Abstract
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been conceived and intensively studied as a promising technology to achieve sustainable wastewater treatment. However, doubts and debates arose in recent years regarding the technical and economic viability of this technology on a larger scale and in a real-world applications. Hence, it is time to think about and examine how to recalibrate this technology's role in a future paradigm of sustainable wastewater treatment. In the past years, many good ideas/approaches have been proposed and investigated for MFC application, but information is scattered. Various review papers were published on MFC configuration, substrates, electrode materials, separators and microbiology but there is lack of critical thinking and systematic analysis of MFC application niche in wastewater treatment. To systematically formulate a strategy of (potentially) practical MFC application and provide information to guide MFC development, this perspective has critically examined and discussed the problems and challenges for developing MFC technology, and identified a possible application niche whereby MFCs can be rationally incorporated into the treatment process. We propose integration of MFCs with other treatment technologies to form an MFC-centered treatment scheme based on thoroughly analyzing the challenges and opportunities, and discuss future efforts to be made for realizing sustainable wastewater treatment.
Highlights
IntroductionWastewater treatment does have the potential to become a sustainable process if suitable technologies can be adopted
The problems of fossil-fuel depletion, environmental pollution, water and other resource shortage are driving intensive efforts towards more sustainable treatment and utilization of wastewater
microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology could be highly adaptable to a sustainable pattern of wastewater treatment for several reasons: (1) it enables direct recovery of electric energy and value-added products; (2) good effluent quality and low environmental footprint can be achieved because of effective combination of biological and electrochemical processes; and (3) it is inherently amenable to real-time monitoring and control, which bene ts good operating stability
Summary
Wastewater treatment does have the potential to become a sustainable process if suitable technologies can be adopted. Perspective treatment; struvite precipitation process can simultaneously recover phosphate and ammonia Among these developments, microbial fuel cell (MFC) as an emerging technology is bringing new opportunities.[1,2] Especially, MFC technology could be highly adaptable to a sustainable pattern of wastewater treatment for several reasons: (1) it enables direct recovery of electric energy and value-added products; (2) good effluent quality and low environmental footprint can be achieved because of effective combination of biological and electrochemical processes; and (3) it is inherently amenable to real-time monitoring and control, which bene ts good operating stability. With a critical analysis of the opportunities and challenges of MFCs for wastewater treatment, this perspective aims to offer some useful information to address key issues such as whether we can possibly achieve sustainable operation of MFCs for wastewater treatment and how, and to stimulate more thinking and discussion of a possible application niche for MFC technology. To facilitate an in-depth analysis, social sustainability is not covered here
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