Simultaneous decolorization of azo dye and bioelectricity generation using a microfiltration membrane air-cathode single-chamber microbial fuel cell

Electricity generation from readily biodegradable organic substrates accompanied by decolorization of azo dye was investigated using a microfiltration membrane air-cathode single-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC). Batch experiment results showed that accelerated decolorization of active brilliant red X-3B (ABRX3) was achieved in the MFC as compared to traditional anaerobic technology. Biodegradation was the dominant mechanism of the dye removal, and glucose was the optimal co-substrate for ABRX3 decolorization, while acetate was the worst one. Confectionery wastewater (CW) was also shown to be a good co-substrate for ABRX3 decolorization and a cheap fuel source for electricity generation in the MFC. Low resistance was more favorable for dye decolorization than high resistance. Suspended sludge (SS) should be retained in the MFC for accelerated decolorization of ABRX3. Electricity generation was not significantly affected by the ABRX3 at 300 mg/L, while higher concentrations inhibited electricity generation. However, voltage can be recovered to the original level after replacement with anodic medium not containing azo dye.     

Fluorescence spectroscopic characterization of dissolved organic matter in the waters of Lake Fuxian and adjacent rivers in Yunnan,China

The fluorescence properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the water of Lake Fuxian and its adjacent rivers on the Yunnan Plateau, southwestern China, were studied to specify the characterization of DOM in the lake and river waters. The fluorescence properties with the excitation–emission matrix in the water of Lake Fuxian are different from those in the river water. The differences in these properties between the lake and river water could arise not only from their sources but also from the reactivity of the photobleaching of DOM. In the lake, the supplying of allochthonous fluorescent materials from inflowing rivers to the fluorescent DOM is less significant than the photobleaching of fluorescent substances.     

Removal of odors from Swine wastewater by using microbial fuel cells

A single-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) was used to reduce 10 chemicals associated with odors by 99.76% (from 422 +/- 23 mug/ml) and three volatile organic acids (acetate, butyrate, and propionate) by >99%. The MFC produced a maximum of 228 mW/m(2) and removed 84% of the organic matter in 260 h. MFCs were therefore effective at both treatment and electricity generation.     

Three-dimensional fluorescence as a tool for investigating the dynamics of dissolved organic matter in the Lake Biwa watershed

Quantitative and qualitative characterizations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) were carried out at the watershed level in central Japan by measuring dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and the three-dimensional excitation–emission matrix (3-D EEM). DOC concentration was low (mean 37 ± 19 µM C) in the upstream waters, whereas, in general, it increased toward the downstream areas (mean 92 ± 47 µM C). Significant variations in DOC concentration were detected among rivers and channels. DOC concentration in the epilimnion of Lake Biwa increased during the summer period and decreased during the winter period. The lake hypolimnion has lower DOC concentration (mean 87 ± 7 µM C) compared with the epilimnion (107 ± 15 µM C). Fulvic acid (FA)-like substances in the DOM were directly characterized by 3-D EEM. The fluorescence peak for upstream DOM was found in regions with longer wavelengths (excitation/emission 386 ± 6/476 ± 5 nm) compared with downstream and lake DOM (351 ± 12/446 ± 15 nm and 341 ± 6/434 ± 6 nm, respectively). The DOC concentration is correlated with fluorescence peak intensity of FA-like substances in DOM in river waters. Such a relationship was not found in lake DOM. A blueshift of the fluorescence peak from upstream to lake DOM was observed. A decrease in fluorescence intensities was also detected during the summer period. These results may suggest that the degradation of FA-like substances in DOM occurs from natural solar irradiation. Protein-like fluorescence was significantly detected in the lake epilimnion during the summer period. A linear relationship between DOC concentration and protein-like fluorescence indicated that an autochthonous input of DOM gave rise to the increase in DOC concentration in the lake epilimnion during the summer. These results may suggest that the 3-D EEM can be used as a tool for the investigation of DOM dynamics at the watershed level with concurrent measurement of DOC concentration and the fluorescence properties of fulvic acid-like and protein-like substances.     

