Click on “Download PDF” for the PDF version or on the title for the HTML version.


If you are not an ASABE member or if your employer has not arranged for access to the full-text, Click here for options.

Wastewater treatment and electricity generation from Sugarbeet Processing Wastewater (SBWW) using Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC)

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  2020 ASABE Annual International Virtual Meeting  2000591.(doi:10.13031/aim.202000591)
Authors:   Mosammat Mustari Khanaum, Md. Saidul Borhan, Shafiqur Rahman, Peter Bergholz
Keywords:   Cation exchange membrane, exoelectrogen, microbial fuel cell (MFC), Nafion.

Abstract. Microbial fuel cell (MFC) has the potential to generate bioelectricity and simultaneously can treat wastewater using exoelectrogens as biocatalyst. In this study, custom-made dual MFC chambers were fabricated and evaluated for generating electricity using sugarbeet processing wastewater (SBWW) as well as reducing some target pollutants during the process. Three dual-chamber MFCs with pretreated Nafion as cation exchange membrane (CEM) between chambers and carbon cloth as electron acceptor (anode and cathode) were used. Sugarbeet processing wastewater was collected from American Crystal, MN, USA, and inoculum was collected from Fargo wastewater treatment plant, Fargo, ND, USA. Five times diluted raw SBWW with 5% inoculum having chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the range of 919-952 mg/L were used as anolyte and monobasic potassium phosphate (50 mM) with a pH of approximately 7.2 was used as catholyte. A preliminary study with approximately 280 mL of anolyte, a maximum of 832mV electricity was generated by MFCs at 10th day. Overall, at the end of 70 days, an average 246.86 mV electricity was produced irrespective of anolyte volume. Additionally, approximately 90% of COD reduction was achieved in the study. This study demonstrated that SBWW could be used as a substrate of MFC to generate electricity as well as to refine wastewater to a certain extent.

(Download PDF)    (Export to EndNotes)