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Zhao T, Huang S, Zhang Y, Chow AT, Chen P, Wang Y, Lu Y, Xiong J. Removal of sulfur and nitrogen pollutants in a sediment microbial fuel cell coupled with Vallisneria natans: Efficiency, microbial community structure, and functional genes. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 354:141667. [PMID: 38485002 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The rapid development of the economy has led to an increase in the sulfur and nitrogen load in surface water, which has the potential to cause river eutrophication and the emission of malodorous gases. A lab-scale sediment microbial fuel cell coupled with Vallisneria natans (P-SMFC) was designed for surface water remediation. The enhancement of pollutant removal performance of P-SMFC was evaluated in contrast to the SMFC system without plants (SMFC), the open-circuit control system with plants (C-P), and the open-circuit control system without plants (C-S), while illustrating the mechanisms of the sulfur and nitrogen transformation process. The results demonstrated that the effluent and sediment of P-SMFC had lower concentrations of sulfide compared to other systems. Furthermore, P-SMFC exhibited higher removal efficiency for COD (73.1 ± 8.7%), NH4+-N (80.5 ± 19.8%), and NO3--N (88.5 ± 11.8%) compared to other systems. The closed-circuit conditions and growth of Vallisneria natans create a favorable ecological niche for functional microorganisms involved in power generation, sulfur oxidation, and nitrogen transformation. Additionally, metagenomic analysis revealed that multifunctional bacteria possessing both denitrification and sulfur oxidation genes, such as Thiobacillus, Dechloromonas, and Bacillus, may play simultaneous roles in metabolizing sulfur and nitrogen, thus serving as integral factors in maintaining the performance of P-SMFC. In summary, these findings provide a theoretical reference for the concurrent enhancement of sulfur and nitrogen pollutants removal in P-SMFC and will facilitate its practical application in the remediation of contaminated surface water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Zhao
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China.
| | - Shaobin Huang
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China.
| | - Yongqing Zhang
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China.
| | - Alex T Chow
- Earth and Environmental Science Program, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China.
| | - Pengfei Chen
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China.
| | - Yanling Wang
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China.
| | - Yao Lu
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China.
| | - Jianhua Xiong
- School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, PR China.
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Rodrigues ICB, Leão VA. Producing electrical energy in microbial fuel cells based on sulphate reduction: a review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:36075-36084. [PMID: 32613514 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09728-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Combination of the treatment of effluents with high organic loads and the production of electricity is the driving forces stimulating the development of microbial fuel cells (MFC). The increase in electricity production in MFCs requires not only the optimization of the operational parameters but also the inhibition of the metabolic pathways, which compete with electricity production, such as methanogenesis. The presence of both sulphate and sulphide ions in conventional anaerobic reactors hampers the growth of methanogenic archaea and justifies the use of sulphate and therefore sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in the anodic half-cell of MFC. Most importantly, the literature on the subject reveals that SRB are able to directly transfer electrons to solid electrodes, enabling the production of electrical energy. This technology is versatile because it associates the removal of both sulphate and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) with the production of electricity. Therefore, the current work revises the main aspects related to the inoculation of MFC with SRB focusing on (i) the microbial interactions in the anodic chamber, (ii) the electron transfer pathways to the solid anode, and also (iii) the sulphate and COD removal yields along with the electricity production efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Cristina Braga Rodrigues
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Ambiental da Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil.
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Biotecnologia e Engenharia de Bioprocessos da Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Campus Alto Paraopeba, Ouro Branco, Brazil.
