Potential of Electric Power Production from Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) in Evapotranspiration Reactor for Leachate Treatment Using Alocasia macrorrhiza Plant and Eleusine indica Grass

Abstract

Abstract. Microbial fuel cell is one of attractive electric power generator from nature bacterial activity. While, Evapotranspiration is one of the waste water treatment system which developed to eliminate biological weakness that utilize the natural evaporation process and bacterial activity on plant roots and plant media. This study aims to determine the potential of electrical energy from leachate treatment using evapotranspiration reactor. The study was conducted using local plant, namely Alocasia macrorrhiza and local grass, namely Eleusine Indica. The system was using horizontal MFC by placing the cathodes and anodes at different chamber (i.e. in the leachate reactor and reactor with plant media). Carbon plates was used for chatode-anodes material with size of 40 cm x 10 cm x1 cm. Electrical power production was measure by a digital multimeter for 30 days reactor operation. The result shows electric power production was fluctuated during reactor operation from all reactors. The electric power generated from each reactor was fluctuated, but from the reactor using Alocasia macrorrhiza plant reach to 70 μwatt average. From the reactor using Eleusine Indica grass was reached 60 μwatt average. Electric power production fluctuation is related to the bacterial growth pattern in the soil media and on the plant roots which undergo the adaptation process until the middle of the operational period and then in stable growth condition until the end of the reactor operation. The results indicate that the evapotranspiration reactor using Alocasia macrorrhiza plant was 60-95% higher electric power potential than using Eleusine Indica grass in short-term (30-day) operation. Although, MFC system in evapotranspiration reactor system was one of potential system for renewable electric power generation.

Recent advances in constructed wetland‐microbial fuel cells for simultaneous bioelectricity production and wastewater treatment: A review

“…CW‐MFCs with double chamber and single chamber at laboratory scale, rice fields, marshy wetlands, and CWs are CW‐MFC configurations that have been used in the investigations to produce bioelectricity through the plants . CW‐MFC has been operated using different species of aquatic plants such as Canna indica , Pennisetum setaceum , Cyperus involucratus , Typha latifolia , Acorus calamus , Echinochloa glabrescens , Phragmites australis , Ipomea acuatica , Lolium perenne e , Echinorriea crassipes , Alocasia macrorrhiza , Typha angustifolia , Sporobolasarabicus , Elodea nuttallii , Glyceria maxima , Oriza zativa , Typha orientalis , Scirpus validus , Iris pseudacorus , Chlorophytum inornatum , Asparagus fern , Setaria faveri1 , Sedum Kamschaticum , and Juncus effusus.…”

“…There are many CW‐MFC configurations that have been reported in the literature, such as sequencing batch cell, horizontal subsurface flow, upflow, vertical upflow, downflow, and mixed flow (Figure ). The types of configuration are generally classified into single or double‐chamber systems.…”

“…Constructed wetland‐microbial fuel cell configurations: A, sequencing batch reactor, B, upflow, C, upflow, D, simultaneous upflow‐downflow, E, downflow, F, horizontal subsurface flow, G, upflow, H, upflow, I, horizontal subsurface flow, J, operated in batch, and K, horizontal subsurface flow . Cathode (1), anode (2), material separator (3), resistance (4), support (5), plant (6), influent (7), and effluent (8) [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]…”