Microfabricated Microbial Fuel Cell Arrays Reveal Electrochemically Active Microbes

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are remarkable “green energy” devices that exploit microbes to generate electricity from organic compounds. MFC devices currently being used and studied do not generate sufficient power to support widespread and cost-effective applications. Hence, research has focused on strategies to enhance the power output of the MFC devices, including exploring more electrochemically active microbes to expand the few already known electricigen families. However, most of the MFC devices are not compatible with high throughput screening for finding microbes with higher electricity generation capabilities. Here, we describe the development of a microfabricated MFC array, a compact and user-friendly platform for the identification and characterization of electrochemically active microbes. The MFC array consists of 24 integrated anode and cathode chambers, which function as 24 independent miniature MFCs and support direct and parallel comparisons of microbial electrochemical activities. The electricity generation profiles of spatially distinct MFC chambers on the array loaded with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 differed by less than 8%. A screen of environmental microbes using the array identified an isolate that was related to Shewanella putrefaciens IR-1 and Shewanella sp. MR-7, and displayed 2.3-fold higher power output than the S. oneidensis MR-1 reference strain. Therefore, the utility of the MFC array was demonstrated.     

Heterogeneity of microbial community structures inside the up-flow biological activated carbon (BAC) filters for the treatment of drinking water

Filtration using biological activated carbon (BAC) performs well in the removal of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon from water sources. The application of ozonation followed by up-flow BAC filtration has gained increasing attention in the world scale. In this study, a pilotscale up-flow BAC filtration system was constructed for the treatment of polluted lake water. The operational results indicated that this BAC filtration system could effectively remove organic matter. Spatial heterogeneity of the microbial community structure inside the BAC filtration system was identified using bacterial 16S rRNA clone library analysis. A marked decrease of microbial diversity in the BAC filtration system was observed along the flow path. Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Acidobacteria were found to be the major bacterial groups in the BAC filters. Moreover, Novosphingobium aromaticivorans-like microorganisms were detected. This work might add some new insights towards microbial communities in regards to BAC filtration for the treatment of drinking water.     

Expression of serotonin derivative synthetic genes on a single self-processing polypeptide and the production of serotonin derivatives in microbes

Soils are rich in organics, particularly those that support growth of plants. These organics are possible sources of sustainable energy, and a microbial fuel cell (MFC) system can potentially be used for this purpose. Here, we report the application of an MFC system to electricity generation in a rice paddy field. In our system, graphite felt electrodes were used; an anode was set in the rice rhizosphere, and a cathode was in the flooded water above the rhizosphere. It was observed that electricity generation (as high as 6 mW/m², normalized to the anode projection area) was sunlight dependent and exhibited circadian oscillation. Artificial shading of rice plants in the daytime inhibited the electricity generation. In the rhizosphere, rice roots penetrated the anode graphite felt where specific bacterial populations occurred. Supplementation to the anode region with acetate (one of the major root-exhausted organic compounds) enhanced the electricity generation in the dark. These results suggest that the paddy-field electricity-generation system was an ecological solar cell in which the plant photosynthesis was coupled to the microbial conversion of organics to electricity.     

Electricity generation using p-nitrophenol as substrate in microbial fuel cell

The cell voltage and degradation rate of p-nitrophenol (PNP) were monitored in a two-chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) system. Degradation metabolites in the anode solution of MFC were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). PNP was used as substrate by the MFC that was inoculated with anaerobic sludge. The results showed that electricity output increased with the PNP concentration increased, the MFC displayed a maximum power density of 1.778 mW m⁻² and a maximum PNP degradation rate of 64.69% when PNP was used as a sole substrate. However, the cell voltage and the PNP degradation rate with sodium acetate (402.3 mV and 95.96%) were higher than those fed with glucose (341.9 mV and 83.51%) when glucose and sodium acetate were used as a substrate, respectively. Furthermore, GC–MS analysis showed that the PNP was biodegraded completely after 142 h in the MFC. These results demonstrate that PNP can be used for electricity generation in MFC for practical applications of wastewater treatment.     

Controls of dissolved organic matter quality: evidence from a large‐scale boreal lake survey

