Performance Evaluation of Microbial Fuel Cell Operated with Pd or MnO2 as Cathode Catalyst and Chaetoceros Pretreated Anodic Inoculum
Publication: Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 24, Issue 3
Abstract
A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a bioelectrochemical system that can recover bioelectricity from wastewater, with simultaneous organic matter removal from the wastewater. However, due to the inferior power production of MFCs and the higher fabrication cost, successful field-scale demonstration of this novel technology is still to be accomplished. Power production of MFCs can be improved by employing a cathode catalyst to overcome the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on bare carbon-based electrodes. In this regard, to enhance the power generation in a MFC, three MFCs inoculated with marine algae Chaetoceros pretreated mixed bacterial culture were operated with different cathode catalysts. To examine the effect of cathode catalyst on power generation, Pd and MnO2 were used as cathode catalysts in the MFC-Pd and MFC-Mn, respectively, while the third MFC (MFC-C) was devoid of any catalyst. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency was estimated to be 63.3% ± 1.83%, 62.8% ± 2.15%, and 61.3% ± 1.76% for MFC-C, MFC-Mn and MFC-Pd, respectively. The MFC-Pd exhibited highest coulombic efficiency of 25.82% ± 2.1%, followed by MFC-Mn (17.47 ± 1.6%) and MFC-C (10.68% ± 2.8%). The power density of MFC-Pd, MFC-Mn, and MFC-C was estimated to be 63.94, 27.12, and 10.46 mW/m2, respectively. The results exhibited that the application of Pd as a cathode catalyst yields higher power in a MFC. Furthermore, the maximum power density of MFC-Mn, with MnO2 as cathode catalyst, was 2.36 fold lesser than that obtained from the MFC-Pd and 2.59 times higher than MFC-C. In addition, the wastewater treatment efficiency measured in terms of COD removal efficiency was similar for all the MFCs given that similar operating conditions (Chaetoceros pretreatment on the anodic inoculum) were maintained in the anodic chamber of all these MFCs. However, as MnO2 is a low-priced material, the energy recovered per dollar spent on the catalyst is six times higher for MnO2 than for Pd. Thus, the combination of MnO2 as cathode catalyst and Chaetoceros as a methanogenesis inhibitor demonstrated a low-cost, sustainable solution for power enhancement in MFCs.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This work was financially supported by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India (SAP17_IITKGP_05).
References
Ajayi, F. F., K.-Y. Kim, K.-J. Chae, M.-J. Choi, and I. S. Kim. 2010. “Effect of hydrodymamic force and prolonged oxygen exposure on the performance of anodic biofilm in microbial electrolysis cells.” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 35 (8): 3206–3213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2010.01.057.
Bagchi, S., and M. Behera. 2019. “Methanogenesis suppression in microbial fuel cell by aluminium dosing.” Bioelectrochemistry 129: 206–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2019.05.019.
Behera, M., P. S. Jana, and M. M. Ghangrekar. 2010. “Performance evaluation of low cost microbial fuel cell fabricated using earthen pot with biotic and abiotic cathode.” Bioresour. Technol. 101 (4): 1183–1189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2009.07.089.
Bhowmick, G. D., S. Das, K. Adhikary, M. M. Ghangrekar, and A. Mitra. 2019a. “Using rhodium as a cathode catalyst for enhancing performance of microbial fuel cell.” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 44 (39): 22218–22222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.06.063.
Bhowmick, G. D., S. Das, M. M. Ghangrekar, A. Mitra, and R. Banerjee. 2019b. “Improved wastewater treatment by combined system of microbial fuel cell with activated carbon/TiO2 cathode catalyst and membrane bioreactor.” J. Inst. Eng. (India) Ser. A 100 (4): 675–682. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40030-019-00406-7.
Bhowmick, G. D., S. Das, H. K. Verma, B. Neethu, and M. M. Ghangrekar. 2019c. “Improved performance of microbial fuel cell by using conductive ink printed cathode containing Co3O4 or Fe3O4.” Electrochim. Acta 310: 173–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2019.04.127.
Cabezas, S., S. Ho, U. Ros, M. E. Lanio, C. Alvarez, and F. G. van der Goot. 2017. “Damage of eukaryotic cells by the pore-forming toxin sticholysin II: Consequences of the potassium efflux.” Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1859 (5): 982–992. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.02.001.
