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Tang M, Guo Z, Xu X, Sun L, Wang X, Yang Y, Chen J. Performance and microbial mechanism of eletrotrophic bio-cathode denitrification under low temperature. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 328:116960. [PMID: 36493545 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Insufficient amount of carbon in wastewater and low temperatures hinder the use of biological nitrogen removal for purification of wastewaters. Nitrogen removal using cold-tolerant electrotrophic cathodic microbes is a novel and unique autotrophic denitrification technique in which electrical current, not chemicals, is used as a source of electrons. In this study, integrated MFC (RW) and open-circuit MFC (RO) were cultured and acclimatized in stages at a low temperature (10 °C) to impart cold tolerance to electrotrophic cathodic microbes, investigate the effectiveness of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) process, and address the possible mechanism of microbial action. The results showed that (i) microbial communities in the RW system were successfully enriched with the cold-tolerant electrotrophic cathodic microbes after five stages, and (ii) the degree of NH4+-N removal and SND were 75.50% and 81.91%, respectively, but the respective values in the RO system were only 40.47% and 54.01%. The desirable SND efficiency was obtained in RW at a DO of ∼0.6 mg/L, a current of ∼20 mA, and pH ∼7.0. In RW, Thauera, Pesudomonas, and Hydrogenophaga were the main electrotrophic cathodic denitrifying bacteria with cold tolerance capable of degrading ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite through autotrophic denitrification and cathodic-driven bio-electrochemical denitrification. Besides, for RW, results from high throughput sequencing analysis revealed that the abundance of genes related to energy production and conversion, amino acid transport, and metabolism, signal transduction, environmental adaptation, and enzymatic activity (AMO, HAO, NAR, NIR, NOR, and NOS) were significantly higher than the corresponding parameters of the RO system. This may explain the reason behind RW having excellent ammonia and TN removal performance at low temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meizhen Tang
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, No.57 Jingxuan West Road, Qufu, 273165, PR China.
| | - Zhina Guo
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, No.57 Jingxuan West Road, Qufu, 273165, PR China
| | - Xiaoyan Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, No.57 Jingxuan West Road, Qufu, 273165, PR China
| | - Lianglun Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, No.57 Jingxuan West Road, Qufu, 273165, PR China
| | - Xiaoning Wang
- Shandong Deli Environmental Protection Engineering Co. Ltd, PR China
| | - Yuewei Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, No.57 Jingxuan West Road, Qufu, 273165, PR China
| | - Junfeng Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, No.57 Jingxuan West Road, Qufu, 273165, PR China
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Yang N, Luo H, Liu M, Xiong X, Jin X, Zhan G. Coupling mixotrophic denitrification and electroactive anodic nitrification by nitrate addition for promoting current generation and nitrogen removal. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 856:159082. [PMID: 36174696 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Nitrate promotes anodic denitrification and fasts organic matter removal in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). However, it suffers from poor total nitrogen (TN) removal and current recovery. In this study, some novel electroactive nitrifying/denitrifying bacteria (ENDB) were introduced in a single chambered air-cathode MFC to investigate the performance of this device and the microbial community shift by adding nitrate. Results showed a similar disturbance in current output by adding nitrate during a short-term operation. However, a stable and reproducible current increase was achieved in the continuous experiment. A maximum current of 0.76 A m-3 and a maximum TN removal of >99 % were accomplished. The corresponding corrected coulombic efficiency was approximately 18 %. Under repeatable batches, a sharp decrease in chemical oxygen demand (COD) with feeding nitrate confirmed the temporary competition on electron donors through heterotrophic denitrification. The later current increase and nitrite detection occurring without metabolized COD could be considered evidence of electroactive anodic nitrification. The ENDB biofilm successfully coupled mixotrophic denitrification and electroactive anodic nitrification. It eventually promoted TN removal. In the process, genera Pseudoxanthomonas, Thauera, and Pseudomonas were enriched in the anodic ENDB biofilms. Cyclic voltammetry data confirmed the promotion of the electron transfer process by biofilms. The bacterial function predication revealed that the genes related to nitrogen removal and electron transfer were upregulated. Therefore, mixotrophic denitrification and electroactive anodic nitrification processes facilitated power recovery with the high efficiency of pollutant removal, finally ensuring water body security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (BIOMA), Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Huiqin Luo
