Performance and microbial ecology of methane-driven microbial fuel cells at temperatures ranging from 25 to 5 °C

Abstract

The effluent of mainstream anaerobic processes is saturated with dissolved methane, representing a lost energy source and potent greenhouse gas emission if left unmanaged. This study investigated the impact of operational temperature on methane-driven microbial fuel cells (MFCs) designed for continuous operation to mitigate dissolved methane emissions in anaerobic effluents. Two bench-scale, single-chamber MFCs were operated sequentially at 25, 20, 15, 10 and 5 °C. Voltage production from both MFCs ranged from approximately 0.463 to 0.512 V over 1 kΩ resistance at temperatures ≥15 °C, but abruptly dropped as temperature decreased to 10 and 5 °C, averaging just 0.156 and 0.190 V for the replicate systems. Dissolved methane removal efficiency remained relatively stable across all operational temperatures, ranging from 53.0% to 63.6%. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction indicated distinct distribution of methanotrophs (e.g., Methylomonas) and exoelectrogens (e.g., Geobacter) on the cathode and anode, respectively. Spearman's rank correlation suggested that an indirect interaction between methanotrophs and exoelectrogens via fermentative bacteria (e.g., Acetobacterium) may play a role in system function. Notably, diversity of the anode microbial community was positively correlated with both voltage production and Coulombic efficiency, suggesting overall diversity, as opposed to abundance or activity of exoelectrogens, was the primary factor governing performance at varying temperatures.