Inland waters transport large amounts of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from terrestrial environments to the oceans, but DOM also reacts en route, with substantial water column losses by mineralization and sedimentation. For DOM transformations along the aquatic continuum, lakes play an important role as they retain waters in the landscape allowing for more time to alter DOM. We know DOM losses are significant at the global scale, yet little is known about how the reactivity of DOM varies across landscapes and climates. DOM reactivity is inherently linked to its chemical composition. We used fluorescence spectroscopy to explore DOM quality from 560 lakes distributed across Sweden and encompassed a wide climatic gradient typical of the boreal ecozone. Six fluorescence components were identified using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The intensity and relative abundance of these components were analyzed in relation to lake chemistry, catchment, and climate characteristics. Land cover, particularly the percentage of water in the catchment, was a primary factor explaining variability in PARAFAC components. Likewise, lake water retention time influenced DOM quality. These results suggest that processes occurring in upstream water bodies, in addition to the lake itself, have a dominant influence on DOM quality. PARAFAC components with longer emission wavelengths, or red‐shifted components, were most reactive. In contrast, protein‐like components were most persistent within lakes. Generalized characteristics of PARAFAC components based on emission wavelength could ease future interpretation of fluorescence spectra. An important secondary influence on DOM quality was mean annual temperature, which ranged between ?6.2 and +7.5 °C. These results suggest that DOM reactivity depends more heavily on the duration of time taken to pass through the landscape, rather than temperature. Projected increases in runoff in the boreal region may force lake DOM toward a higher overall amount and proportion of humic‐like substances.     

Electricity generation from wastewaters with starch as carbon source using a mediatorless microbial fuel cell

Microbial fuel cells represent a new method for producing electricity from the oxidation of organic matter. A mediatorless microbial fuel cell was developed using Escherichia coli as the active bacterial component with synthetic wastewater of potato extract as the energy source. The two-chamber fuel cell, with a relation of volume between anode and cathode chamber of 8:1, was operated in batch mode. The response was similar to that obtained when glucose was used as the carbon source. The performance characteristics of the fuel cell were evaluated with two different anode and cathode shapes, platinised titanium strip or mesh; the highest maximum power density (502mWm(-2)) was achieved in the microbial fuel cell with mesh electrodes. In addition to electricity generation, the MFC exhibited efficient treatment of wastewater so that significant reduction of initial oxygen demand of wastewater by 61% was observed. These results demonstrate that potato starch can be used for power generation in a mediatorless microbial fuel cell with high removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand.     

白洋淀沉水植物腐解释放溶解性有机物光谱特性

利用水生植物修复受污染水体中,水生植物在秋冬季节腐烂分解会释放大量溶解性有机物(DOM),DOM可影响水环境中污染物的迁移转化,对水体中的化学和生物过程产生一定影响。因此利用紫外可见光光谱(UV-vis)结合平行因子分析法(PARAFAC)和主成分分析法(PCA)来表征和分析水生植物腐解产物中DOM的组分及其特点。UV-vis的研究表明随着腐解时间的增加,样品中DOM的腐殖化程度逐渐升高,当腐殖化程度达到最高值时,腐解进入矿化阶段,此时腐殖化程度逐渐降低。通过PARAFAC分析可以分离出3种类蛋白组分(C1、C2和C5)和2种类腐殖酸组分(C3和C4)。由PCA可以得出在腐解初期,类蛋白组分占据主导地位;随着腐解时间的增加,类蛋白组分含量逐渐降低,而类腐殖酸组分含量逐渐升高。     

Distribution and characteristics of molecular size fractions of freshwater-dissolved organic matter in watershed environments: its implication to degradation

Distributions of molecular size and fluorescence properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the Lake Biwa and Lake Baikal watersheds were investigated using the cross-flow ultrafiltration technique and three-dimensional fluorescence measurements. From the fluorescence properties, protein-like substances were usually found in the 0.1 μm-GF/F fraction (the Durapore membrane retentate of the GF/F filtrate) of the lake DOM. The results indicated autochthonous production of protein-like organic-matters in the lake environment. Fulvic acid (FA)-like components were composed of two fractions with respect to fluorescence properties and molecular size. Two FA-like fluorescence peaks, which showed different fluorescence peak positions in the excitation-emission matrix (EEM), were partly fractionated by the molecular size of 5000 daltons (5 kDa). The FA-like fluorescence peak position of the <5-kDa fraction was observed at the shorter wavelength region compared with that of the fraction between 5 kDa and 0.1 μm (5 kDa20.1 μm fraction). A blue shift of the FA-like fluorescence peak position as well as a decrease in the molecular size of the DOM was observed in lake samples. The relative contribution of the <5 kDa fraction to the DOC concentration was high in lake waters (68%–79%) compared with river waters (44%–68%), suggesting characteristic changes in molecular size between riverine and lacustrine DOM. DOM of the 5 kDa–0.1 μm fraction was relatively higher in river waters than in lake waters. These findings coincided with in situ distributions of the fluorescence properties and molecular size of DOM found in both stream and lake environments. These results indicate that FA-like substances from forested watersheds are decomposed qualitatively and quantitatively in the river-lake environment by photochemical and biological processes.     

