Enhancing microbial fuel cell performance using ceramic additive as biomedia
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The ever-increasing pollution on our planet demands for clean technologies development. Microbial fuel cells (MFC) are one technology with multiple benefits including wastewater treatment, bioelectricity generation, heavy metal reduction and fertiliser production via catholyte generation. In-situ catholyte production in MFCs requires more research to understand how it can be tailored for bioelectricity production. This study aims at producing better quality catholyte and observing its correlation with electricity generation by using ceramic additives known as biomedia. To evaluate its effect on catholyte electrosynthesis and concomitant production of bioelectricity, a mix of fine-grained ceramic additives were introduced to the anolyte. Over the course of the experiment, it was observed that the synthesis of catholyte in MFCs containing biomedia, was 35% higher in volume compared to that of the MFCs without biomedia, the electrical conductivity increased to a maximum of 15.72 mS/cm with pH 11.23 and elements such as aluminium were removed from wastewater. The current and power generation were also significantly higher in biomedia-MFCs, which suggests its correlation with better quality catholyte. This work uses very cheap ceramic additives to amend anolyte as an effective strategy to enhance catholyte production combined with high electricity generation in microbial fuel cell.
Source: Renewable Energy
Authors: Aradhana Singh, Ioannis A. Ieropoulos
Institution: University of Southampton
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Engineering
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,460
OpenAlex ID: W4407858214