voltage. The results showed that the average current was kept over 6 mA by applying a fixed voltage of 0.8 V to treat oil wastewater with DO as high as 3–5 mg/L. The bottom cathode contributed the largest to DO removal rate, reaching 67%; contribution of the middle anode and the upper cathode for DO removal was 11% and 9%, respectively. The whole DO removal rate by the bioelectrocatalytic system was up to about 90%, and the effluent DO was reduced to below 0.6 mg/L by removing 40–50% COD.

Boyang Wang

Highlights in Science, Engineering and Technology • 2023

Global warming and the energy crisis caused by human activities, water scarcity and the diminishing land area are becoming more and more urgent problems to be solved. This paper summarizes the technologies of Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) and hydroponics for wastewater treatment respectively, and describes the coupled wastewater treatment technology formed by the combination of the two. The two methods are mainly analyzed in terms of the working principle of wastewater purification, the efficiency and their benefits and shortcomings. In addition, it provides a detailed analysis and summary of the working principles and previous research on coupling MFCs to hydroponics, a novel technology for treating wastewater, and gives reasonable suggestions on aspects of the field that still need to be developed and improved. MFCs coupled hydroponics (Hyp-MFC) for wastewater treatment still has great potential as a new wastewater treatment process, including the search for suitable fungal or bacterial communities to enhance the uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater by hydroponics, as well as the application of electricity generated by MFCs to other processes. The purpose of this study is to have significance in improving the Hyp-MFC system for wastewater treatment technology, finding greener wastewater treatment methods and plant cultivation.

Kang Lv, Hua Zhang, Shuiliang Chen

RSC Advances • 2018

Nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon modified activated carbon shows decreased ORR over-potential, thus enhanced ORR electrocatalytic activity in the air-cathode of microbial fuel cells compared to pristine AC.

Sa’adu, L., Garba, N.A., Balarabe, M.D.

International Journal of Science for Global Sustainability • 2019

Electrical energy needs in Nigeria are expected to continue to rise due to the rise in population. The use of petroleum as a source of energy still dominates till date, although oil reserves in Nigeria are increasingly being depleted. There is therefore the need to develop alternative source of sustainable energy, such as, Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC). Electrode materials are critical for microbial fuel cells (MFC) due to their influence in the construction as well as operational costs. In this study, we reviewed different kinds of electrodes used for the purpose of fabrication of MFC across the globe. The study shows that, most of electrode materials are carbon based perhaps due to their high conductivity, durability, eco-friendliness. While the likes Activated carbon and Biochar are selected for their surface area advantages, Graphenes, Carbon Nanotubes and Some Metals excel in the area of delivering high power density

Daniel C. Aiken, Thomas P. Curtis, Elizabeth S. Heidrich

Frontiers in Chemical Engineering • 2022

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are yet to achieve commercial viability. Organic removal rates (ORR) and capital costs dictate an MEC’s financial competitiveness against activated sludge treatments. We used numerical methods to investigate the impact of acetate concentration and the distance between opposing anodes’ surfaces (anode interstices width) on MEC cost-performance. Numerical predictions were calibrated against laboratory observations using an evolutionary algorithm. Anode interstices width had a non-linear impact on ORR and therefore allowable cost. MECs could be financially competitive if anode interstices widths are carefully controlled (2.5 mm), material costs kept low (£5–10/m 2 -anode), and wastewater pre-treated, using hydrolysis to consistently achieve influent acetate concentrations >100 mg-COD/l.

Wenwen Cui, Shunde Yin

Fuels • 2025

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are receiving increasing scholarly recognition for their capacity to simultaneously remediate contaminated streams and generate renewable hydrogen. Within the realm of acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment, MECs demonstrate pronounced advantages by merging pollutant mitigation with hydrogen production, thereby attracting intensified research interest. Drawing on 1321 pertinent publications extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection (2004–2024), this bibliometric assessment systematically elucidates the current research landscape and prospective directions in MEC-based AMD remediation and H2 synthesis. Key thematic areas encompass (1) a detailed appraisal of distinctive publication dynamics within this specialized domain; (2) insights into the principal contributing nations, institutions, journals, and academic fields; and (3) a synthesized overview of technological milestones, emerging investigative foci, and prospective developmental pathways. By critically reviewing extant knowledge, this evaluation offers meaningful guidance to researchers newly engaging with MEC-driven AMD treatment while illuminating the technological trajectories poised to shape the future of this evolving field.