| | - Versiane A Leão
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Ambiental da Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
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Hou Q, Yang Z, Chen S, Pei H. Using an anaerobic digestion tank as the anodic chamber of an algae-assisted microbial fuel cell to improve energy production from food waste. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 170:115305. [PMID: 31765826 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.115305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion is sensitive to a wide variety of inhibitory substances that are the primary cause of anaerobic digester failure. Herein, an anaerobic digestion (AD) tank, which also functioned as the anodic chamber of an algae-assisted microbial fuel cell (AMFC), was established to treat food waste (FW) under an inhibition-relieved condition. About 2.9 L of CH4 was yielded by the AD-AMFC system, which was more than double the CH4 produced by the AD system, and 34% higher than that from the AD-MFC system. The result suggests that the bioelectrochemical system and algae successfully improved the AD performance and energy production. The AD-AMFC system had the highest volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration in the initial 20 days, but it maintained the lowest VFA concentration in the following days. Those results indicate that the AMFC shortened the acclimatisation phase of the AD process and then alleviated the adverse impact of VFAs by consuming VFAs as a substrate for electricity generation. Alkalinity generated by algal growth and cathode reactions buffered the H+ that migrated from the anolyte, which facilitated the pH recovery of the AD process. Ammonia inhibition of the AD was also relieved by the AMFC through reduction of the ammonia concentration to less than 500 mg/L in the anolyte. Additionally, the COD removal rate was improved to 89%, since the AMFC facilitated the decomposition of large molecules. The present study developed a practical structure for an AD tank and also explained the reason as to why the AMFC improved the AD performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingjie Hou
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China; State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Zhigang Yang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China; State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Shuaiqi Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China; State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Haiyan Pei
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China; State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China; Shandong Provincial Engineering Center on Environmental Science and Technology, Jinan, 250061, China.
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A microbial fuel cell treating organic wastewater containing high sulfate under continuous operation: Performance and microbial community. Process Biochem 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2015.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Raschitor A, Soreanu G, Fernandez-Marchante CM, Lobato J, Cañizares P, Cretescu I, Rodrigo MA. Bioelectro-Claus processes using MFC technology: Influence of co-substrate. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2015; 189:94-98. [PMID: 25876228 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.03.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2015] [Revised: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This work is focused on the removal of sulphide from wastewater using a two chamber microbial fuel cell, seeded with activated sludge and operated in semi-continuous mode. Two co-substrates were used in order to provide the system for carbon and nutrient source: actual urban wastewater and synthetic wastewater. Results show that sulphide is efficiency depleted (removals over 94%) and that electricity is efficiently produced (maximum power density is 150 mW m(-2)) meanwhile COD is also oxidised (removals higher than 60%). Sulphur and sulphate are obtained as the final products of the oxidation and final speciation depends on the type of co-substrate used. The start-up of the system is very rapid and production of electricity and polarisation curves do not depend on the co-substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Raschitor
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - G Soreanu
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, "Gh. Asachi" Technical University of Iasi, 73, Bd.D. Mangeron, 700050 Iasi, Romania
| | - C M Fernandez-Marchante
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - J Lobato
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - P Cañizares
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - I Cretescu
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, "Gh. Asachi" Technical University of Iasi, 73, Bd.D. Mangeron, 700050 Iasi, Romania
| | - M A Rodrigo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.
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Kang CS, Eaktasang N, Kwon DY, Kim HS. Enhanced current production by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans biofilm in a mediator-less microbial fuel cell. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2014; 165:27-30. [PMID: 24751374 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.03.148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2013] [Revised: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a mediator-less microbial fuel cell (MFC) inoculated with a sulfate-reducing bacterium (SBR), Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, was equipped with bare and surface-treated graphite felt electrodes. Electrochemical treatment of the anode surface facilitated biofilm formation on the electrode, resulting in rapid and enhanced current production. The maximum current density of the treated anode was 233±24.2mA/m(2), which was 41% higher than that of the untreated anode. The electron transfer rate also increased from 2.45±0.04 to 3.0±0.02μmol of electrons/mg of protein·min. Biofilm formation on the treated anode was mainly due to the strong hydrogen or peptide bonds between the amide groups of bacterial materials (including cytochrome c) and carboxyl groups formed on the electrodes. These results provide useful information on direct electron transfer by SRB in a mediator-less MFC through cytochrome c and the effects of the electrochemical treatment of electrodes on MFC performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina S Kang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Numfon Eaktasang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-701, Republic of Korea; Department of Advanced Technology Fusion, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Young Kwon
- Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, Inje University, 607 Eobang-dong, Gimhae, Gyeongnam 621-749, Republic of Korea
| | - Han S Kim
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-701, Republic of Korea.
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