Electricity generation from bio-treatment of sewage sludge with microbial fuel cell

A two-chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) with potassium ferricyanide as its electron acceptor was utilized to degrade excess sewage sludge and to generate electricity. Stable electrical power was produced continuously during operation for 250 h. Total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) of sludge was reduced by 46.4% when an initial TCOD was 10,850 mg/l. The MFC power output did not significantly depend on process parameters such as substrate concentration, cathode catholyte concentration, and anodic pH. However, the MFC produced power was in close correlation with the soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) of sludge. Furthermore, ultrasonic pretreatment of sludge accelerated organic matter dissolution and, hence, TCOD removal rate in the MFC was increased, but power output was insignificantly enhanced. This study demonstrates that this MFC can generate electricity from sewage sludge over a wide range of process parameters.     

Effect of operating modes on simultaneous anaerobic sulfide and nitrate removal in microbial fuel cell

The effect of operating modes on the simultaneous sulfide and nitrate removal were studied in two-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The batch and continuous operating modes were compared and evaluated in terms of substrate removal and electricity generation. Upon gradual increase in the influent sulfide concentration from 60 to 1,020 S mg L^?1, and the hydraulic retention time decrease from 17.2 to 6 h, the MFC accomplished a good substrate removal efficiency whereby nitrogen and sulfate were the main end products. The removal efficiency of the MFC in the continuous mode was much higher than that in the batch mode, and its current densities in the continuous mode were more stable and higher than in the batch mode, which could be explained by the linear relationship between electrons released by the substrates and accepted on the electrodes. The electricity output in the continuous mode of the MFC was higher than that in the batch mode. MFC's operation in the continuous mode was a better strategy for the simultaneous treatment of sulfide and nitrate.     

Diversity of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase genes of bacteria responding to dissolved organic matter derived from different sources in a eutrophic lake

Catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) is an extradiol dioxygenase that plays an important role in degrading aromatic compounds such as those found at polluted sites. However, little is known about the diversity of C23O genes in unpolluted environments. In such environments, various factors, including the quality and quantity of dissolved organic matter (DOM), could influence the composition and behaviour of bacterial community possessing C230 genes. We investigated C23O genes in bacteria responding to DOM from various sources in a eutrophic lake by PCR and cloning. Six microcosms filled with lake water containing indigenous bacteria and DOM from different sources were incubated for 10 days. After 1 or 2 days of incubation, C23O genes were detected in the microcosms enriched with DOM recovered from inflow river water and humus from reed grass. The sequences were very diverse but had features conserved in extradiol dioxygenases. The clone libraries generated on day 2 showed distinctive compositions among microcosms, indicating that bacteria possessing a variety of C23O genes responded differently to DOM from different sources. After 10 days of incubation, C23O genes in a previously unidentified gene cluster, 'Cluster X', became dominant in the libraries.     

Analysis of ammonia loss mechanisms in microbial fuel cells treating animal wastewater

Ammonia losses during swine wastewater treatment were examined using single- and two-chambered microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Ammonia removal was 60% over 5 days for a single-chamber MFC with the cathode exposed to air (air-cathode), versus 69% over 13 days from the anode chamber in a two-chamber MFC with a ferricyanide catholyte. In both types of systems, ammonia losses were accelerated with electricity generation. For the air-cathode system, our results suggest that nitrogen losses during electricity generation were increased due to ammonia volatilization with conversion of ammonium ion to the more volatile ammonia species as a result of an elevated pH near the cathode (where protons are consumed). This loss mechanism was supported by abiotic tests (applied voltage of 1.1 V). In a two-chamber MFC, nitrogen losses were primarily due to ammonium ion diffusion through the membrane connecting the anode and cathode chambers. This loss was higher with electricity generation as the rate of ammonium transport was increased by charge transfer across the membrane. Ammonia was not found to be used as a substrate for electricity generation, as intermittent ammonia injections did not produce power. The ammonia-oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea was found on the cathode electrode of the single-chamber system, supporting evidence of biological nitrification, but anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were not detected by molecular analyses. It is concluded that ammonia losses from the anode chamber were driven primarily by physical-chemical factors that are increased with electricity generation, although some losses may occur through biological nitrification and denitrification.     

