Biotreatment of Slaughterhouse Wastewater Accompanied With Sustainable Electricity Generation in Microbial Fuel Cell (original) (raw)
Related papers
Journal of Engineering
In recent years and decades, there is a great need for developing new alternative energy sources or renewable sustainable energy. On the other hand, new technology approaches are growing . towards benefits from the valuable nutrients in wastewater which are unrecoverable by traditional wastewater treatment processes. In the current study, a novel integrated system of microbial fuel cell and anoxic bioreactor (MFC-ANB) was designed and constructed to investigate its potential for slaughterhouses wastewater treatment, nitrogen recovery, and power generation. The system consisted of a double-chamber tubular type MFC with biocathode inoculated with freshly collected activated sludge. The MFC-ANB system was continuously fed with real-field slaughterhouse wastewater, with initial concentrations of COD and ammonium were 990 mg/L and 200 mg-N/L, respectively. The MFC-ANB system was operated for a total period of 43 days. Maximum removal efficiencies of COD, ammonium, nitrate, nitrogen reco...
Treatment of slaughterhouse wastewater using microbial fuel cell
Increasing human activities are consuming the natural energy sources leading to depletion of fossil fuels. The present-day energy scenario in India and around the globe is precarious. The need for alternate fuel has us to initiate extensive research in identifying a potential, cheap and renewable source for energy production. Proper treatment of animal waste and resource recycling to reduce its environmental impact is currently important issues for the livestock industry. Slaughterhouse wastewater contains organic matter available for microbial energy recovery. Hence it is an ideal solution for treatment of slaughterhouse wastewater and energy recovery. A microbial fuel cell is expected to play two roles in both wastewater purification and energy recovery. It is a device that converts chemical energy into electricity through the catalytic activities of microorganisms. It also breaks down the organic matter present in the wastewater by degrading into less harmful forms. The results demonstrated that the organic matter removal efficiency of MFC using copper electrode was 80.2% and the maximum amount of electricity generation is 2.10 Volts and Copper is the suitable electrode for maximum electricity generation and maximum organic matter removal.
Biodegradation, 2020
The inoculum biomass was collected from a pilot-scale (3 m 3 process tank) nitritation-anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) (deammonification moving bed biofilm (DeaMBBR)) reactor demonstrating the highest total nitrogen removal rate (TNRR) of 0.33 kg N m-3 day-1. This biomass was used for inoculating the anodic chamber of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to investigate the capacity of DeaMBBR biomass to act as an exo-electrogenic consortia. Performance of MFCs inoculated with ANAMMOX-specific consortia collected from DeaMBBR (MFC-ANA) and another MFC-CON inoculated with a septic tank mixed anaerobic consortium as a control was investigated for electrochemical performance and wastewater treatment efficiency. These MFCs were operated for the total duration of 419 days during which regular feed was given and performance was monitored for first 30 cycles and last 30 cycles, with each cycle of 3 day duration. The MFC-ANA continuously generated bio-energy with higher volumetric power density (9.5 W m-3 and 6.0 W m-3) in comparison to MFC-CON (4.9 and 2.9 W m-3) during the first 30 and last 30 cycles of operational period, respectively. MFC-ANA also achieved 84 ± 2% and 80 ± 2% of COD removal efficiency and 89 ± 4% and 73 ± 2% of total nitro-Biodegradation
TREATMENT OF WASTEWATER AND ELECTRICITY GENERATION USING MICROBIAL FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY
The need for alternate eco-friendly fuel is increasing rapidly with the depletion of non-renewable energy resources. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) represent a new form of renewable energy, which converts organic matter into electricity with the help of bacteria present in wastewater, while simultaneously treating the wastewater. In the present study single chamber (MFC-1) and double chambered (MFC-2) MFCs were compared for domestic and dairy wastewater treatment and electricity generation. MFC-1 was proved to be more efficient and found to be producing maximum current of 0.84 mA and 1.02mA whereas MFC-2 produced maximum current of 0.56mA and 0.58mA from full strength (100%) domestic and dairy wastewater concentrations respectively. COD removal efficiency achieved in MFC-2 was 88.4% and 86.42% for 100% domestic and dairy wastewater concentrations respectively when compared with MFC-1 which attained 86.6% and 84.8% respectively for 100% domestic and dairy wastewater concentrations respectively. The performance of MFC-1 and MFC-2 decreased, when the wastewater concentration was decreased from 100% to 75% and 50% concentrations.
Production of electricity during wastewater treatment using a single chamber microbial fuel cell
2004
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been used to produce electricity from different compounds, including acetate, lactate, and glucose. We demonstrate here that it is also possible to produce electricity in a MFC from domestic wastewater, while at the same time accomplishing biological wastewater treatment (removal of chemical oxygen demand; COD). Tests were conducted using a single chamber microbial fuel cell (SCMFC) containing eight graphite electrodes (anodes) and a single air cathode. The system was operated under continuous flow conditions with primary clarifier effluent obtained from a local wastewater treatment plant. The prototype SCMFC reactor generated electrical power (maximum of 26 mW m -2 ) while removing up to 80% of the COD of the wastewater. Power output was proportional to the hydraulic retention time over a range of 3-33 h and to the influent wastewater strength over a range of 50-220 mg/L of COD. Current generation was controlled primarily by the efficiency of the cathode. Optimal cathode performance was obtained by allowing passive air flow rather than forced air flow (4.5-5.5 L/min). The Coulombic efficiency of the system, based on COD removal and current generation, was <12% indicating a substantial fraction of the organic matter was lost without current generation. Bioreactors based on power generation in MFCs may represent a completely new approach to wastewater treatment. If power generation in these systems can be increased, MFC technology may provide a new method to offset wastewater treatment plant operating costs, making advanced wastewater treatment more affordable for both developing and industrialized nations.
