The microbe electric: conversion of organic matter to electricity

Performance assessment of aeration and radial oxygen loss assisted cathode based integrated constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell systems

The present study explores low-cost cathode development possibility using radial oxygen loss (ROL) of Canna indica plants and intermittent aeration (IA) for wastewater treatment and electricity generation in constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC) system. Two CW-MFC microcosms were developed. Amongst them, one microcosm was planted with Canna indica plants for evaluating the ROL dependent cathode reaction (CW-MFC dependent on ROL) and another microcosm was equipped with intermittent aeration for evaluating the intermittent aeration dependent cathode reaction (CW-MFC with additional IA). The CW-MFC with additional IA has achieved 78.71% and 53.23%, and CW-MFC dependent on ROL has achieved 72.17% and 46.77% COD removal from synthetic wastewater containing glucose loads of 0.7gL^-1and 2.0gL^-1, respectively. The maximum power density of 31.04mWm^-3 and 19.60mWm^-3 was achieved in CW-MFC with additional IA and CW-MFC dependent on ROL, respectively.

Simultaneous algae-polluted water treatment and electricity generation using a biocathode-coupled electrocoagulation cell (bio-ECC)

How to utilize electrocoagulation (EC) technology for algae-polluted water treatment in an energy-efficient manner remains a critical challenge for its widespread application. Herein, a novel biocathode-coupled electrocoagulation cell (bio-ECC) with sacrificial iron anode and nitrifying biocathode was developed. Under different solution conductivities (2.33±0.25mScm^-1 and 4.94±0.55mScm^-1), the bio-ECC achieved almost complete removal of algae cells. The maximum power densities of 8.41 and 11.33Wm^-3 at corresponding current densities of 48.03Am^-3 and 66.26Am^-3 were obtained, with the positive energy balance of 4.52 and 7.44Wm^-3. In addition, the bio-ECC exhibited excellent NH₄⁺-N removal performance with the nitrogen removal rates of 7.28mgL^-1h^-1 and 6.77mgL^-1h^-1 in cathode chamber, indicating the superiority of bio-ECC in NH₄⁺-N removal. Pyrosequencing revealed that nitrifiers including Nitrospira, Nitrobacter, Nitrosococcus, and Nitrosomonas were enriched in biocathode. The removal mechanisms of algae in anode chamber were also explored by AFM and SEM-EDX tests. These results provide a proof-of-concept study of transferring energy-intensive EC process into an energy-neutral process with high-efficiency algae removal and electricity recovery.

Microbial manganese(III) reduction fuelled by anaerobic acetate oxidation

Soluble manganese in the intermediate +III oxidation state (Mn³⁺ ) is a newly identified oxidant in anoxic environments, whereas acetate is a naturally abundant substrate that fuels microbial activity. Microbial populations coupling anaerobic acetate oxidation to Mn³⁺ reduction, however, have yet to be identified. We isolated a Shewanella strain capable of oxidizing acetate anaerobically with Mn³⁺ as the electron acceptor, and confirmed this phenotype in other strains. This metabolic connection between acetate and soluble Mn³⁺ represents a new biogeochemical link between carbon and manganese cycles. Genomic analyses uncovered four distinct genes that allow for pathway variations in the complete dehydrogenase-driven TCA cycle that could support anaerobic acetate oxidation coupled to metal reduction in Shewanella and other Gammaproteobacteria. An oxygen-tolerant TCA cycle supporting anaerobic manganese reduction is thus a new connection in the manganese-driven carbon cycle, and a new variable for models that use manganese as a proxy to infer oxygenation events on early Earth.

Sustainable Hypersaline Microbial Fuel Cells: Inexpensive Recyclable Polymer Supports for Carbon Nanotube Conductive Paint Anodes

Microbial fuel cells are an emerging technology for wastewater treatment, but to be commercially viable and sustainable, the electrode materials must be inexpensive, recyclable, and reliable. In this study, recyclable polymeric supports were explored for the development of anode electrodes to be applied in single-chamber microbial fuel cells operated in field under hypersaline conditions. The support was covered with a carbon nanotube (CNT) based conductive paint, and biofilms were able to colonize the electrodes. The single-chamber microbial fuel cells with Pt-free cathodes delivered a reproducible power output after 15 days of operation to achieve 12±1 mW m^-2 at a current density of 69±7 mA m^-2 . The decrease of the performance in long-term experiments was mostly related to inorganic precipitates on the cathode electrode and did not affect the performance of the anode, as shown by experiments in which the cathode was replaced and the fuel cell performance was regenerated. The results of these studies show the feasibility of polymeric supports coated with CNT-based paint for microbial fuel cell applications.

