Chroococcus minor cathode and polyphenolic mediated anode for enhancing bioenergy and bioremediation in a novel microbial desalination cell.

Enhanced treatment of saline wastewater in vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands via rock wool-coupled microbial desalination cells

Advenella faeciporci strain ZF1, a novel isolated iron-reducing bacterium from Esfahan Oil Refining sludge, exhibited remarkable tolerance to FeCl₃ (up to 20 g/L) and electrochemical activity under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. ZF1 was phylogenetically identified and characterized via FTIR, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulation, and magnetotactic behavior. Integrated into a microbial desalination cell (MDC), ZF1 achieved sodium, calcium, and chloride removal efficiencies of 70.6%, 78.6%, and 27.5% in refinery brine over 15 days. Under 9 g/L NaCl salinity, the system generated a maximum voltage of 410 ± 15 mV within the first 48 h. The corresponding peak power density reached 92 ± 5 mW/m² at an external resistance of 100 Ω, and the calculated current density was 1.80 ± 0.1 A/m². These findings highlight A. faeciporci ZF1 as a promising exoelectrogen for sustainable water desalination and metal-rich wastewater bioremediation.

Impact of activated carbon flow electrodes with Tween 80 on power generation in microbial desalination cell

Microbial desalination cells in brackish RO reject treatment: Challenges and opportunities

Strontium manganese-based bimetallic oxide cathode catalyst for enhanced power production and desalination in microbial desalination cell

Synchronised treatment of groundwater & wastewater along with bioelectricity generation using a novel hexagonal microbial desalination cell

Simultaneous Municipal Wastewater Treatment, Groundwater Desalination, and Power Generation Using a Continuous Air-Cathode Microbial Desalination Cell

Unveiling the mechanism of comparative cathodic reactions on salt removal and electrochemical behavior in microbial desalination cell for high-strength wastewater

Anode substrate tailoring in fed-batch photosynthetic microbial desalination cell for industrial and domestic wastewater treatment

Microbial desalination cells (MDCs), as an emerging desalination technology, have attracted increasing attention in recent years due to their ability to simultaneously achieve salt removal and wastewater treatment without the need for external energy input. In this study, the performance of two MDC systems with different cathode types—a biocathode (MDC1#) and a permanganate cathode (MDC2#)—was comparatively evaluated for the treatment of saline wastewater, with a particular focus on voltage output, desalination efficiency, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal. Experimental results showed that the average output voltage of MDC2# reached 742.02 mV, which was significantly higher than that of MDC1# (695.6 mV). Its maximum power density was as high as 6.22 W/m3, approximately six times that of MDC1#. Moreover, MDC2# exhibited a higher average chloride removal rate in the desalination chamber (32.34 mg/h), compared to 17.13 mg/h for MDC1#, indicating superior desalination performance. However, in terms of electron recovery, MDC1# achieved a much higher average Coulombic efficiency (28.8 ± 18.7%), nearly three times that of MDC2#, suggesting more efficient electron utilization with the biocathode. Regarding ammonium removal, MDC1# demonstrated a higher initial removal efficiency within the first 96 h (74.3%, with an average rate of 4.17 mg/h), but this declined sharply over time, with the later-stage rate dropping to only 0.32 mg/h (less than 10% of the initial rate). In contrast, MDC2# maintained a relatively stable ammonium removal rate throughout the operation (ranging from 0.58 to 3.27 mg/h, with an average of 1.92 mg/h). In addition, both systems achieved stable COD removal at the anode, with efficiencies consistently above 85%. Overall, the permanganate cathode is more suitable for applications that require high voltage output and efficient desalination, whereas the biocathode shows significant advantages in organic pollutant removal and energy recovery. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the rational selection of cathode types based on the characteristics of saline wastewater, offering valuable guidance for optimizing MDC system performance.