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (BIOMA), Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Ming Liu
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (BIOMA), Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xia Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (BIOMA), Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xiaojun Jin
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Guoqiang Zhan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CIBCAS), Chengdu 610041, China
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Wu Q, Liu J, Li Q, Mo W, Wan R, Peng S. Effect of Electrode Distances on Remediation of Eutrophic Water and Sediment by Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell Coupled Floating Beds. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10423. [PMID: 36012057 PMCID: PMC9408168 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191610423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Efficient and sustainable technologies for cleaning of contaminated water and sediments are in urgent demand. In this study, a new type of sediment microbial fuel cell coupled floating bed (FB-SMFC) was developed to repair eutrophic water and sediment in a cleaner way. The effect of electrode spacing on the power generation capacity and the synchronous remediation of pollutants from eutrophic water and sediment were studied. When the electrode distance was 60 cm, the maximum power generation and pollutant removal effects were obtained. At the end of the experiment, the maximum output voltage was 0.4 V, and the chemical oxygen demand (CODCr, potassium dichromate method), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) contents in the overlying water were 8 mg/L, 0.7 mg/L, and 0.39 mg/L. The corresponding removal rates were 88.2%, 78.8%, and 59.0%, respectively. The removal rates of organic matter and TN in the sediment were 12.8% and 86.4%, respectively, and the fixation rate of TP was 29.2%. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum of bacteria in the sediment and anode. Many anaerobic bacteria were found in the overlying water, which facilitated denitrification. Overall, the results of this research revealed a highly efficient and reliable strategy for eutrophic water and sediment remediation, aquatic ecosystems restoration, and human health protection.
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Yang Z, Li H, Li N, Sardar MF, Song T, Zhu H, Xing X, Zhu C. Dynamics of a Bacterial Community in the Anode and Cathode of Microbial Fuel Cells under Sulfadiazine Pressure. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19106253. [PMID: 35627790 PMCID: PMC9141142 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19106253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) could achieve the removal of antibiotics and generate power in the meantime, a process in which the bacterial community structure played a key role. Previous work has mainly focused on microbes in the anode, while their role in the cathode was seldomly mentioned. Thus, this study explored the bacterial community of both electrodes in MFCs under sulfadiazine (SDZ) pressure. The results showed that the addition of SDZ had a limited effect on the electrochemical performance, and the maximum output voltage was kept at 0.55 V. As the most abundant phylum, Proteobacteria played an important role in both the anode and cathode. Among them, Geobacter (40.30%) worked for power generation, while Xanthobacter (11.11%), Bradyrhizobium (9.04%), and Achromobacter (7.30%) functioned in SDZ removal. Actinobacteria mainly clustered in the cathode, in which Microbacterium (9.85%) was responsible for SDZ removal. Bacteroidetes, associated with the degradation of SDZ, showed no significant difference between the anode and cathode. Cathodic and part of anodic bacteria could remove SDZ efficiently in MFCs through synergistic interactions and produce metabolites for exoelectrogenic bacteria. The potential hosts of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) presented mainly at the anode, while cathodic bacteria might be responsible for ARGs reduction. This work elucidated the role of microorganisms and their synergistic interaction in MFCs and provided a reference to generate power and remove antibiotics using MFCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Yang
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; (Z.Y.); (M.F.S.); (T.S.); (C.Z.)
| | - Hongna Li
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; (Z.Y.); (M.F.S.); (T.S.); (C.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-10-8210-9561
| | - Na Li
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
| | - Muhammad Fahad Sardar
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; (Z.Y.); (M.F.S.); (T.S.); (C.Z.)
| | - Tingting Song
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; (Z.Y.); (M.F.S.); (T.S.); (C.Z.)
| | - Hong Zhu
- College of Bioscience and Resources Environment, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 100096, China;
| | - Xuan Xing
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China;
| | - Changxiong Zhu
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; (Z.Y.); (M.F.S.); (T.S.); (C.Z.)