Formation of novel hydrogel bio-anode by immobilization of biocatalyst in alginate/polyaniline/titanium-dioxide/graphite composites and its electrical performance

A new bio-anode containing gel-entrapped bacteria in alginate/polyaniline/TiO₂/graphite composites was constructed and electrically investigated. Alginate as dopant and template as well as entrapped gel was used for immobilization of microorganism cells. Increase of polyaniline concentration resulted an increase in the conductivity in gels. Addition of 0.01 and 0.02 g/mL polyaniline caused 6-fold and 10-fold higher conductivity, respectively. Furthermore, addition of 0.05 g/mL graphite powder caused 10-fold higher conductivity and 4-fold higher power density, respectively. The combination of polyaniline and graphite resulted 105-fold higher conductivity and 7-fold higher power-density output. Optimized concentrations of polyaniline and graphite powder were determined to be 0.02 g/mL and 0.05 g/mL, respectively. Modified hydrogel anode was successfully used in microbial fuel cell systems both in semi- and continuous operations modes. In semi-continuous mode, about 7.88 W/m³ power density was obtained after 13 h of fermentation. The glucose consumption rate was calculated to be about 7 mg glucose/h/1.2·10⁷ CFU immobilized cells. Similar power density was observed in the continuous operation mode of the microbial fuel cell, and it was operated stably for more than 7 days. Our results are very promising for development of an improved microbial fuel cell with new type of bio-anode that have higher power density and can operate for long term.

Integrated electrochemical treatment systems for facilitating the bioremediation of oil spill contaminated soil

Bioremediation plays an important role in oil spill management and bio-electrochemical treatment systems are supposed to represent a new technology for both effective remediation and energy recovery. Diesel removal rate increased by four times in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) since the electrode served as an electron acceptor, and high power density (29.05 W m^-3) at current density 72.38 A m^-3 was achieved using diesel (v/v 1%) as the sole substrate. As revealed by Scanning electron microscope images, carbon fibres in the anode electrode were covered with biofilm and the bacterial colloids which build the link between carbon fibres and enhance electron transmission. Trace metabolites produced during the anaerobic biodegradation were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. These metabolites may act as emulsifying agents that benefit oil dispersion and play a vital role in bioremediation of oil spills in field applications.

SWIMMING OF A SINGLY FLAGELLATED MICROORGANISM IN A MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC SECOND-ORDER FLUID

Magnetic swimming is rapidly attracting interest in biomedical engineering applications. In the present work, we study the swimming of a singly flagellated microorganism propelling in an electrically-conducting magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) viscoelastic second-order fluid. The singly flagellated microorganism is modeled by a transversely waving infinite flexible sheet. The method of successive approximation is employed up to second-order in the amplitude of oscillation of the waving sheet. It has been shown that the velocity induced by a transversely waving infinite flexible sheet in a viscoelastic second-order fluid decreases with the elastic property for all the values of the Reynolds number. The solution reveals that the magnetic parameter (relating the relative influence of magnetic body force and viscous force effects) increases the propulsion for small Reynolds number and reduces it with high Reynolds number. The influence of magnetic field is therefore variable depending on the inertial effect. Comparisons with the literature demonstrate the generality of the proposed approach which allows errors included in previous formulations to be corrected. The present results may be, in principle, taken as a benchmark for computational modeling of magnetic swimming in viscoelastic fluids of relevance to green energy and magnetic biomedical procedures.

Electrochemical techniques reveal that total ammonium stress increases electron flow to anode respiration in mixed-species bacterial anode biofilms

When anode-respiring bacteria (ARB) respire electrons to an anode in microbial electrochemical cells (MXCs), they harvest only a small amount of free energy. This means that ARB must have a high substrate-oxidation rate coupled with a high ratio of electrons used for respiration compared to total electrons removed by substrate utilization. It also means that they are especially susceptible to inhibition that slows anode respiration or lowers their biomass yield. Using several electrochemical techniques, we show that a relatively high total ammonium-nitrogen (TAN) concentration (2.2 g TAN/L) induced significant stress on the ARB biofilms, lowering their true yield and forcing the ARB to boost the ratio of electrons respired per electrons consumed from the substrate. In particular, a higher respiration rate, measured as current density (j), was associated with slower growth and a lower net yield, compared to an ARB biofilm grown with a lower ammonium concentration (0.2 g TAN/L). Further increases in influent TAN (to 3 and then to 4.4 g TAN/L) caused nearly complete inhibition of anode respiration. However, the ARB could recover from high-TAN inhibition after a shift of the MXC's feed to 0.2 g TAN/L. In summary, ARB biofilms were inhibited by a high TAN concentration, but could divert more electron flow toward anode respiration with modest inhibition and recover when severe inhibition was relieved. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1151-1159. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Electricity generation and microbial community in response to short-term changes in stack connection of self-stacked submersible microbial fuel cell powered by glycerol