Energy and Performance Comparison of Microbial Fuel Cell and Conventional Aeration Treatment
Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology provides a low cost alternative to conventional aerated wastewater treatment, however, there has been little comparison between MFC and aeration treatment using real wastewater as the substrate. This study attempts to directly compare the wastewater treatment efficiency and energy consumption and generation among three reactor systems-a traditional aeration process, a simple submerged MFC configuration, and a control reactor acting similar as natural lagoons. Results showed that all three systems were able to remove >90% of COD, but the aeration used shorter time (8 days) than the MFC (10 days) and control reactor (25 days). Compared to aeration, the MFC showed lower removal efficiency in high COD concentration, but much higher efficiency when the COD is low. Only the aeration system showed complete nitrification during the operation, reflected by completed ammonia removal and nitrate accumulation. Suspended solid measurements showed that MFC reduced sludge production by 52-82% as compared to aeration, and it also saved 100% of aeration energy. Furthermore, though not designed for high power generation, the MFC reactor showed a 0.3 Wh/g COD/L or 24 Wh/m 3 (wastewater treated) net energy gain in electricity generation. These results demonstrate that MFC technology could be integrated into wastewater infrastructure to meet effluent quality and save operational cost.
Application of a microbial fuel cell to treat municipal and industrial sewage for energy recovery
2016
This work examined the start-up and operation of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) for the simultaneous wastewater treatment and energy retrieval from raw sewage, primary effluent and cheese whey, using di fferent ty (oxygen, nitrate, sulfate) and aeration system (diffuse aeration, passive aeration). The main aim was to evaluate the MFC’s e fficiency design (H-type) was based on inexpensive materials. The COD removal efficiency accomplished by the MFC was 7590% for total COD and 70-75% for soluble COD. All cycles, in which raw sewage and primary effluent were used, accomplished the COD concentration limit set by Directive 91/271/EEC of 125 mg/l at the end of the cycle. Comparing the different aeration methods, diffuse aeration achieved 75% COD removal, while passive aeration accomplished 70%. In terms of energy recovery, MFC technology managed to reach, in the case of raw sewage with diffuse aeration, on average 107 Wh/kg CODremoved which is higher than the usual values found in literatur...
Energy generation in a Microbial Fuel Cell using anaerobic sludge from a wastewater treatment plant
Scientia Agricola, 2016
In microbial fuel cells (MFCs), the oxidation of organic compounds catalyzed by microorganisms (anode) generates electricity via electron transfer to an external circuit that acts as an electron acceptor (cathode). Microbial fuel cells differ in terms of the microorganisms employed and the nature of the oxidized organic compound. In this study, a consortium of anaerobic microorganisms helped to treat the secondary sludge obtained from a sewage treatment plant. The microorganisms were grown in a 250 mL bioreactor containing a carbon cloth. The reactor was fed with media containing acetate (as the carbon source) for 48 days. Concomitantly, the electrochemical data were measured with the aid of a digital multimeter and data acquisition system. At the beginning of the MFC operation, power density was low, probably due to slow microorganism growth and adhesion. The power density increased from the 15 th day of operation, reaching a value of 13.5 μW cm-2 after ca. 24 days of operation, and remained stable until the end of the process. Compared with data in the literature, this power density value is promising; improvements in the MFC design and operation could increase this value even further. The system investigated herein employed excess sludge as a biocatalyst in an MFC. This opens up the possibility of using organic acids and/or carbohydrate-rich effluents to feed MFCs, and thereby provide simultaneous effluent treatment and energy generation.
2011
Fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas and coal) are the main resources for generating electricity. However, they have been major contributors to environmental problems. One potential alternative to explore is the use of microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which generate electricity using microorganisms. MFCs uses catalytic reactions activated by microorganisms to convert energy preserved in the chemical bonds between organic molecules into electrical energy. MFC has the ability to generate electricity during the wastewater treatment process while simultaneously treating the pollutants. This study investigated the potential of using different types of mixed cultures (raw sewage, mixed liquor from the aeration tank & return waste activated sludge) from an activated sludge treatment plant in MFCs for electricity generation and pollutant removals (COD & total kjeldahl nitrogen, TKN). The MFC in this study was designed as a dual-chambered system, in which the chambers were separated by a Nafion TM membrane using a mixed culture of wastewater as a biocatalyst. The maximum power density generated using activated sludge was 9.053 mW/cm 2 , with 26.8% COD removal and 40% TKN removal. It is demonstrated that MFC offers great potential to optimize power generation using mixed cultures of wastewater.
Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research, 2019
The aim of the present investigation was to study the low cost fabricated single chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) from the easily accessible and cheaper electrode material such as galvanized steel and copper. The inlet of primary and secondary wastewater treatment plant is used as a substrate in this MFC at ambient temperature and under aerobic condition. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) confirms the microorganism attachment on the anode surface after running the experiment. The higher voltages of 1530 mV and 3015 mV at a COD reduction of 88 % and 87.0 % were observed for the inlet of primary and secondary treatment units, respectively. Thus, from this study, we suggest that the installation of MFC at the inlet of secondary wastewater treatment would achieve better COD reduction as well as electricity generation. However, for real time application of this technology further detailed investigation of the other influential parameters need to be done.