Effect of pH, COD, and HRT on the Performance of Microbial Fuel Cell Using Synthetic Dairy Wastewater

Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFC) are emerging technologies that can produce electricity while treating wastewater. A series of tests were carried out to evaluate the efficiency of this technology for treating dairy wastewater (DWW). The experiments used Shewanella baltica as an exoelectrogen in a small single MFC to treat simulated DWW. The impacts of various operational factors, specifically pH, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the influent to the anode chamber, were investigated, and the effect of these variables on the output performance of the cell was evaluated. The best performance of the MFC was found when the pH, HRT, and COD were 8, 6.66 h, and 20,632 mg/L, respectively, in the scaled experimental setup. Under these conditions, the maximum power density and percentage removal of COD in terms of wastewater treatment ability were found to be 138 mW/m2 and 71%, respectively. It may be concluded that MFCs are suitable treatment technologies for treating dairy wastewater while potentially simultaneously generating power.

Obtaining Sustainable Electrical Energy from Pepper Waste

“…The pH values increased from the border of slightly acidic (3.874) to slightly alkaline (9.311 ± 0.417), with an optimal pH value shown on day 14 of 7.141 ± 0.134, Figure 4a. The literature review mentioned that bacteria require a neutral pH for adequate growth, while the reduction process that occurs in the cathode chamber tends to have an alkaline pH [42,43]. The standardization of the pH value is of utmost importance because microbes need an adequate value for their growth and generation of electrons [44].…”

Interrelationship of Electric Double Layer Theory and Microfluidic Microbial Fuel Cells: A Review of Theoretical Foundations and Implications for Performance

“…Freshwater resources directly available to humans account for only 2.7% of the global water resources, with the remainder accounting for salty or brackish water bodies. The problem is aggravated by the fact that freshwater resources are extremely uneven, causing serious shortages in many countries and regions [78][79][80]. The unitization of solar energy for the evaporation of seawater or sewage to improve the water quality has been proven to be an environmentally friendly and sustainable water treatment technology.…”

“…Therefore, from Equation (44), it stands to reason that there exists an optimum pH for MFC/MMFC operation. Consequently, Banerjee et al (2023) [164] have reported that the best performance of the MFC occurs when the pH of the aqueous solution at the anode is 8, in the presence of a chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 632 mg/L, with the maximum power density and microbial electrochemical efficiency being 138 mW/m 2 and 71%, respectively. In the literature, the surface charge density has been linked to the number density of ionizable surface groups, where direct proportionality is applicable [165].…”

Electrode material impact on microbial fuel cell and electro‐Fenton systems for enhanced slaughterhouse wastewater treatment: A comparative study of graphite and titanium

“…In recent literature, there has been notable attention directed towards various categories of wastewater within the context of MFCs. An example of this focus is evident in the investigation carried out by Banerjee et al (Banerjee et al, 2023), where an MFC system was employed for the treatment of dairy wastewater. The study noted that the MFC exhibited a maximum power density of 138 mW/m 2 and achieved a chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate of 71%, highlighting its effectiveness in wastewater treatment.…”