Tubular photo-MFC reactors as wastewater polishing treatment step with simultaneous electricity production
Wastewater treatment processes energy and emissions issues led researchers to investigate more sustainable alternative technologies, aimed at achieving effective contaminants removal with simultaneous resources recovery (i.e., energy). The combination of microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology with mic...
| Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | article |
| Status: | Published version |
| Publication Date: | 2022 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya) |
| Repository: | Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:recercat.cat:10256/22871 |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10256/22871 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Aigües residuals -- Depuració Sewage -- Purification Bioelectroquímica Bioelectrochemistry Aigües residuals -- Depuració -- Desnitrificació Sewage -- Purification -- Nitrogen removal Aigües residuals -- Depuració -- Eliminació de fòsfor Sewage -- Purification -- Phosphorus removal |
| Summary: | Wastewater treatment processes energy and emissions issues led researchers to investigate more sustainable alternative technologies, aimed at achieving effective contaminants removal with simultaneous resources recovery (i.e., energy). The combination of microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology with microalgal-based processes in a photo-MFC (PhMFC) could potentially reduce GHGs impact of wastewater treatment, capturing anodically produced CO2 and photosynthetically convert it into oxygen, with a bioelectrochemical, cathodic polishing step. Two tubular PhMFCs were operated with synthetic wastewater under different conditions. Organic matter and nutrients removals and electricity production were monitored under each tested condition. Energy losses and design issues were also analyzed. The two PhMFCs globally proved to be effective in COD (up to 94%), total nitrogen (55%) and total phosphorus (60%) removal, with simultaneous bioelectricity production (up to 5.5 ‧ 10−4 kWh m−3). The presence of microalgae also opens the possibility of recovery opportunities connected to the post-processing of the cathodic effluent |
|---|