Bio-energy generation and treatment of tannery effluent using microbial fuel cell

Abstract

In this study, Graphite Particle (GP) and Carbon Cloth (CC) are employed as anode electrodes to study both bio-energy generation, and decrease of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) simultaneously using tannery effluent. The influence of electrodes distance (10 cm and 20 cm) on electricity production was evaluated. COD removal level of GP (75%) and CC (60%), maximum power outputs for 10 cm distance (600 ± 5 mW m−2) & (500 ± 10 mW m−2) and for 20 cm distance (520 ± 5 mW m−2) and also (430 ± 20 mW m−2) GP and CC were noted correspondingly. The outcomes of different parameters of MFC namely pH, conductivity, COD concentration, membrane thickness and size of bio-energy generation from tannery effluent in the MFC were investigated. The experimental results reveal that electrode provides highest power output with 10 cm distance between anode and cathode chamber. As a result, GP electrode is gradually viable, biocompatible, effective and adaptable for field application in MFC. The GP electrode has high potential for more power output, when compared to the CC electrode. The MFC system performance was improved with increasing effluent COD concentration (2340–4720 ppm), anolyte conductivity (1.6–8.1 mS cm−1) and membrane area (9–20 cm2). The system working with conductivity of 8.1 mS cm−1 and its effluent COD concentration of 4720 ppm generated the maximum peak power density of 44.69 mW m−2 with respective current density of 109 mA m−2. The findings thus show that considerable power production and effluent treatment can be achieved by MFC.