Sustainable technology for modern era effluent treatment: Microbial fuel cell

Abstract

Wastewater generated from allied industry contains high organic load and the treatment is primary carried out using biological methods. Sustainable wastewater treatment is considered the most advanced and cost-effective solution for the high organically polluted industrial waste stream. However normal treatment plants are associated with the recovery of energy that seems to be a potential approach for waste treatment and conservation. On the other hand, Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) represent a new bio-electrochemical system for generation of electricity directly from biodegradable organic compound. This enables us to harness the power of organic compounds through the action of microbes. In the current scenario, Industrial wastewater is a potential hazard to the natural water body. The waste water contains many organic matter, which is toxic to the various life forms of the system. Industrial waste water has a complex mixture of chemicals whose behaviour alter towards biological systems. Treatment of waste water is therefore over riding process. This study is designed to treat waste water with the generation of bioelectricity and minimising the parameter of the waste water before it been released into a water source. Primary treatment of waste water is done with the help of corn cobbed to eliminate primary treatment of wastewater and the addition of substrate in the MFC. In the current study efficiency of Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) in eliminating contaminate and generation of bioelectricity was determined, its break-even point was analysed and 15 L model was constructed for the operational analysis and to put into effect on a large industrial scale. From the experiment, we found that MFC is an effective method for waste water treatment with the generation of bio-electricity.