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How Comparable are Microbial Electrochemical Systems around the Globe? An Electrochemical and Microbiological Cross‐Laboratory Study
Author(s) -
Santoro Carlo,
Babanova Sofia,
Cristiani Pierangela,
Artyushkova Kateryna,
Atanassov Plamen,
Bergel Alain,
Bretschger Orianna,
Brown Robert K.,
Carpenter Kayla,
Colombo Alessandra,
Cortese Rachel,
Erable Benjamin,
Harnisch Falk,
Kodali Mounika,
Phadke Sujal,
Riedl Sebastian,
Rosa Luis F. M.,
Schröder Uwe
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.202100294
Subject(s) - microbial fuel cell , anode , wastewater , electrochemistry , pulp and paper industry , sewage treatment , cathode , microbial population biology , environmental science , chemistry , environmental chemistry , bacteria , electrode , environmental engineering , biology , genetics , engineering
A cross‐laboratory study on microbial fuel cells (MFC) which involved different institutions around the world is presented. The study aims to assess the development of autochthone microbial pools enriched from domestic wastewater, cultivated in identical single‐chamber MFCs, operated in the same way, thereby approaching the idea of developing common standards for MFCs. The MFCs are inoculated with domestic wastewater in different geographic locations. The acclimation stage and, consequently, the startup time are longer or shorter depending on the inoculum, but all MFCs reach similar maximum power outputs (55±22 μW cm −2 ) and COD removal efficiencies (87±9 %), despite the diversity of the bacterial communities. It is inferred that the MFC performance starts when the syntrophic interaction of fermentative and electrogenic bacteria stabilizes under anaerobic conditions at the anode. The generated power is mostly limited by electrolytic conductivity, electrode overpotentials, and an unbalanced external resistance. The enriched microbial consortia, although composed of different bacterial groups, share similar functions both on the anode and the cathode of the different MFCs, resulting in similar electrochemical output.