Catal, T., K. L. Lesnik, and H. Liu. 2015. “Suppression of methanogenesis for hydrogen production in single-chamber microbial electrolysis cells using various antibiotics.” Bioresour. Technol. 187: 77–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2015.03.099.
Chakraborty, I., S. Das, B. K. Dubey, and M. M. Ghangrekar. 2020. “Novel low cost proton exchange membrane made from sulphonated biochar for application in microbial fuel cells.” Mater. Chem. Phys. 239: 122025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2019.122025.
Choudhury, P., U. S. P. Uday, N. Mahata, O. Nath Tiwari, R. Narayan Ray, T. Kanti Bandyopadhyay, and B. Bhunia. 2017. “Performance improvement of microbial fuel cells for waste water treatment along with value addition: A review on past achievements and recent perspectives.” Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev. 79: 372–389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.098.
Das, S., and Ghangrekar, M. M. (2019). “Tungsten oxide as electrocatalyst for improved power generation and wastewater treatment in microbial fuel cell.” Environ. Technol. 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2019.1575477.
Gautam, R. K., H. Bhattacharjee, S. Venkata Mohan, and A. Verma. 2016. “Nitrogen doped graphene supported α-MnO2 nanorods for efficient ORR in a microbial fuel cell.” RSC Adv. 6 (111): 110091–110101. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6RA23392A.
Ghadge, A. N., and M. M. Ghangrekar. 2015. “Development of low cost ceramic separator using mineral cation exchanger to enhance performance of microbial fuel cells.” Electrochim. Acta 166: 320–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2015.03.105.
Ghangrekar, M. M., and V. B. Shinde. 2008. “Simultaneous sewage treatment and electricity generation in membrane-less microbial fuel cell.” Water Sci. Technol. 58 (1): 37–43. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2008.339.
Gnana kumar, G., Z. Awan, K. Suk Nahm, and J. Stanley Xavier. 2014. “Nanotubular MnO2/graphene oxide composites for the application of open air-breathing cathode microbial fuel cells.” Biosens. Bioelectron. 53: 528–534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2013.10.012.
Goswami, C., K. K. Hazarika, and P. Bharali. 2018. “Transition metal oxide nanocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction.” Mater. Sci. Energy Technol. 1 (2): 117–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mset.2018.06.005.
Huggins, T. M., J. J. Pietron, H. Wang, Z. J. Ren, and J. C. Biffinger. 2015. “Graphitic biochar as a cathode electrocatalyst support for microbial fuel cells.” Bioresour. Technol. 195: 147–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2015.06.012.
Jadhav, D. A., A. D. Chendake, A. Schievano, and D. Pant. 2019. “Suppressing methanogens and enriching electrogens in bioelectrochemical systems.” Bioresour. Technol. 277: 148–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2018.12.098.
Jadhav, D. A., P. A. Deshpande, and M. M. Ghangrekar. 2017. “Enhancing the performance of single-chambered microbial fuel cell using manganese/palladium and zirconium/palladium composite cathode catalysts.” Bioresour. Technol. 238: 568–574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2017.04.085.
Karthikeyan, R., K. Y. Cheng, A. Selvam, A. Bose, and J. W. C. Wong. 2017. “Bioelectrohydrogenesis and inhibition of methanogenic activity in microbial electrolysis cells—A review.” Biotechnol. Adv. 35 (6): 758–771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2017.07.004.
Li, M., S. Zhou, and M. Xu. 2017. “Graphene oxide supported magnesium oxide as an efficient cathode catalyst for power generation and wastewater treatment in single chamber microbial fuel cells.” Chem. Eng. J. 328: 106–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2017.07.031.
Li, T., Z. Tang, K. Wang, W. Wu, S. Chen, and C. Wang. 2018. “Palladium nanoparticles grown on β-Mo2C nanotubes as dual functional electrocatalysts for both oxygen reduction reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction.” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 43 (10): 4932–4941. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.01.107.
More, T., and M. M. Ghangrekar. 2010. “Improving performance of microbial fuel cell with ultrasonication pre-treatment of mixed anaerobic inoculum sludge.” Bioresour. Technol. 101 (2): 562–567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2009.08.045.
Noori, M. T., M. M. Ghangrekar, A. Mitra, and C. Mukherjee. 2016a. “Enhanced power generation in microbial fuel cell using MnO2-catalyzed cathode treating fish market wastewater.” In Proc., 1st Int. Conf. on Recent Advances in Bioenergy Research, 285–294. New Delhi: Springer.
