Abstract
Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology is currently gaining recognition as one of the most promising bioenergy technologies of the future. One aspect of this technology that has received little attention is the disinfection of effluents and the fate of pathogenic organisms that find their way into the waste stream. In this study, three independent trials were carried out to evaluate the fate of three bioluminescent pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus) introduced into the anodic chamber of a urine-fed cascade of 9 MFCs with matured, electroactive biofilms. These are common examples of enteric human pathogens, which could contaminate urine or waste streams. The results showed that the average power generation in the closed circuit cascade reached 754 ± 16 µW, with an average pathogen log-fold reduction of 6.24 ± 0.63 compared to 2.01 ± 0.26 for the open circuit cascade for all three pathogens. The results suggest that the bio-electrochemical reactions associated with electricity generation were the primary driving force for the inactivation of the introduced pathogens. These findings show that pathogenic organisms introduced into waste streams could be inactivated by the power-generating process within the MFC cascade system, thereby preventing propagation and thus rendering the effluent safer for possible reuse.
Highlights
The microbial fuel cell (MFC) is an innovative technology for the direct conversion of organic matter into electricity
This difference may have been due to the size difference amongst several other factors; it is important to note that the power density as well as inactivation efficacy was higher for the smaller MFCs of this Trial 1
The stability observed in power output from the individual MFCs suggests that metabolic steady states had been achieved, since this parameter is directly proportional to power generation
Summary
The microbial fuel cell (MFC) is an innovative technology for the direct conversion of organic matter into electricity. Most of the current interest in MFCs is understandably focused on the optimisation of the overall power output by enhancing different aspects of the technology Some of these include coating the carbon anodes with ionic liquid polymer. It is important to examine the fate of pathogenic organisms in waste streams during the MFC-led power generation process as well as post-MFC treatment, to evaluate the risk of infections. This is of greater importance where the treated effluents are to be utilised in further applications such as irrigation
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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 callMore From: Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology
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.
