Optimizing microbial fuel cells performance: An innovative approach integrating anode materials, dual-pollutant treatment, and long-term operation

Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) generate energy and remove pollutants, making them environmentally friendly. Due to electrode and organic substrate material instability, MFCs have poor electron transport and generation. The viability of utilizing graphene derivative materials from Nipah palm frond (NPF) waste is examined, involving the synthesis of NPF-GO for coating GO-ME (graphene-mild-steel), GO-SE (graphene-stainless-steel), and GO-GE (graphene-graphite) anodes. Electricity generation patterns and performance are closely monitored over an operational period, with GO-ME (29.1 mW/m2) consistently outperforming GO-SE (26.5 mW/m2) and GO-GE (7.6 mW/m2). This work uniquely combines inorganic and organic dual cathodic-anodic pollutant treatment with energy generation, achieving remarkable bisphenol A (BPA) and lead (II) nitrate (Pb2+) removal. Over the 105-day operational period, BPA removal rates reached 98.03 % for the GO-ME anode, 96.95 % for the GO-GE, and 83.73 % for the GO-SE, while Pb2+ removal efficiency was above 98 % in all reactions. The biological characterizations indicates that each of the three electrodes performed well and smoothly and that several exoelectrogens, including Lysinibacillus sp., Bacillus sp., Providencia sp., and Mammaliicoccus sp., were found on each electrode. This study also uses nira sap as the organic substrate for this MFCs operation. This study also enclosed MFCs' operating mechanisms, compared prior results, and made future recommendations.