The use of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) in biological fuel cells limits the diversity of novel designs for increasing output power or enabling autonomous function in unique environments. Here we show that selected nanoporous polymer filters (nylon, cellulose, or polycarbonate) can be used effectively in place of PEMs in a miniature microbial fuel cell (mini-MFC, device cross-section 2 cm2),...

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been used to produce electricity from different compounds, including acetate, lactate, and glucose. We demonstrate here that it is also possible to produce electricity in a MFC from domestic wastewater, while atthe same time accomplishing biological wastewater treatment (removal of chemical oxygen demand; COD). Tests were conducted using a single chamber microbi...

Two-chamber Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC) using graphite rods as electrodes were operated for simultaneous anaerobic sulfide and nitrate removal coupled with electricity generation. The MFC showed good ability to remove substrates. When the influent sulfide and nitrate concentrations were 780 mg/L and 135.49 mg/L, respectively, the removal percentages of sulfide and nitrate were higher than 90% an...

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) sensor exhibits attractive prospects for real-time monitoring of nitrate (NO3-) in water, with unique advantages self-powering and simple structure; but its stability sensitivity are unsatisfactory. In an attempt to address the limitations, here we employed open-circuit MFC (O-MFC) NO3- compared a conventional closed-circuit (C-MFC) sensor. The O-MFC was confirmed when...

Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a bio-electrochemical system that generates electricity by anaerobic oxidation of substrates. An anode the most critical component because primary conversion wastewater into electrons and protons takes place on surface anode, where biofilm formed. This paper describes essential properties classifies its types according to material used make it. Anode responsible for...

Wastewater has high potential as an energy source. Therefore, it is important to recover even the smallest part of this energy, e.g., in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The obtained electricity production depends on process rate electrodes. In MFC, microorganisms are catalyst, and cathode usually made carbon material (e.g., with addition Pt). To increase MFC efficiency (and reduce costs by reducin...

An inexpensive activated carbon (AC) air cathode was developed as an alternative to a platinum-catalyzed electrode for oxygen reduction in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). AC was cold-pressed with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binder to form the cathode around a Ni mesh current collector. This cathode construction avoided the need for carbon cloth or a metal catalyst, and produced a cathode with...

The microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology offers sustainable solutions for distributed power systems and energy positive wastewater treatment, but the generation of practically usable power from MFCs remains a major challenge for system scale up and application. Commonly used external resistors will not harvest any usable energy, so energy-harvesting circuits are needed for real world applicatio...

A Gram-positive exoelectrogen Rhodococcus pyridinivorans sp. strain HR-1 was cultivated from leachate-fed microbial fuel cell (MFC) to study the biodegradation effect of pyridine. In comparison with mixed cultured MFC, presented a remarkable electrical capacity maximum output 4.33 W/m3 under 30 °C in neutral anolyte 1 g/L acetate as substrate. Further, demonstrated environmental resistance stra...

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising technology for energy-efficient domestic wastewater treatment, but the effluent quality has typically not been sufficient for discharge without further treatment. A two-stage laboratory-scale combined treatment process, consisting of microbial fuel cells and an anaerobic fluidized bed membrane bioreactor (MFC-AFMBR), was examined here to produce high ...