Lucas R. Timmerman, Sankar Raghavan, Abhijeet P. Borole

Frontiers in Energy Research • 2022

In this study, EIS data collected from three electrode half-cell configurations was used to qualitatively identify and quantitatively determine the responses of ohmic, kinetic, and mass transfer impedances to buffer concentration, flow rate, and applied potential in an MEC consisting of a bioanode and an abiotic nickel-mesh cathode separated by a microporous membrane. EIS measurements were collected during startup and growth (including an abiotic run) at closed circuit and open circuit conditions to accurately match portions of the EIS spectra with the corresponding physical processes and to quantify kinetic changes as the biofilm matured. Once the MEC reached a target current density of 10 A/m 2 , a multifactorial experimental design formulated as a Taguchi array was executed to assess the impact of flow rate, buffer concentration, and applied voltage on EIS and performance response variables. Multivariate analysis was conducted to ascertain the relative importance of the independent variables and identify any correlations between process conditions and system response. The liquid flow through the anode was found to be strongly correlated with the impedance parameters and the MEC performance, while applied voltage influenced them to a lesser degree. The results are important from an industrial application perspective and provide insights into parameters important for process optimization.

Narges Rahimi, Ursula Eicker

Processes • 2023

Conventional wastewater treatment plants (CWTPs) are intensive energy consumers. New technologies are emerging for wastewater treatment such as microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) that can simultaneously treat wastewater and generate hydrogen as a renewable energy source. Mathematical modeling of single and dual-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (SMEC and DMEC) has been developed based on microbial population growth in this study. The model outputs were validated successfully with previous works, and are then used for comparisons between the SMEC and DMEC regarding the hydrogen production rate (HPR). The results reveal that the daily HPR in DMEC is higher than in SMEC, with about 0.86 l H2 and 0.52 l H2, respectively, per 1 L of wastewater. Moreover, the results have been used to compare the HPR in water electrolysis (WE) processes and MECs. WE consume 51 kWh to generate 1 kg of hydrogen, while SMEC and DMEC require only 30 kWh and 24.5 kWh, respectively.

Junyu Wang, Bingjun Liu

International Journal of Biology and Life Sciences • 2025

Methanogenic bacteria can convert exogenous CO₂ into biomethane, aiding carbon sequestration. Biological methods enhancing coal and CO₂ co-transformation during coalbed methane production are gaining attention, with microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) technology showing promise in improving anaerobic digestion (AD). This study compared AD and MEC-AD systems for biomethane co-production from coal and CO₂. The MEC-AD system produced 50.96 ml of methane, a 135.49% increase over AD alone (21.64 ml), and reduced CO₂ levels by 51.51% more than AD. 16S rRNA analysis showed MEC technology improved hydrolysis and interspecies electron transfer during coal digestion, boosting biomethane production. These findings highlight MEC's potential to enhance anaerobic digestion efficiency and support low-carbon or carbon-negative technologies for effective carbon sequestration.

Xolile Fuku, Ilunga Kamika, Tshimangadzo S. Munonde

Nanomanufacturing • 2025

A national energy crisis has emerged in South Africa due to the country’s increasing energy needs in recent years. The reliance on fossil fuels, especially oil and gas, is unsustainable due to scarcity, emissions, and environmental repercussions. Researchers from all over the world have recently concentrated their efforts on finding carbon-free, renewable, and alternative energy sources and have investigated microbiology and biotechnology as a potential remedy. The usage of microbial electrolytic cells (MECs) and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is one method for resolving the problem. These technologies are evolving as viable options for hydrogen and bioenergy production. The renewable energy technologies initiative in South Africa, which is regarded as a model for other African countries, has developed in the allocation of over 6000 MW of generation capacity to bidders across several technologies, primarily wind and solar. With a total investment value of R33.7 billion, the Eastern Cape’s renewable energy initiatives have created 18,132 jobs, with the province awarded 16 wind farms and one solar energy farm. Utilizing wastewater as a source of energy in MFCs has been recommended as most treatments, such as activated sludge processes and trickling filter plants, require roughly 1322 kWh per million gallons, whereas MFCs only require a small amount of external power to operate. The cost of wastewater treatment using MFCs for an influent flow of 318 m3 h−1 has been estimated to be only 9% (USD 6.4 million) of the total cost of treatment by a conventional wastewater treatment plant (USD 68.2 million). Currently, approximately 500 billion cubic meters of hydrogen (H2) are generated worldwide each year, exhibiting a growth rate of 10%. This production primarily comes from natural gas (40%), heavy oils and naphtha (30%), coal (18%), electrolysis (4%), and biomass (1%). The hydrogen produced is utilized in the manufacturing of ammonia (49%), the refining of petroleum (37%), the production of methanol (8%), and in a variety of smaller applications (6%). Considering South Africa’s energy issue, this review article examines the production of wastewater and its impacts on society as a critical issue in the global scenario and as a source of green energy.