Stack connection (i.e., in series or parallel) of microbial fuel cell (MFC) is an efficient way to boost the power output for practical application. However, there is little information available on short-term changes in stack connection and its effect on the electricity generation and microbial community. In this study, a self-stacked submersible microbial fuel cell (SSMFC) powered by glycerol was tested to elucidate this important issue. In series connection, the maximum voltage output reached to 1.15 V, while maximum current density was 5.73 mA in parallel. In both connections, the maximum power density increased with the initial glycerol concentration. However, the glycerol degradation was even faster in parallel connection. When the SSMFC was shifted from series to parallel connection, the reactor reached to a stable power output without any lag phase. Meanwhile, the anodic microbial community compositions were nearly stable. Comparatively, after changing parallel to series connection, there was a lag period for the system to get stable again and the microbial community compositions became greatly different. This study is the first attempt to elucidate the influence of short-term changes in connection on the performance of MFC stack, and could provide insight to the practical utilization of MFC.

Yeast and carbon nanotube based biocatalyst developed by synergetic effects of covalent bonding and hydrophobic interaction for performance enhancement of membraneless microbial fuel cell

Membraneless microbial fuel cell (MFC) employing new microbial catalyst formed as yeast cultivated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and carbon nanotube (yeast/CNT) is suggested. To analyze its catalytic activity and performance and stability of MFC, several characterizations are performed. According to the characterizations, the catalyst shows excellent catalytic activities by facile transfer of electrons via reactions of NAD, FAD, cytochrome c and cytochrome a3, while it induces high maximum power density (MPD) (344mW·m^-2). It implies that adoption of yeast induces increases in catalytic activity and MFC performance. Furthermore, MPD is maintained to 86% of initial value even after eight days, showing excellent MFC stability.

Pollen derived blue fluorescent carbon dots for bioimaging and monitoring of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake in Brassica parachinensis L

Carbon dots (CDs), synthesized from biological sources, have attracted attention in bioimaging and bioscience due to their low cytotoxicity, water-soluble nature, and biocompatibility.

Bioelectrochemical approaches for removal of sulfate, hydrocarbon and salinity from produced water

Produced water (PW) is the largest liquid waste stream generated during the exploration and drilling process of both the conventional hydrocarbon based resources like crude oil and natural gas, as well as the new fossil resources like shale gas and coal bed methane. Resource management, efficient utilization of the water resources, and water purification protocols are the conventionally used treatment methods applied to either treat or utilize the generated PW. This review provides a comprehensive overview of these conventional PW treatment strategies with special emphasises on electrochemical treatment. Key considerations associated with these approaches for efficient treatment of PW are also discussed. After a thorough assessment of the salient features of these treatment platforms, we propose a new strategy of uniquely integrating bioelectrochemical processes with biological system for more effective PW treatment and management.

A critical review of bioelectrochemical membrane reactor (BECMR) as cutting-edge sustainable wastewater treatment

Reclamation of wastewater along with minimum energy utilization has been the paramount concern today. Tremendous industrialization and corresponding demographic resulted in elevated water and energy demand; however, scarcity of sufficient water and energy resource triggers rigorous research for sustainable water treatment technology. Recent technologies like activated sludge, filtration, adsorption, coagulation, and oxidation have been considered as promising sustainable technologies, but high cost, low efficiency, and efficacy are the major concerns so far. Wastewater is food for billions of bacteria, where some exceptional bacterial species have the ability to transport electrons that are produced during metabolism to outside the cell membrane. Indeed, wastewater can itself be considered as a prominent candidate to resolve the problem of sustainability. Bioelectrochemical membrane reactor is a promising technology, which is an integration of microbial fuel cell (MFC) to membrane bioreactor (MBR). It promises the benefit of harvesting electricity while biologically treating any type of wastewater to the highest extent while passing wastewater through anaerobic, aerobic, and integrated membrane compartments in successive manner. In this review, we provide critical rethinking to take this idea of integration of MFC-MBR and apply them to produce a fully functional prototype of bioelectrochemical membrane reactor that could be used commercially.

