Enhancing slaughterhouse wastewater treatment through the integration of microbial fuel cell and Electro-Fenton systems: A comprehensive comparative analysis

Abstract

This research examined the viability of combining the Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) and Electro-Fenton (EF) system to treat slaughterhouse wastewater. The study compared three different setups: the first utilizing only the MFC, the second employing solely EF, and the third integrating both systems for wastewater treatment (MFC and EF). In the case of Microbial Fuel Cell treatment, notable removal efficiencies were observed, including 58.8 % for turbidity, 41.2 % for color, 69.9 % for chemical oxygen demand, 72.2 % for biochemical oxygen demand, and 69.9 % for total coliform bacteria. EF treatment demonstrated substantial Removal efficiencies of 72.5 % for turbidity, 81.6 % for Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), 86.5 % for biochemical oxygen demand, and 84.3 % for Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Integrated treatment yielded exceptional Removal efficiencies of 98.9 % for turbidity, 95.5 % for chemical oxygen demand, 95.4 % for biochemical oxygen demand, and 100 % for E. coli bacteria. After computing water quality indices, it was found that raw wastewater had an extremely high water quality index (1.087 × 1012), indicating severe pollution. Despite lower water quality indices from MFC and EF treatments, the water remained unsuitable for drinking. Integrated treatment significantly reduced the water quality index (1.67 × 104), indicating enhanced water quality, though it remained non-potable.