Abstract

Reliable monitoring of microbial and water quality parameters in freshwater ecosystems (either natural or human-made) is of capital importance for improving both the management of water resources and the assessment of microbially-driven bio-geo-chemical processes. In this context, bioelectrochemical systems (BES), such as microbial three-cell electrodes (M3C), are very promising devices for their use as biosensors. However, current experiences on the use of BES-based devices for biosensing purposes are almost exclusively limited to water-saturated environments. This limitation hampers the use of this technology for a wider range of applications where the biosensor may work discontinuously (such as discontinuously saturated ecosystems). Discontinuous operation of M3C-based biosensors creates an electric current peak immediately after the reconnection of the system due to electron accumulation, in a process known as biocapacitance. The present work aimed at quantifying the bioindication potential of biocapacitance for the assessment of key ecosystem parameters such as microbial metabolic activity and biomass, as well as organic matter concentration. Significant linear regression coefficients (R2 > 0.9) were found for all combinations of parameters tested. Moreover, for most of the ecological parameters assessed, an electric charge accumulation of 1–5 min (biocapacitance elapsed time) and discharge of 5 min was enough to get reliable information. In conclusion, we have demonstrated for the first time that biocapacitance in M3C-based biosensors can be used as a proxy parameter for the assessment of microbial activity, microbial biomass and organic matter concentration in a model nature-based ecosystem.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.