Generating Electric Current by Bioartificial Photosynthesis

Abundant solar energy can be a sustainable source of energy. This chapter highlights recent advancements, challenges, and future scenarios in bioartificial photosynthesis, which is a new subset of bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) and technologies. BES technologies exploit the catalytic interactions between biological moieties and electrodes. At the nexus of BES and photovoltaics, this review focuses on light-harvesting technologies based on bioartificial photosynthesis. Such technologies are promising because electrical energy is generated from sunlight and water without the need for additional organic feedstock. This review focuses on photosynthetic electron generation and transfer and compares the current status of bioartificial photosynthesis with other artificial systems that mimic the chemistry of photosynthetic energy transformation.The fundamental principles and the operation of functional units of bioartificial photosynthesis are addressed. Selected photobioelectrochemical systems employed to obtain light-driven electric currents from photosynthetic organisms are presented. The achievable current output and theoretical maxima are revisited by conceptualizing operational and process window techniques. Factors affecting overall photocurrent efficiency, performance limitations, and scaleup bottlenecks are highlighted in view of enhancing the energy conversion efficiency of photobioelectrochemical systems. To finish, the challenges associated with bioartificial photosynthetic technologies are outlined. Graphical Abstract Operational window for (bio-)artificial photosynthesis. Green circle in the upper right corner: development objective for research and engineering efforts.

Electrochemical Behavior of Anode-Respiring Bacteria on Doped Carbon Electrodes

Cultivating anodic respiring bacteria (ARB) on anodes doped with metal-enhanced biological growth and affected higher electocatalytic activity (ECA). The anode doped with calcium sulfide (CaS) proved more favorable for ARB than the magnetite (Fe₃O₄) or iron(II) sulfide (FeS). Average anodic current densities of 8.4 Am^2- (Fe₃O₄), 11.1 Am^2- (FeS), and 22.0 Am^2- (CaS) were achieved as compared to that of nondoped carbon (5.1 A m^-2). Thus, CaS-doped graphite represents a promising anode material which is suitable for highly efficient bioelectrochemical systems (BES). Electrochemical evaluation during turnover and starvation using simple cycle voltammetry (CV) and derivative cycle voltammetry (DCV) indicated several extracellular electron transfer (EET) pathways characterized with lower potentials for biofilms. However, despite the high affinity of bacteria to iron, their lower ECA was kinetically attributed to the accumulation of self-produced mediators on iron-doped anodes.

Comparative metabolic state of microflora on the surface of the anode electrode in a microbial fuel cell operated at different pH conditions

The metabolic state of microflora (mixed microbial cultures) in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is currently unclear. Metabolomic analyses were conducted of microflora growing on the anodic electrodes of MFCs operated at pH 7.0, 5.5, or 4.0 and utilizing starch as the major carbon substrate. A much higher current was produced at pH 7.0 than at pH 5.5 and 4.0, correlating with an increased population ratio of Geobacter species to the total bacteria growing on the electrode. Most intracellular metabolites related to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle were present at a higher level at pH 7.0 than at pH 5.5 and 4.0, and the levels of metabolites correlated well with the obtained current densities. A high intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP)/adenosine diphosphate (ADP) ratio at pH 7.0, compared to at pH 5.5 and 4.0, likewise supported current production. Overall, the metabolomic analyses demonstrated that activation of the TCA cycle and increased ATP generation are critical parameters for electricity generation by microflora.

Rapid construction of a whole-genome transposon insertion collection for Shewanella oneidensis by Knockout Sudoku

Whole-genome knockout collections are invaluable for connecting gene sequence to function, yet traditionally, their construction has required an extraordinary technical effort. Here we report a method for the construction and purification of a curated whole-genome collection of single-gene transposon disruption mutants termed Knockout Sudoku. Using simple combinatorial pooling, a highly oversampled collection of mutants is condensed into a next-generation sequencing library in a single day, a 30- to 100-fold improvement over prior methods. The identities of the mutants in the collection are then solved by a probabilistic algorithm that uses internal self-consistency within the sequencing data set, followed by rapid algorithmically guided condensation to a minimal representative set of mutants, validation, and curation. Starting from a progenitor collection of 39,918 mutants, we compile a quality-controlled knockout collection of the electroactive microbe Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 containing representatives for 3,667 genes that is functionally validated by high-throughput kinetic measurements of quinone reduction.

Knockout collections provide a valuable tool to explore gene function, yet are expensive and technically challenging to produce at a genome-wide scale. Here Baym et al. devise a cost-effective transposon-based method to quickly develop a knockout collection for the electroactive microbe Shewanella oneidensis.