Noori, M. T., M. M. Ghangrekar, and C. K. Mukherjee. 2016b. “V2O5 microflower decorated cathode for enhancing power generation in air-cathode microbial fuel cell treating fish market wastewater.” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 41 (5): 3638–3645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2015.12.163.
Rajesh, P. P., D. A. Jadhav, and M. M. Ghangrekar. 2015. “Improving performance of microbial fuel cell while controlling methanogenesis by Chaetoceros pretreatment of anodic inoculum.” Bioresour. Technol. 180: 66–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2014.12.095.
Rajesh, P. P., M. T. Noori, and M. M. Ghangrekar. 2014. “Controlling methanogenesis and improving power production of microbial fuel cell by lauric acid dosing.” Water Sci. Technol. 70 (8): 1363–1369. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2014.386.
Rajesh, P. P., M. T. Noori, and M. M. Ghangrekar. 2018a. “Graphene oxide/polytetrafluoroethylene composite anode and chaetoceros pre-treated anodic inoculum enhancing performance of microbial fuel cell.” J. Clean Energy Technol. 6 (3): 236–241. https://doi.org/10.18178/JOCET.2018.6.3.467.
Rajesh, P. P., M. T. Noori, and M. M. Ghangrekar. 2018b. “Pre-treatment of anodic inoculum with nitroethane to improve performance of a microbial fuel cell.” Water Sci. Technol. 77 (10): 2491–2496. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2018.206.
Raychaudhuri, A., and M. Behera. 2020. “Comparative evaluation of methanogenesis suppression methods in microbial fuel cell during rice mill wastewater treatment.” Environ. Technol. Innovation 17: 100509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2019.100509.
Sajana, T. K., M. M. Ghangrekar, and A. Mitra. 2017. “In situ bioremediation using sediment microbial fuel cell.” J. Hazard. Toxic Radioact. Waste 21 (2): 04016022. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HZ.2153-5515.0000339.
Santoro, C., C. Arbizzani, B. Erable, and I. Ieropoulos. 2017. “Microbial fuel cells: From fundamentals to applications. A review.” J. Power Sources 356: 225–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.03.109.
Tiwari, B. R., and M. M. Ghangrekar. 2015. “Enhancing electrogenesis by pretreatment of mixed anaerobic sludge to be used as inoculum in microbial fuel cells.” Energy Fuels 29 (5): 3518–3524. https://doi.org/10.1021/ef5028197.
Tiwari, B. R., M. T. Noori, and M. M. Ghangrekar. 2017. “Carbon supported nickel-phthalocyanine/MnOx as novel cathode catalyst for microbial fuel cell application.” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 42 (36): 23085–23094. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2017.07.201.
Wang, A., W. Liu, S. Cheng, D. Xing, J. Zhou, and B. E. Logan. 2009. “Source of methane and methods to control its formation in single chamber microbial electrolysis cells.” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 34 (9): 3653–3658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2009.03.005.
Xue, W., Q. Zhou, F. Li, and B. S. Ondon. 2019. “Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) as robust catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in microbial fuel cells.” J. Power Sources 423: 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2019.03.017.
Zhang, S., W. Su, X. Wang, K. Li, and Y. Li. 2019. “Bimetallic metal-organic frameworks derived cobalt nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube nanopolyhedra as advanced electrocatalyst for high-performance of activated carbon air-cathode microbial fuel cell.” Biosens. Bioelectron. 127: 181–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2018.12.028.
Zhong, K., M. Li, Y. Yang, H. Zhang, B. Zhang, J. Tang, J. Yan, M. Su, and Z. Yang. 2019. “Nitrogen-doped biochar derived from watermelon rind as oxygen reduction catalyst in air cathode microbial fuel cells.” Appl. Energy 242: 516–525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.03.050.
Zhu, N., X. Chen, T. Zhang, P. Wu, P. Li, and J. Wu. 2011. “Improved performance of membrane free single-chamber air-cathode microbial fuel cells with nitric acid and ethylenediamine surface modified activated carbon fiber felt anodes.” Bioresour. Technol. 102 (1): 422–426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2010.06.046.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 24 • Issue 3 • July 2020
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 24, 2019
Accepted: Dec 3, 2019
Published online: Mar 31, 2020
Published in print: Jul 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Aug 31, 2020
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.