Microbial electricity generation in rice paddy fields: recent advances and perspectives in rhizosphere microbial fuel cells

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are devices that use living microbes for the conversion of organic matter into electricity. MFC systems can be applied to the generation of electricity at water/sediment interfaces in the environment, such as bay areas, wetlands, and rice paddy fields. Using these systems, electricity generation in paddy fields as high as ～80 mW m^?2 (based on the projected anode area) has been demonstrated, and evidence suggests that rhizosphere microbes preferentially utilize organic exudates from rice roots for generating electricity. Phylogenetic and metagenomic analyses have been conducted to identify the microbial species and catabolic pathways that are involved in the conversion of root exudates into electricity, suggesting the importance of syntrophic interactions. In parallel, pot cultures of rice and other aquatic plants have been used for rhizosphere MFC experiments under controlled laboratory conditions. The findings from these studies have demonstrated the potential of electricity generation for mitigating methane emission from the rhizosphere. Notably, however, the presence of large amounts of organics in the rhizosphere drastically reduces the effect of electricity generation on methane production. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the potential of these systems for mitigating methane emission from rice paddy fields. We suggest that paddy-field MFCs represent a promising approach for harvesting latent energy of the natural world.     

Enhanced Cathodic Oxygen Reduction and Power Production of Microbial Fuel Cell Based on Noble‐Metal‐Free Electrocatalyst Derived from Metal‐Organic Frameworks

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) can generate electricity from organic substances based on anodic electrochemically active microorganisms and cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), thus exhibiting promising potential for harvesting electric energy from organic wastewater. The ORR performance is crucial to both power production efficiency and overall cost of MFC. A new type of metal‐organic‐framework‐derived electrocatalysts containing cobalt and nitrogen‐doped carbon (CoNC) is developed, which is effective to enhance activity, selectivity, and stability toward four‐electron ORR in pH‐neutral electrolyte. When glucose is used as the substrate, the maximum power density of 1665 mW m^?2 is achieved for the optimized CoNC pyrolyzed at 900 °C, which is 39.8% higher than that of 1191 mW m^?2 for commercial Pt/C catalyst in the single‐chamber MFC. The improved performance of CoNC catalyst can be attributed to large surface area, microporous nature, and the involvement of nitrogen‐coordinated cobalt species. These properties enable the efficient ORR by increasing the active sites and enhancing mass transfer of oxygen and protons at “water‐flooding” three‐phase boundary where ORR occurs. This work provides a proof‐of‐concept demonstration of a noble‐metal‐free high‐efficiency and cost‐effective ORR electrocatalyst for effective recovery of electricity from biomass materials and organic wastewater in MFC.     

微生物燃料电池降解苯酚过程中微电场对阴极微生物多样性的影响

[背景]苯酚废水作为一种毒性强、难降解的废水而备受关注.目前,微生物燃料电池(microbial fuel cell,MFC)已经广泛用于苯酚废水的降解,MFC的产电效果和苯酚的降解效率与反应器内的微生物群落有着密切关系.[目的]为了提高MFC的产电效果及对有害物质的降解能力,需要对MFC中苯酚的降解和微生物群落结构进...     

Electricity from landfill leachate using microbial fuel cells: Comparison with a biological aerated filter

Four experimental columns were employed in this study to investigate their performance under wastewater treatment conditions. One column was set-up as a biological aerated filter and the remaining three were set-up as microbial fuel cells (MFCs), two of which were connected to an external load whereas the third was left open circuit. The performance of the columns under several flow rates and leachate strengths was studied in terms of BOD₅ removal efficiencies and electricity generation, when a fixed resistive load was connected. Results obtained demonstrated that it is possible to generate electricity and simultaneously treat landfill leachate in MFC columns. Energy generation in MFC columns improved with increasing flow rates from 24 to 192 mL/h, while BOD₅ removal efficiency levels reached a maximum at 48 mL/h and dropped to relatively low values at higher flow rates. The maximum removal efficiencies were obtained at a loading rate of 0.81 kg BOD₅/m³ d for columns C1, C2 and C4 and 1.81 kg BOD₅/m³ d for column C3. Electrical output levels and BOD₅ concentrations at the MFC columns showed a linear relationship, which allows the system to be used as a BOD₅ sensor. Part of the BOD removal was not associated with power generation and was attributed to the presence of alternative end terminal electron acceptors and volatilisation. The MFC columns could reach the same or even higher removal efficiencies than those from the biological aerated filter with the advantage of producing energy and saving cost of aeration. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that compares the MFC technology with other conventional treatment systems for removing pollutants from wastewater.