High-Performance Carbon Aerogel Air Cathodes for Microbial Fuel Cells

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can generate electricity from the oxidation of organic substrates using anodic exoelectrogenic bacteria and have great potential for harvesting electric energy from wastewater. Improving oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance at a neutral pH is needed for efficient energy production. Here we show a nitrogen doped (≈4 wt%) ionothermal carbon aerogel (NDC) with a high surface area, large pore volume, and hierarchical porosity, with good electrocatalytic properties for ORR in MFCs. The MFCs using NDC air cathodes achieved a high maximum power density of 2300 mW m^-2 , which was 1.7 times higher than the most commonly used Pt/C air cathodes and also higher than most state-of-the-art ORR catalyst air cathodes. Rotating disk electrode measurements verified the superior electrocatalytic activity of NDC with an efficient four-electron transfer pathway (n=3.9). These findings highlight NDC as a better-performing and cost-efficient catalyst compared with Pt/C, making it highly viable for MFC applications.

External Resistances Applied to MFC Affect Core Microbiome and Swine Manure Treatment Efficiencies

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can be designed to combine water treatment with concomitant electricity production. Animal manure treatment has been poorly explored using MFCs, and its implementation at full-scale primarily relies on the bacterial distribution and activity within the treatment cell. This study reports the bacterial community changes at four positions within the anode of two almost identically operated MFCs fed swine manure. Changes in the microbiome structure are described according to the MFC fluid dynamics and the application of a maximum power point tracking system (MPPT) compared to a fixed resistance system (Ref-MFC). Both external resistance and cell hydrodynamics are thought to heavily influence MFC performance. The microbiome was characterised both quantitatively (qPCR) and qualitatively (454-pyrosequencing) by targeting bacterial 16S rRNA genes. The diversity of the microbial community in the MFC biofilm was reduced and differed from the influent swine manure. The adopted electric condition (MPPT vs fixed resistance) was more relevant than the fluid dynamics in shaping the MFC microbiome. MPPT control positively affected bacterial abundance and promoted the selection of putatively exoelectrogenic bacteria in the MFC core microbiome (Sedimentibacter sp. and gammaproteobacteria). These differences in the microbiome may be responsible for the two-fold increase in power production achieved by the MPPT-MFC compared to the Ref-MFC.

Electrical output of bryophyte microbial fuel cell systems is sufficient to power a radio or an environmental sensor

Plant microbial fuel cells are a recently developed technology that exploits photosynthesis in vascular plants by harnessing solar energy and generating electrical power. In this study, the model moss species Physcomitrella patens, and other environmental samples of mosses, have been used to develop a non-vascular bryophyte microbial fuel cell (bryoMFC). A novel three-dimensional anodic matrix was successfully created and characterized and was further tested in a bryoMFC to determine the capacity of mosses to generate electrical power. The importance of anodophilic microorganisms in the bryoMFC was also determined. It was found that the non-sterile bryoMFCs operated with P. patens delivered over an order of magnitude higher peak power output (2.6 ± 0.6 µW m-2) than bryoMFCs kept in near-sterile conditions (0.2 ± 0.1 µW m-2). These results confirm the importance of the microbial populations for delivering electrons to the anode in a bryoMFC. When the bryoMFCs were operated with environmental samples of moss (non-sterile) the peak power output reached 6.7 ± 0.6 mW m-2. The bryoMFCs operated with environmental samples of moss were able to power a commercial radio receiver or an environmental sensor (LCD desktop weather station).

Quantification of effective exoelectrogens by most probable number (MPN) in a microbial fuel cell

The objective of this work was to quantify the number of exoelectrogens in wastewater capable of producing current in a microbial fuel cell by adapting the classical most probable number (MPN) methodology using current production as end point. Inoculating a series of microbial fuel cells with various dilutions of domestic wastewater and with acetate as test substrate yielded an apparent number of exoelectrogens of 17perml. Using current as a proxy for activity the apparent exoelectrogen growth rate was 0.03h(-1). With starch or wastewater as more complex test substrates similar apparent growth rates were obtained, but the apparent MPN based numbers of exoelectrogens in wastewater were significantly lower, probably because in contrast to acetate, complex substrates require complex food chains to deliver the electrons to the electrodes. Consequently, the apparent MPN is a function of the combined probabilities of members of the food chain being present.

Extracellular Electron Transfer from Aerobic Bacteria to Au-Loaded TiO2 Semiconductor without Light: A New Bacteria-Killing Mechanism Other than Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance or Microbial Fuel Cells

Titania loaded with noble metal nanoparticles exhibits enhanced photocatalytic killing of bacteria under light illumination due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property. It has been shown recently that loading with Au or Ag can also endow TiO2 with the antibacterial ability in the absence of light. In this work, the antibacterial mechanism of Au-loaded TiO2 nanotubes (Au@TiO2-NT) in the dark environment is studied, and a novel type of extracellular electron transfer (EET) between the bacteria and the surface of the materials is observed to cause bacteria death. Although the EET-induced bacteria current is similar to the LSPR-related photocurrent, the former takes place without light, and no reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during the process. The EET is also different from that commonly attributed to microbial fuel cells (MFC) because it is dominated mainly by the materials' surface, but not the bacteria, and the environment is aerobic. EET on the Au@TiO2-NT surface kills Staphylococcus aureus, but if it is combined with special MFC bacteria, the efficiency of MFC may be improved significantly.

