The wastewater industry is facing a paradigm shift, learning to view domestic not as waste stream which needs be disposed of but resource from generate energy. extent that strategically important question. only previous published measurement the internal chemical energy measured 6.3 kJ/L. It has long been assumed content in relates directly oxygen demand (COD). However there no standard relationship between COD and content. In this study new methodology preparing samples for measuring...

We propose targets, based on real world data, necessary to design a financially viable microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) for the treatment of domestic wastewater. By reducing cost anode and current collecting materials by 90%, organic loading rate would be between 800 1,400g-COD/m3/d (2–3A/m2). The collector account 94% total material costs; consequently, savings in any other are moot. If bioanode can reused after 20 years, further, significant could achieved. To develop targets we used...

Abstract The potential benefits of applying microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) technology to wastewater treatment are clear and profound. Previous pilot studies have demonstrated a ‘proof concept' with domestic waste at ambient temperatures, but not yet treated required discharge standards, reached energy neutrality. In addition, these reactors been many orders magnitude smaller than would be needed for full scale plants. Scale‐up affects the parameters that underpin performance;...

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) directly convert wastewater into electricity, reducing its chemical oxygen demand (COD), thus concomitantly treating it. Increasing global demands for clean water and energy has driven research interest in MFCs over the last 25 years, transitioning from a laboratory innovation pilot-scale demonstrations, even some commercial units. However, technology still lacks proper framework design that existing treatment processes have. To address this gap, paper...

The factors that affect microbial community assembly and its effects on the performance of bioelectrochemical systems are poorly understood. Sixteen fuel cell (MFC) reactors were set up to test importance inoculum, temperature substrate: Arctic soil versus wastewater as inoculum; warm (26.5 °C) cold (7.5 temperature; acetate substrate. Substrate was dominant factor in determining diversity: unexpectedly simple electrogenic substrate delivered a higher diversity than complex wastewater....

Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) have the potential to produce energy from wastewater. However, they are far ready be applied into industry. The development of large and pilot-scale harness value-added chemicals is widely regarded as one greatest research challenges in this field. There several reasons for this: i) expensive, ii) difficult engineer, iii) data that can derived them often limited, rarely duplicate, disproportionate time commitment. Given these restrictions, systematic reviews...

Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) have the potential to deliver energy-neutral wastewater treatment. Pilot-scale tests proven that they can operate at low temperatures with real wastewaters. However, volumetric treatment rates (VTRs) been low, reducing ability for this technology compete activated sludge (AS). This paper describes a pilot-scale microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) operated in continuous flow 6 months. The reactor was fed return liquor, concentrated filtrate of anaerobic...

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are innovative environmental engineering systems that harness the metabolic activities of microbial communities to convert chemical energy in waste into electrical energy. However, MFC performance optimization remains challenging due limited understanding mechanisms, particularly with complex substrates under realistic conditions. This study investigated effects substrate complexity (acetate vs. starch) and varying mass transfer (stirred non-stirred) on...

Quantitatively evaluating progress toward energy neutral, or even positive, wastewater treatment necessitates reliable data on the intrinsic content of wastewater. It has long been assumed that amount in is directly related to its chemical oxygen demand (COD), but convoluted method for measuring meant a reliable, statistically robust relationship between COD and never drawn. In this research, we used new drying analyzed set 107 municipal samples, with range values from 16.4 1151 mg/L. The...

The objective of this work was to quantify the number exoelectrogens in wastewater capable producing current a microbial fuel cell by adapting classical most probable (MPN) methodology using production as end point. Inoculating series cells with various dilutions domestic and acetate test substrate yielded an apparent 17 per ml. Using proxy for activity exoelectrogen growth rate 0.03 h−1. With starch or more complex substrates similar rates were obtained, but MPN based numbers significantly...

The formation of an electrochemically active biofilm is critical to the function a Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MEC). We used Illumina 16S rDNA sequencing analyse and composition anodic biofilms two pilot-scale MECs, operated in continuous flow mode on domestic wastewater for over six months, inoculated with that same wastewater. observe: (i) clear correlation between frequency detection taxa MECs their abundance metacommunity, (ii) existence "core community" was present across sites (iii)...

In scientific studies, replicas should replicate, and identical conditions produce very similar results which enable parameters to be tested. However, in microbial experiments use real world mixed inocula generate a new "adapted" community, this replication is hard achieve. The diversity within real-world systems huge, when subsample of placed into reactor vessel or onto surface create biofilm, stochastic processes occur, meaning there heterogeneity these communities. smaller the subsample,...

Mathematical modelling can reduce the cost and time required to design complex systems, is being increasingly used in microbial electrochemical technologies (METs). To be of value such models must enough reproduce important behaviour MET, yet simple provide insight into underlying causes this behaviour. Ideally, also scalable future industrial applications, rather than limited describing existing laboratory experiments. We present a model for simulating both fluid flow bioelectrochemical...

Abstract Anode potential can affect the degradation pathway of complex substrates in bioelectrochemical systems (BESs), thereby influencing current production and coulombic efficiency. However, intricacies behind this interplay are poorly understood. This study used glucose as a model substrate to comprehensively investigate effect different anode potentials (− 150 mV, 0 mV + 200 mV) on relationship between production, electrogenic abundance microorganisms involved batch mode fed BESs....

Abstract Synthetic biology uses molecular to implement genetic circuits that perform computations. These can process inputs and deliver outputs according predefined rules are encoded, often entirely, into parts. However, the field has recently begun focus on using mechanisms beyond realm of parts for engineering biological circuits. We analyse use electrogenic processes circuit design present a model merged electrogenetic toggle switch operating in biofilm attached an electrode....

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are yet to achieve commercial viability. Organic removal rates (ORR) and capital costs dictate an MEC’s financial competitiveness against activated sludge treatments. We used numerical methods investigate the impact of acetate concentration distance between opposing anodes’ surfaces (anode interstices width) on MEC cost-performance. Numerical predictions were calibrated laboratory observations using evolutionary algorithm. Anode width had a non-linear ORR...