A Mahilarasi, Kannaiyan Jaianand, K Rameshkumar et al.

Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics • 2019

The present study was conducted for auto mobile industry, food industry and pharmaceutical industries waste water treatment using effective microbial consortium. The effective microorganisms like Acinetobacter pittii, Escherichia coli, Fictibacillus nanhaiensis, Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus and Planococcus maritimus were isolated from respective sources. The microbial consortium was formulated using molasses as medium at pH 3.8 and incubated at 37°C for 3 days. The results showed that the formulated consortium was efficient for industrial waste water treatment and thereby it reduced the environmental impact.
 Keywords: Bio-remediation, Microbial consortium, Industrial waste water, Heavy metals

Timoth Mkilima, Shynar Baimukasheva

Journal of Ecological Engineering • 2025

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic disease of the arterial wall. The role of lncRNAs in AS has been acknowledged. This study investigated the role of lncRNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) in AS via the MAPK/NF-κB pathway. Serum samples were collected from AS and non-AS patients. Serum levels of PVT1, CRP, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α were determined. AS mouse model was established and transfected with si-PVT1. Levels of TG, TC, HDL, LDL, MAPK, NF-κB, MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and macrophage content were detected. Human arterial vascular smooth muscle cells (HA-VSMCs) induced by 50 mg/mL ox LDL were transfected with si-PVT1 or oe-PVT1 and added with MAPK inhibitor U0126. Viability, apoptosis, cell cycle, colony formation and DNA replication were assessed. Levels of apoptosis-related proteins were detected. Consequently, PVT1 was highly expressed in AS patients. Silencing PVT1 decreased levels of TG, TC, LDL, IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, MMP-2, MMP-9, CRP, TIMP-1, MAPK, and NF-κB, increased HDL, reduced atherosclerotic plaques and macrophage content in mice, inhibited viability, clones and EdU positive rates in HA-VSMCs, but promoted apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Inhibition of MAPK/NF-κB pathway suppressed proliferation and promoted apoptosis of HA-VSMCs while PVT1 overexpression facilitated AS development. Briefly, silencing PVT1 inhibited AS development by downregulating MAPK/NF-κB pathway.

Mohamad Agung Prawira Negara, Bayu Jayawardhana, Gert-Jan Willem Euverink

Water • 2024

In this paper, a lab-scale reactor designed to simulate the operations of the North Water Saline Wastewater Treatment Plant (SWWTP) located in Delfzijl, The Netherlands, was constructed and assessed. Unlike conventional municipal wastewater treatment facilities, this industrial plant deals with wastewater containing stubborn chemicals that are difficult to break down, along with a high ratio of chemical oxygen demand (COD) to nitrogen and elevated sodium chloride levels. Furthermore, its treatment process diverges from standard industrial setups by employing an aerobic process preceding the anaerobic phase. The proposed lab-scale reactors were proven stable and effective in mimicking the conditions of the studied industrial SWWTP, particularly in the presence of abundant glycerol, a factor not explored in similar lab-scale models. Throughout the experiment, the removal of COD (specifically glycerol) and nitrogen were monitored, alongside changes in the microbial community within both reactors. The data enabled us to examine the proliferation of microbial populations within the sludge. The results indicated the complete removal of glycerol and ammonia from the system, with some residual nitrate detected in the effluent. The soluble COD decreased in the first reactor (R1) to approximately 50% of the influent and reduced further to less than 100 mg/L in the second reactor (R2), while nitrogen was majorly removed in the R1. By the experiment’s conclusion, Actinomycetales was identified as the dominant order in the anaerobic reactor (sometimes even exceeding 70% of the population), which is known for its utilization of glycerol as a carbon source and its tolerance to high salt concentrations in the influent. Conversely, the aerobic reactor was predominantly inhabited by the order Flavobacteriales, which correlates with ammonia concentration.