Bioelectrochemical treatment of table olive brine processing wastewater for biogas production and phenolic compounds removal

Industry of table olives is widely distributed over the Mediterranean countries and generates large volumes of processing wastewaters (TOPWs). TOPWs contain high levels of organic matter, salt, and phenolic compounds that are recalcitrant to microbial degradation. This work aims to evaluate the potential of bioelectrochemical systems to simultaneously treat real TOPWs and recover energy. The experiments were performed in potentiostatically-controlled single-chamber systems fed with real TOPW and using a moderate halophilic consortium as biocatalyst. In conventional anaerobic digestion (AD) treatment, ie. where no potential was applied, no CH4 was produced. In comparison, Bio-Electrochemical Systems (BES) showed a maximum CH4 yield of 701 ± 13 NmL CH4·LTOPW(-1) under a current density of 7.1 ± 0.4 A m(-2) and with a coulombic efficiency of 30%. Interestingly, up to 80% of the phenolic compounds found in the raw TOPW (i.e. hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol) were removed. A new theoretical degradation pathway was proposed after identification of the metabolic by-products. Consistently, microbial community analysis at the anode revealed a clear and specific enrichment in anode-respiring bacteria (ARB) from the genera Desulfuromonas and Geoalkalibacter, supporting the key role of these electroactive microorganisms. As a conclusion, bioelectrochemical systems represent a promising bioprocess alternative for the treatment and energy recovery of recalcitrant TOPWs.

Bioelectrochemical systems-driven directional ion transport enables low-energy water desalination, pollutant removal, and resource recovery

Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) are integrated water treatment technologies that generate electricity using organic matter in wastewater. In situ use of bioelectricity can direct the migration of ionic substances in a BES, thereby enabling water desalination, resource recovery, and valuable substance production. Recently, much attention has been placed on the microbial desalination cells in BESs to drive water desalination, and various configurations have optimized electricity generation and desalination performance and also coupled hydrogen production, heavy metal reduction, and other reactions. In addition, directional transport of other types of charged ions can remediate polluted groundwater, recover nutrient, and produce valuable substances. To better promote the practical application, the use of BESs as directional drivers of ionic substances requires further optimization to improve energy use efficiency and treatment efficacy. This article reviews existing researches on BES-driven directional ion transport to treat wastewater and identifies a few key factors involved in efficiency optimization.

Enhanced Oxygen and Hydroxide Transport in a Cathode Interface by Efficient Antibacterial Property of a Silver Nanoparticle-Modified, Activated Carbon Cathode in Microbial Fuel Cells

A biofilm growing on an air cathode is responsible for the decreased performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). For the undesired biofilm to be minimized, silver nanoparticles were synthesized on activated carbon as the cathodic catalyst (Ag/AC) in MFCs. Ag/AC enhanced maximum power density by 14.6% compared to that of a bare activated carbon cathode (AC) due to the additional silver catalysis. After operating MFCs over five months, protein content on the Ag/AC cathode was only 38.3% of that on the AC cathode, which resulted in a higher oxygen concentration diffusing through the Ag/AC cathode. In addition, a lower pH increment (0.2 units) was obtained near the Ag/AC catalyst surface after biofouling compared to 0.8 units of the AC cathode, indicating that less biofilm on the Ag/AC cathode had a minor resistance on hydroxide transported from the catalyst layer interfaces to the bulk solution. Therefore, less decrements of the Ag/AC activity and MFC performance were obtained. This result indicated that accelerated transport of oxygen and hydroxide, benefitting from the antibacterial property of the cathode, could efficiently maintain higher cathode stability during long-term operation.

Boosting Power Density of Microbial Fuel Cells with 3D Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Aerogel Electrode

A 3D nitrogen-doped graphene aerogel (N-GA) as an anode material for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is reported. Electron microscopy images reveal that the N-GA possesses hierarchical porous structure that allows efficient diffusion of both bacterial cells and electron mediators in the interior space of 3D electrode, and thus, the colonization of bacterial communities. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic measurements further show that nitrogen doping considerably reduces the charge transfer resistance and internal resistance of GA, which helps to enhance the MFC power density. Importantly, the dual-chamber milliliter-scale MFC with N-GA anode yields an outstanding volumetric power density of 225 ± 12 W m^-3 normalized to the total volume of the anodic chamber (750 ± 40 W m^-3 normalized to the volume of the anode). These power densities are the highest values report for milliliter-scale MFCs with similar chamber size (25 mL) under the similar measurement conditions. The 3D N-GA electrode shows great promise for improving the power generation of MFC devices.

