Scaling up Microbial Fuel Cells for Treating Swine Wastewater
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Case Studies
Scaling up Microbial Fuel Cells for Treating Swine Wastewater
Authors : Yuko Goto, Naoko Yoshida
Abstract:
Conventional aerobic treatment of swine wastewater, which generally contains 4500–8200 mg L−1 of organic matter, is energy-consuming. The aim of this study was to assess the application of scaled-up microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with different capacities (i.e., 1.5 L, 12 L, and 100 L) for removing organic matter from swine wastewater. The MFCs were single-chambered, consisting of an anode of microbially reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and an air-cathode of platinum-coated carbon cloth. The MFCs were polarized via an external resistance of 3–10 Ω for 40 days for the 1.5 L-MFC and 120 days for the 12L- and 100 L-MFC. The MFCs were operated in continuous flow mode (hydraulic retention time: 3–5 days). The 100 L-MFC achieved an average chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 52%, which corresponded to a COD removal rate of 530 mg L−1 d−1. Moreover, the 100 L-MFC showed an average and maximum electricity generation of 0.6 and 2.2 Wh m−3, respectively. Our findings suggest that MFCs can effectively be used for swine wastewater treatment coupled with the simultaneous generation of electricity.
Keywords : microbial fuel cells; swine wastewater; graphene oxide
Water 2019, 11(9), 1803; DOI: 10.3390/w11091803
Source: MDPI
Taxonomy
- Industrial Wastewater Treatment
- Antimicrobial
- Wastewater Treatment
- Microbiology
- Hog & Pig Farming