Katharina Herkendell

Catalysts • 2021

Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) employ enzymes, subcellular structures or whole electroactive microorganisms as biocatalysts for energy conversion purposes, such as the electrosynthesis of value-added chemicals and power generation in biofuel cells. From a bioelectrode engineering viewpoint, customizable nanostructured carbonaceous matrices have recently received considerable scientific attention as promising electrode supports due to their unique properties attractive to bioelectronics devices. This review demonstrates the latest advances in the application of nano- and micro-structured carbon electrode assemblies in BES. Specifically, in view of the gradual increase in the commercial applicability of these systems, we aim to address the stability and scalability of different BES designs and to highlight their potential roles in a circular bioeconomy.

Xingcheng Zhou, Ariel L Furst

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2023

Electrochemical biosensors, which combine biorecognition elements with electrochemical readout to enable sensitive and specific sensing using inexpensive, simple equipment, are a major area of research for the development of “point-of-care” (POC) diagnostics that can be utilized in low-resource settings. Commercially available screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) are often used for electrochemical biosensors due to its low cost and fabrication from abundant resources. Forming a high quality, stable, and homogenous layer of biomolecules on the carbon surface is crucial for efficient sensing; however, the chemistries used to modify carbon electrodes with biomolecules are either insufficiently specific, susceptible to stripping, or unapproachable due to over-engineering. In this talk, I describe a new, simple chemical strategy to functionalize carbon electrodes with biomolecules for the electrochemical detection of nucleic acids, enzymes, and whole cells.

Prabhu Narayanaswamy Venkatesan, Sangeetha Dharmalingam

Renewable Energy • 2017

Jin Young Kim

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2018

A polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-reinforced Nafion composite material is a cost effective alternative to a pure perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membrane, which is often applied as membrane in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), simply by lowering the amount of expensive PFSA applied for the membrane production. The reduction in cost is an attractive factor, but it is still a challenge to produce the composite membranes as efficient as commercial membranes. Recent research and application activities with the reinforced composite membrane for PEMFC applications include impregnation of the PFSA ionomer into the PTFE support, improving proton conductivity, reducing gas permeability, and addition of radical scavengers. In this talk, our recent results from these activities will be presented.

Dongpeng Zhang

Journal of Physics: Conference Series • 2020

Abstract In order to conduct dielectric barrier discharge experiments under normal pressure and low voltage (less than 15000V), an ac high-voltage differential power supply based on series-parallel LCC-type(Inductor L and capacitor Cr, Cp are connected in series and parallel structure) resonant converter is designed. The designed power supply prototype has the advantages of small size, light weight and easy operation. The power supply prototype has been tested on loads for many times. Its output repeatability is good and it can continuously output stable sinusoidal ac voltage. At the same time, the prototype also has a strong ability to resist electromagnetic interference. Moreover, the dielectric barrier discharge experiment is carried out using copper electrode with zinc oxide nanowires and copper electrode without zinc oxide nanowires. The experimental results show that the starting voltage of the test group with nanostructures growing on the surface is smaller, about 2500V lower than that of the latter under the same dielectric conditions and discharge spacing. In terms of the discharge phenomenon, the former has a better discharge process consistency, the non-nanostructured electrode discharge is unstable, and the difference in the discharge process is obvious.

Anna Barra Caracciolo, Valentina Terenzi

Microorganisms • 2021

The rhizosphere is a microhabitat where there is an intense chemical dialogue between plants and microorganisms. The two coexist and develop synergistic actions, which can promote plants’ functions and productivity, but also their capacity to respond to stress conditions, including heavy metal (HM) contamination. If HMs are present in soils used for agriculture, there is a risk of metal uptake by edible plants with subsequent bioaccumulation in humans and animals and detrimental consequences for their health. Plant productivity can also be negatively affected. Many bacteria have defensive mechanisms for resisting heavy metals and, through various complex processes, can improve plant response to HM stress. Bacteria-plant synergic interactions in the rhizosphere, as a homeostatic ecosystem response to HM disturbance, are common in soil. However, this is hard to achieve in agroecosystems managed with traditional practices, because concentrating on maximizing crop yield does not make it possible to establish rhizosphere interactions. Improving knowledge of the complex interactions mediated by plant exudates and secondary metabolites can lead to nature-based solutions for plant health in HM contaminated soils. This paper reports the main ecotoxicological effects of HMs and the various compounds (including several secondary metabolites) produced by plant-microorganism holobionts for removing, immobilizing and containing toxic elements.