Influence of the fuel and dosage on the performance of double-compartment microbial fuel cells

This manuscript focuses on the evaluation of the use of different types and dosages of fuels in the performance of double-compartment microbial fuel cell equipped with carbon felt electrodes and cationic membrane. Five types of fuels (ethanol, glycerol, acetate, propionate and fructose) have been tested for the same organic load (5,000 mg L(-1) measured as COD) and for one of them (acetate), the range of dosages between 500 and 20,000 mg L(-1) of COD was also studied. Results demonstrate that production of electricity depends strongly on the fuel used. Carboxylic acids are much more efficient than alcohols or fructose for the same organic load and within the range 500-5,000 mg L(-1) of acetate the production of electricity increases linearly with the amount of acetate fed but over these concentrations a change in the population composition may explain a worse performance.

Trace heavy metal ions promoted extracellular electron transfer and power generation by Shewanella in microbial fuel cells

Although microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is considered as one of the most promising technology for renewable energy harvesting, low power output still accounts one of the bottlenecks and limits its further development. In this work, it is found that Cu(2+) (0.1μgL(-1)-0.1mgL(-1)) or Cd(2+) (0.1μgL(-1)-1mgL(-1)) significantly improve the electricity generation in MFCs. The maximum power output achieved with trace level of Cu(2+) (∼6nM) or Cd(2+) (∼5nM) is 1.3 times and 1.6 times higher than that of the control, respectively. Further analysis verifies that addition of Cu(2+) or Cd(2+) effectively improves riboflavin production and bacteria attachment on the electrode, which enhances bacterial extracellular electron transfer (EET) in MFCs. These results unveil the mechanism for power output enhancement by Cu(2+) or Cd(2+) addition, and suggest that metal ion addition should be a promising strategy to enhance EET as well as power generation of MFCs.

Promoting the bio-cathode formation of a constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell by using powder activated carbon modified alum sludge in anode chamber

MFC centered hybrid technologies have attracted attention during the last few years due to their compatibility and dual advantages of energy recovery and wastewater treatment. In this study, a MFC was integrated into a dewatered alum sludge (DAS)- based vertical upflow constructed wetland (CW). Powder activate carbon (PAC) was used in the anode area in varied percentage with DAS to explore its influences on the performance of the CW-MFC system. The trial has demonstrated that the inclusion of PAC improved the removal efficiencies of COD, TN and RP. More significantly, increasing the proportion of PAC from 2% to 10% can significantly enhance the maximum power densities from 36.58 mW/m² to 87.79 mW/m². The induced favorable environment for bio-cathode formation might be the main reason for this improvement since the content of total extracellular polymeric substances (TEPS) of the substrate in the cathode area almost doubled (from 44.59 μg/g wet sludge to 87.70 μg/g wet sludge) as the percentage of PAC increased to 10%. This work provides another potential usage of PAC in CW-MFCs with a higher wastewater treatment efficiency and energy recovery.

A comparison of simultaneous organic carbon and nitrogen removal in microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells

This study demonstrates simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal in laboratory-scale continuous flow microbial fuel cell (MFC) and microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) and provides side-by side comparison of these bioelectrochemical systems. The maximum organic carbon removal rates in MFC and MEC tests were similar at 5.1 g L(-1) d(-1) and 4.16 g L(-1) d(-1), respectively, with a near 100% carbon removal efficiency at an organic load of 3.3 g L(-1) d(-1). An ammonium removal efficiency of 30-55% with near-zero nitrite and nitrate concentrations was observed in the MFC operated at an optimal external resistance, while open-circuit MFC operation resulted in a reduced carbon and ammonium removal of 53% and 21%, respectively. In the MEC ammonium removal was limited to 7-12% under anaerobic conditions, while micro-aerobic conditions increased the removal efficiency to 31%. Also, at zero applied voltage both carbon and ammonium removal efficiencies were reduced to 42% and 4%, respectively. Based on the observed performance under different operating conditions, it was concluded that simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal was facilitated by concurrent anaerobic and aerobic biotransformation pathways at the anode and cathode, which balanced bioelectrochemical nitrification and denitrification reactions.

