1
|
Dhanda A, Thulluru LP, Mishra S, Chowdhury S, Dubey BK, Ghangrekar MM. Integrated fuel cell system for sustainable wastewater treatment, ammonia recovery, and power production. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 262:119821. [PMID: 39173817 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2024] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
The industrial production of synthetic fertilizers and the wide-scale combustion of fossil fuels have disrupted the global nitrogen cycle, necessitating a prudent shift towards sustainable nitrogen management. Traditional wastewater treatment methods primarily focus on nitrogen elimination rather than recovery in useable form, exacerbating resource depletion and environmental degradation. This review explores integrated technologies, including bio-electroconcentration cells (BEC), direct ammonia fuel cells (DAFC), solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), and microbial fuel cells (MFC), for effective nutrient recovery in conjugation with energy recovery. Recovered nitrogen, primarily green ammonia, offers a carbon-free energy carrier for diverse applications, including applications in DAFC and SOFC. This review underscores the importance of synchronously retrieving ammonia from wastewater and efficiently diverting it for energy recovery using an integrated fuel cell approach. The key technical challenges and future perspectives are discussed, highlighting the potential of these integrated systems to advance sustainability and circular economy goals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anil Dhanda
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
| | - Lakshmi Pathi Thulluru
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
| | - Srishti Mishra
- School of Water Resources, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
| | - Shamik Chowdhury
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
| | - B K Dubey
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India; School of Water Resources, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
| | - Makarand M Ghangrekar
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India; National Institute of Technology Puducherry, Karaikal, 609609, India.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen S, Wang X, Shi X, Li S, Yang L, Yan W, Xu H. Integrated system of electro-catalytic oxidation and microbial fuel cells for the treatment of recalcitrant wastewater. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 354:141754. [PMID: 38508464 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141754] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The emission of recalcitrant wastewater poses serious threats to the environment. In this study, an integrated approach combining electrocatalytic oxidation (EC) for pretreatment and microbial fuel cells (MFC) for thorough pollutant degradation is proposed to ensure efficient degradation of target substances, with low energy input and enhanced bioavailability of refractory organics. When phenol was used as the pollutant, an initial concentration of 2000 mg/L phenol solution underwent EC treatment under constant current-exponential attenuation power supply mode, resulting in a COD removal rate of 54.53%, and a phenol degradation rate of 99.83%. Intermediate products such as hydroquinone and para-diphenol were detected in the solution. After subsequent MFC treatment, only minor amounts of para-diphenol were left, and the degradation rate of phenol and its intermediate products reached 100%, with an output power density of 110.4 mW m-2. When coal chemical wastewater was used as the pollutant, further examination of the EC-MFC system performance showed a COD removal rate of 49.23% in the EC section, and a 76.21% COD removal rate in the MFC section, with an output power density of 181.5 mW m-2. Microbiological analysis revealed typical electrogenic bacteria (such as Pseudomonas and Geobacter), and specific degrading functional bacteria (such as Stenotrophomonas, Delftia, and Brevundimonas). The dominant microbial communities and their proportions adapted to environmental changes in response to the variation of carbon sources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Chen
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xinyu Wang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xueyao Shi
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shanshan Li
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Liu Yang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wei Yan
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, Shaanxi, China; Research Institute of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, 311200, China
| | - Hao Xu
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, Shaanxi, China; Research Institute of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, 311200, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ramanaiah SV, Chandrasekhar K, Cordas CM, Potoroko I. Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) for agro-food waste and wastewater treatment, and sustainable bioenergy-A review. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 325:121432. [PMID: 36907238 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Producing food by farming and subsequent food manufacturing are central to the world's food supply, accounting for more than half of all production. Production is, however, closely related to the creation of large amounts of organic wastes or byproducts (agro-food waste or wastewater) that negatively impact the environment and the climate. Global climate change mitigation is an urgent need that necessitates sustainable development. For that purpose, proper agro-food waste and wastewater management are essential, not only for waste reduction but also for resource optimization. To achieve sustainability in food production, biotechnology is considered as key factor since its continuous development and broad implementation will potentially benefit ecosystems by turning polluting waste into biodegradable materials; this will become more feasible and common as environmentally friendly industrial processes improve. Bioelectrochemical systems are a revitalized, promising biotechnology integrating microorganisms (or enzymes) with multifaceted applications. The technology can efficiently reduce waste and wastewater while recovering energy and chemicals, taking advantage of their biological elements' specific redox processes. In this review, a consolidated description of agro-food waste and wastewater and its remediation possibilities, using different bioelectrochemical-based systems is presented and discussed together with a critical view of the current and future potential applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S V Ramanaiah
- Food and Biotechnology Research Lab, South Ural State University (National Research University), 454080, Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation.
