Microbial fuel cell: a strategy for bioremediation and energy production

Application of microbial fuel cells (MFC) is a new method for wastewater treatment and environmentally friendly energy production. This technology converts the chemical energy derived from metabolic activity of living organisms into electrical energy. A sample of raw wastewater was prepared as a source of microbial fuel cell substrate from the refinery of Yazd city. This study was carried out using a two-compartment bioreactor with wastewater as substrate and microbial flora. The containers were made of glass with a volume of 550 cc. In the anode chamber, under the anaerobic conditions, the wastewater was catalyzed by microbial flora. In the cathode chamber, potassium phosphate buffer was used to maintain the pH of the solution. The positive ions transferring from anode to cathode was done by positive salt bridge system. Findings: The findings showed that the maximum voltage of 1 V was produced during the early days in this reactor. Then gradually the amount of voltage was reduced and wastewater samples were refined to some extent. The highest rate of produced flow was 248 μA, and then the flow rate was decreased. Therefore, the dual role of the reactor in electricity production and wastewater treatment can be explained. Discussion and Conclusion: In this study, wastewater treatment and also electricity production could be performed using a microbial fuel cell based on salt bridge.