Electricity and disinfectant production from wastewater: Microbial Fuel Cell as a self-powered electrolyser

This study presents a simple and sustainable Microbial Fuel Cell as a standalone, self-powered reactor for in situ wastewater electrolysis, recovering nitrogen from wastewater. A process is proposed whereby the MFC electrical performance drives the electrolysis of wastewater towards the self-generation of catholyte within the same reactor. The MFCs were designed to harvest the generated catholyte in the internal chamber, which showed that liquid production rates are largely proportional to electrical current generation. The catholyte demonstrated bactericidal properties, compared to the control (open-circuit) diffusate, and reduced observable biofilm formation on the cathode electrode. Killing effects were confirmed using bacterial kill curves constructed by exposing a bioluminescent Escherichia coli target, as a surrogate coliform, to catholyte where a rapid kill rate was observed. Therefore, MFCs could serve as a water recovery system, a disinfectant/cleaner generator that limits undesired biofilm formation and as a washing agent in waterless urinals to improve sanitation. This simple and ready to implement MFC system can convert organic waste directly into electricity and self-driven nitrogen along with water recovery. This could lead to the development of energy positive bioprocesses for sustainable wastewater treatment.

A miniaturized microbial fuel cell with three-dimensional graphene macroporous scaffold anode demonstrating a record power density of over 10,000 W m(-3)

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a bio-inspired renewable energy converter which directly converts biomass into electricity. This is accomplished via the unique extracellular electron transfer (EET) of a specific species of microbe called the exoelectrogen. Many studies have attempted to improve the power density of MFCs, yet the reported power density is still nearly two orders of magnitude lower than other power sources/converters. Such a low performance can primarily be attributed to two bottlenecks: (i) ineffective electron transfer from microbes located far from the anode and (ii) an insufficient buffer supply to the biofilm. This work takes a novel approach to mitigate these two bottlenecks by integrating a three-dimensional (3D) macroporous graphene scaffold anode in a miniaturized MFC. This implementation has delivered the highest power density reported to date in all MFCs of over 10,000 W m(-3). The miniaturized configuration offers a high surface area to volume ratio and improved mass transfer of biomass and buffers. The 3D graphene macroporous scaffold warrants investigation due to its high specific surface area, high porosity, and excellent conductivity and biocompatibility which facilitates EET and alleviates acidification in the biofilm. Consequently, the 3D scaffold houses an extremely thick and dense biofilm from the Geobacter-enriched culture, delivering an areal/volumetric current density of 15.51 A m(-2)/31,040 A m(-3) and a power density of 5.61 W m(-2)/11,220 W m(-3), a 3.3 fold increase when compared to its planar two-dimensional (2D) control counterparts.

¹³C Pathway Analysis for the Role of Formate in Electricity Generation by Shewanella Oneidensis MR-1 Using Lactate in Microbial Fuel Cells

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a promising technology for direct electricity generation from organics by microorganisms. The type of electron donors fed into MFCs affects the electrical performance, and mechanistic understanding of such effects is important to optimize the MFC performance. In this study, we used a model organism in MFCs, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, and (13)C pathway analysis to investigate the role of formate in electricity generation and the related microbial metabolism. Our results indicated a synergistic effect of formate and lactate on electricity generation, and extra formate addition on the original lactate resulted in more electrical output than using formate or lactate as a sole electron donor. Based on the (13)C tracer analysis, we discovered decoupled cell growth and electricity generation in S. oneidensis MR-1 during co-utilization of lactate and formate (i.e., while the lactate was mainly metabolized to support the cell growth, the formate was oxidized to release electrons for higher electricity generation). To our best knowledge, this is the first time that (13)C tracer analysis was applied to study microbial metabolism in MFCs and it was demonstrated to be a valuable tool to understand the metabolic pathways affected by electron donors in the selected electrochemically-active microorganisms.

Microbial extracellular electron transfer and its relevance to iron corrosion

Extracellular electron transfer (EET) is a microbial metabolism that enables efficient electron transfer between microbial cells and extracellular solid materials. Microorganisms harbouring EET abilities have received considerable attention for their various biotechnological applications, including bioleaching and bioelectrochemical systems. On the other hand, recent research revealed that microbial EET potentially induces corrosion of iron structures. It has been well known that corrosion of iron occurring under anoxic conditions is mostly caused by microbial activities, which is termed as microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). Among diverse MIC mechanisms, microbial EET activity that enhances corrosion via direct uptake of electrons from metallic iron, specifically termed as electrical MIC (EMIC), has been regarded as one of the major causative factors. The EMIC-inducing microorganisms initially identified were certain sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogenic archaea isolated from marine environments. Subsequently, abilities to induce EMIC were also demonstrated in diverse anaerobic microorganisms in freshwater environments and oil fields, including acetogenic bacteria and nitrate-reducing bacteria. Abilities of EET and EMIC are now regarded as microbial traits more widespread among diverse microbial clades than was thought previously. In this review, basic understandings of microbial EET and recent progresses in the EMIC research are introduced.