Performance improvement of sediment microbial fuel cell by enriching the sediment with cellulose: Kinetics of cellulose degradation

Abstract

Abstract A sediment microbial fuel cell (SMFC) could offer sustainable solution for bio-remediation of aquaculture used water to maintain favorable condition for fishes and simultaneously can produce bio-electricity. In this study, the performance of the SMFC was enhanced by enriching the sediment using cellulose at the rate of 4 wt. % and 6 wt. % by making SMFC-2 and SMFC-3, respectively. The SMFCs were operated in closed circuit (300 Ω , external resistance) and open circuit mode ( ∞ Ω , external resistance) denoted by SMFC-2C, SMFC-3C, SMFC-2O and SMFC-3O respectively. The control, SMFC- 1 was operated without addition of cellulose in sediment in closed circuit mode only. Degradation kinetics of cellulose in SMFCs was evaluated using modified logistic model. In terms of bio-electricity generation, power density was found to be highest in SMFC-3 (7.29 mWm−2 and 6.51 mWm−2 in close and open circuit mode, respectively), followed by SMFC-2C (5.91 mWm−2), 2O (5.18 mWm−2) and SMFC-1 (4.23 mWm−2). All the SMFCs have shown sufficient chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency varied from 70 to 91%. Maximum degradation rate of cellulose was noted to be 1.69, 2.17, 1.89, 0.99 and 0.99 mg. g−1.d−1 for SMFC-1, SMFC-2C, SMFC-2O, SMFC-3C and SMFC-3O respectively.