The tri-functional purpose of Microbial Desalination Cell (MDC) has shown a great promise in our current scarcity of water, an increase in water pollution and the high cost of electricity production. As a biological system, the baseline force that drives its performance is the presence of exoelectrogens in the anode chamber. Their presence in the anodic chamber of MDC systems enables the treatment of water, desalination of seawater, and the production of electrical energy. This study reviews the characteristics of exoelectrogens, as a driving force in MDC and examines factors which influence their growth and the performance efficiency of MDC systems. It also addresses the efficiency of mixed cultures with certain predominant species as compared to pure cultures used in MDC systems. Furthermore, the study suggests the need to genetically modify certain predominant strains in mixed cultures to enhance their performance in COD removal, desalination and power output and the integration of MDC with other technologies for cost-effective processes.

Water is life, and clean-water demand is increasing daily as a result of rapid population growth and industrial evolution. Nevertheless, due to the inadequate supply and availability of new water sources, there is a need for effective, sustainable removal of contaminants for wastewater reuse. Several treatment approaches that include chemical, physical, and biological methods have been thoroughly tested, with biological treatment being regarded as the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly method. However, the presence of heavy metals and complicated chemicals that are nonbiodegradable limits the use of this cost-effective approach. In this paper, we review the sustainable application of a cheap, water-stable metal-organic framework, the zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8), with an easier synthesis approach for heavy-metal removal in aqueous solutions. In this review, we discuss the removal efficiency in terms of adsorption capacity, describe the underlying mechanism behind the adsorption capacity of ZIF-8, present a sustainable synthesis approach, and make vital suggestions to aid in the future application of ZIF-8 for the removal of heavy metals.

Background: Most plants have medicinal properties, which they achieve from certain secondary metabolites. Phytochemicals are compounds produced by plants. They may affect health but are not-essential nutrients as our diet does not require them to sustain life in the same way as vitamins and minerals. Objectives: The study reports the phytochemistry and medicinal properties of Solanum torvum fruits. Methods: A search of database sites such as PUBMED, Google Scholar, and Web of Science as well as other sources of literature available across public libraries was conducted to obtain information related to the topic. Results: Here, we review the numerous medicinal properties of S. torvum (cardio and nephro protection, anti-hypertensive, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, anti-microbial activities) and relate them to the underlying phytochemicals and their biological actions. Conclusion: This exposure is expected to provide researchers with updated information on S. torvum health benefit properties and related phytochemicals, which merit future research for developing pharmacological drugs aimed at curing ailments or diseases, and for possible use in preventive medicine.

Constructed wetland coupled microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC) systems integrate an aerobic zone and an anaerobic zone to treat wastewater and to generate bioenergy. The concept evolves based on the principles of constructed wetlands and plant MFC (one form of photosynthetic MFC) technologies, of which all contain plants. CW-MFC have been used in a wide range of application since their introduction in 2012 for wastewater treatment and electricity generation. However, there are few reports on the individual components and their performance on CW-MFC efficiency. The performance and efficiency of this technology are significantly influenced by several factors such as the organic load and sewage composition, hydraulic retention time, cathode dissolved oxygen, electrode materials and wetland plants. This paper reviews the influence of the macrophyte (wetland plants) component, substrate material, microorganisms, electrode material and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on CW-MFC performance in wastewater treatment and electricity generation. The study assesses the relationship between these parameters and discusses progress in the development of this integrated system to date.

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