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Rossi R, Hur AY, Page MA, Thomas AO, Butkiewicz JJ, Jones DW, Baek G, Saikaly PE, Cropek DM, Logan BE. Pilot scale microbial fuel cells using air cathodes for producing electricity while treating wastewater. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 215:118208. [PMID: 35255425 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can generate electrical energy from the oxidation of the organic matter, but they must be demonstrated at large scales, treat real wastewaters, and show the required performance needed at a site to provide a path forward for this technology. Previous pilot-scale studies of MFC technology have relied on systems with aerated catholytes, which limited energy recovery due to the energy consumed by pumping air into the catholyte. In the present study, we developed, deployed, and tested an 850 L (1400 L total liquid volume) air-cathode MFC treating domestic-type wastewater at a centralized wastewater treatment facility. The wastewater was processed over a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 12 h through a sequence of 17 brush anode modules (11 m2 total projected anode area) and 16 cathode modules, each constructed using two air-cathodes (0.6 m2 each, total cathode area of 20 m2) with the air side facing each other to allow passive air flow. The MFC effluent was further treated in a biofilter (BF) to decrease the organic matter content. The field test was conducted for over six months to fully characterize the electrochemical and wastewater treatment performance. Wastewater quality as well as electrical energy production were routinely monitored. The power produced over six months by the MFC averaged 0.46 ± 0.35 W (0.043 W m-2 normalized to the cross-sectional area of an anode) at a current of 1.54 ± 0.90 A with a coulombic efficiency of 9%. Approximately 49 ± 15 % of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) was removed in the MFC alone as well as a large amount of the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) (70%) and total suspended solid (TSS) (48%). In the combined MFC/BF process, up to 91 ± 6 % of the COD and 91 % of the BOD5 were removed as well as certain bacteria (E. coli, 98.9%; fecal coliforms, 99.1%). The average effluent concentration of nitrate was 1.6 ± 2.4 mg L-1, nitrite was 0.17 ± 0.24 mg L-1 and ammonia was 0.4 ± 1.0 mg L-1. The pilot scale reactor presented here is the largest air-cathode MFC ever tested, generating electrical power while treating wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruggero Rossi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Andy Y Hur
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, Champaign, IL 61822, USA
| | - Martin A Page
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, Champaign, IL 61822, USA.
| | | | | | - David W Jones
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Gahyun Baek
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Pascal E Saikaly
- Environmental Science and Engineering Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Water Desalination and Reuse Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Donald M Cropek
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, Champaign, IL 61822, USA
| | - Bruce E Logan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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Liu L, Lu Y, Yuan J, Zhu H, Huang S, Yang B, Xiong J, Feng Z. Effects of chloramphenicol on denitrification in single-chamber microbial fuel cell: comprehensive performance and bacterial community structure. Biochem Eng J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2022.108429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Hartl M, García-Galán MJ, Matamoros V, Fernández-Gatell M, Rousseau DPL, Du Laing G, Garfí M, Puigagut J. Constructed wetlands operated as bioelectrochemical systems for the removal of organic micropollutants. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 271:129593. [PMID: 33460890 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The removal of organic micropollutants (OMPs) has been investigated in constructed wetlands (CWs) operated as bioelectrochemical systems (BES). The operation of CWs as BES (CW-BES), either in the form of microbial fuel cells (MFC) or microbial electrolysis cells (MEC), has only been investigated in recent years. The presented experiment used CW meso-scale systems applying a realistic horizontal flow regime and continuous feeding of real urban wastewater spiked with four OMPs (pharmaceuticals), namely carbamazepine (CBZ), diclofenac (DCF), ibuprofen (IBU) and naproxen (NPX). The study evaluated the removal efficiency of conventional CW systems (CW-control) as well as CW systems operated as closed-circuit MFCs (CW-MFCs) and MECs (CW-MECs). Although a few positive trends were identified for the CW-BES compared to the CW-control (higher average CBZ, DCF and NPX removal by 10-17% in CW-MEC and 5% in CW-MFC), these proved to be not statistically significantly different. Mesoscale experiments with real wastewater could thus not confirm earlier positive effects of CW-BES found under strictly controlled laboratory conditions with synthetic wastewaters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Hartl
- GEMMA - Environmental Engineering and Microbiology Research Group, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya·BarcelonaTech, c/ Jordi Girona 1-3, Building D1, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - María Jesús García-Galán
- GEMMA - Environmental Engineering and Microbiology Research Group, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya·BarcelonaTech, c/ Jordi Girona 1-3, Building D1, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Victor Matamoros
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, c/ Jordi Girona, 18-26, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Fernández-Gatell
- GEMMA - Environmental Engineering and Microbiology Research Group, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya·BarcelonaTech, c/ Jordi Girona 1-3, Building D1, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diederik P L Rousseau
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Gijs Du Laing
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Marianna Garfí
- GEMMA - Environmental Engineering and Microbiology Research Group, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya·BarcelonaTech, c/ Jordi Girona 1-3, Building D1, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaume Puigagut
- GEMMA - Environmental Engineering and Microbiology Research Group, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya·BarcelonaTech, c/ Jordi Girona 1-3, Building D1, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain.
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