| | - K Chandrasekhar
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Cristina M Cordas
- Laboratório Associado para a Química Verde | Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV) of the Network of Chemistry and Technology (REQUIMTE), Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Irina Potoroko
- Food and Biotechnology Research Lab, South Ural State University (National Research University), 454080, Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sonawane JM, Mahadevan R, Pandey A, Greener J. Recent progress in microbial fuel cells using substrates from diverse sources. Heliyon 2022; 8:e12353. [PMID: 36582703 PMCID: PMC9792797 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing untreated environmental outputs from industry and the rising human population have increased the burden of wastewater and other waste streams on the environment. The most prevalent wastewater treatment methods include the activated sludge process, which requires aeration and is, therefore, energy and cost-intensive. The current trend towards a circular economy facilitates the recovery of waste materials as a resource. Along with the amount, the complexity of wastewater is increasing day by day. Therefore, wastewater treatment processes must be transformed into cost-effective and sustainable methods. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) use electroactive microbes to extract chemical energy from waste organic molecules to generate electricity via waste treatment. This review focuses use of MFCs as an energy converter using wastewater from various sources. The different substrate sources that are evaluated include industrial, agricultural, domestic, and pharmaceutical types. The article also highlights the effect of operational parameters such as organic load, pH, current, and concentration on the MFC output. The article also covers MFC functioning with respect to the substrate, and the associated performance parameters, such as power generation and wastewater treatment matrices, are given. The review also illustrates the success stories of various MFC configurations. We emphasize the significant measures required to fill in the gaps related to the effect of substrate type on different MFC configurations, identification of microbes for use as biocatalysts, and development of biocathodes for the further improvement of the system. Finally, we shortlisted the best performing substrates based on the maximum current and power, Coulombic efficiency, and chemical oxygen demand removal upon the treatment of substrates in MFCs. This information will guide industries that wish to use MFC technology to treat generated effluent from various processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jayesh M. Sonawane
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto M5S 3E5, Canada
- Département de Chimie, Faculté des Sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
- Corresponding author.
| | - Radhakrishnan Mahadevan
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Ashok Pandey
- Centre for Innovation and Translational Research, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, 226 001, India
- Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Lucknow, 226 029, India
| | - Jesse Greener
- Département de Chimie, Faculté des Sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
- CHU de Québec, Centre de recherche, Université Laval, 10 rue de l'Espinay, Québec, QC, Canada
- Corresponding author.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Park Y, Yu J, Nguyen VK, Park S, Kim J, Lee T. Understanding complete ammonium removal mechanism in single-chamber microbial fuel cells based on microbial ecology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 764:144231. [PMID: 33385649 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The removal of organics and ammonium from domestic wastewater was successfully achieved by a flat-panel air-cathode microbial fuel cell (FA-MFC). To elucidate the reason for complete ammonium removal in the single-chamber MFCs, microbial communities were analyzed in biofilms on the surface of each anode, separator, and cathode of separator-electrode assemblies (SEAs). The spatial distribution of bacterial families related to the nitrogen cycle varied based on local conditions. Since oxygen diffusing from the air-cathode created a locally aerobic condition, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) Nitrosomonadacea and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) Nitrospiraceae were present near the cathode. NOB (~12.1%) was more abundant than AOB (~4.4%), suggesting that the nitrate produced by NOB may be reduced back to nitrite by heterotrophic denitrifiers such as Rhodocyclaceae (~21.7%) and Comamonadaceae (~5%) in the anoxic zone close to the NOB layer. Near that zone, the "nitrite loop" also substantially enriched two nitrite-reducing bacterial families: Ignavibacteriaceae (~18.1%), facultative heterotrophs, and Brocadiaceae (~11.2%), anaerobic ammonium oxidizing autotrophs. A larger inner area of biofilm contained abundant heterotrophic denitrifiers and fermentation bacteria. These results indicate that the large-surface SEA of FA-MFC allows counter-diffusion between substrates and oxygen, resulting in interactions of bacteria involved in the nitrogen cycle for complete ammonium removal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Younghyun Park
- Korea Testing & Research Institute, Ulsan 44412, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaecheul Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Van Khanh Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Seonghwan Park
- Future Environmental Research Center, Gyeongnam Department of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Jinju 52834, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongmi Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Taeho Lee
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yang W, Lu JE, Zhang Y, Peng Y, Mercado R, Li J, Zhu X, Chen S. Cobalt oxides nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes as high-efficiency cathode catalysts for microbial fuel cells. INORG CHEM COMMUN 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.inoche.2019.04.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
7
|
Applications of Emerging Bioelectrochemical Technologies in Agricultural Systems: A Current Review. ENERGIES 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/en11112951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Background: Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) are emerging energy-effective and environment-friendly technologies. Different applications of BESs are able to effectively minimize wastes and treat wastewater while simultaneously recovering electricity, biohydrogen and other value-added chemicals via specific redox reactions. Although there are many studies that have greatly advanced the performance of BESs over the last decade, research and reviews on agriculture-relevant applications of BESs are very limited. Considering the increasing demand for food, energy and water due to human population expansion, novel technologies are urgently needed to promote productivity and sustainability in agriculture. Methodology: This review study is based on an extensive literature search regarding agriculture-related BES studies mainly in the last decades (i.e., 2009–2018). The databases used in this review study include Scopus, Google Scholar and Web of Science. The current and future applications of bioelectrochemical technologies in agriculture have been discussed. Findings/Conclusions: BESs have the potential to recover considerable amounts of electric power and energy chemicals from agricultural wastes and wastewater. The recovered energy can be used to reduce the energy input into agricultural systems. Other resources and value-added chemicals such as biofuels, plant nutrients and irrigation water can also be produced in BESs. In addition, BESs may replace unsustainable batteries to power remote sensors or be designed as biosensors for agricultural monitoring. The possible applications to produce food without sunlight and remediate contaminated soils using BESs have also been discussed. At the same time, agricultural wastes can also be processed into construction materials or biochar electrodes/electrocatalysts for reducing the high costs of current BESs. Future studies should evaluate the long-term performance and stability of on-farm BES applications.
Collapse
|
8
|
Sevda S, Sharma S, Joshi C, Pandey L, Tyagi N, Abu-Reesh I, Sreekrishnan T. Biofilm formation and electron transfer in bioelectrochemical systems. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/21622515.2018.1486889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Surajbhan Sevda
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), Guwahati, India
| | - Swati Sharma
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), Guwahati, India
| | - Chetan Joshi
- Department of Food Engineering and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India
| | - Lalit Pandey
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), Guwahati, India
| | | | | | - T.R. Sreekrishnan
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, India
| |
Collapse
|