The effect of immobilisation of electroactive bacteria as 3D-printed bioelectrodes on water desalination in microbial desalination cells

Comparative assessment of microbial desalination cells and microbial electrolysis desalination cells: Towards improved salt removal kinetics and efficiency

Simultaneous chloride removal and resource recovery from sea sand: A high-efficiency and low-energy process using microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell

Microbial desalination cells (MDCs) are bioelectrochemical systems using electroactive bacteria to generate energy simultaneously cleaning wastewater and desalinating water. This sustainable technology addresses pollution issues and water shortage using an environmentally friendly solution that aids in desalination as well as wastewater treatment. This research focuses on the effectiveness of microbial desalination cells (MDCs) in concurrently treating wastewater and removing salt from water. The study seeks to determine whether MDCs offer a viable, environmentally friendly method for purifying water while generating energy. The MDC setup incorporated three distinct chambers: anode, desalination, and cathode. Wastewater samples were placed in the anode and cathode compartments, while the desalination chamber contained saline water. A digital multimeter was employed to regularly monitor and log the generated voltages. The microbial community was examined through 16S rRNA gene sequencing techniques. Organic matter elimination was quantified by measuring total organic carbon (TOC) levels. The MDC operated for 30 days continuously. The microbial desalination cell (MDC) produced bioelectricity, effectively desalinated water, and broke down organic molecules during its 30-day running. This suggests that since the voltage generation peaked at 638 mV and then stabilized at 460 mV, the electrochemical activity has been constant. From 46.2 mS/cm to 10.1 mS/cm, the desalination chamber's electrical conductivity (EC) fell drastically, clearly removing the ions. A decline in sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration-from 29 mg/L to 7 mg/L-also proved a sign of effective desalination. Better organic degradation was shown by the cathode chamber reaching 99.9% while the anode chamber attained a total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate of 97.2%. Desalination mostly depends on selective ion exchange across cation and anion membranes; microbial biofilm adaptation helped in the slow development of voltage. These findings suggest that since they efficiently mix the processes of wastewater treatment, desalination, and power generation, MDCs are a reasonably sustainable technology. The Microbial Desalination Cell (MDC) effectively desalinated water and treated wastewater having a peak voltage of 638 mV and a drop in NaCl concentration from 29 mg/L to 7 mg/L. With TOC removal in the anode at 97.2% and the cathode at 99.9%, the system proved excellent in both desalination and organic matter degradation. Furthermore, found to be unique from NCBI-recognized species was the microbiome found in Iraqi municipal effluent. Microbial Desalination Cells (MDCs) have many advantages over conventional desalination techniques like reverse osmosis, including being able to cleanse wastewater and simultaneously generate renewable electricity with far reduced energy usage. Constant challenges are improving ion exchange efficiency, honing interactions between microbial communities, and increasing technological scale. Improving MDC performance and incorporating it into whole energy and water management systems is the main emphasis of research nowadays. This could be a perfect choice for encouraging more environmentally friendly energy sources and lessening the consequences of world water shortage.

Cost effective reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline composite coated SSM cathode for bio-electrochemical desalination: Advancing desalination via cathodic improvement

Microbial desalination cells (MDCs) are an efficient method for the desalination of saline wastewater driven by the metabolism of bacteria via an organic oxidation mechanism. Systematic studies have been conducted to elucidate anion-dominated interactions to avoid unforeseen risks in microbial desalination cells during the long-term treatment of complex wastewater containing various anions. Despite different anion migration interactions having less effect on MDC operation compared with cations, they are influenced by their own properties (hydrated ion radius, diffusion coefficient and equivalent conductance) and the ambient solution. This also led to the removal efficiency of different anions in MDC in the following sequence: NO3− > Cl− > SO42−. The high Gibbs hydration energy of SO42− and the hydrophobicity of the anion exchange membrane affect the transmembrane migration of SO42−. However, the high steric hindrance formed on the membrane also inhibits reverse diffusion at the end of the cycle. In addition, the anodic biotopography and community caused by the migration of different anions change, such that the number of denitrifying bacteria increases and the relative abundance of electrogenic bacteria further improves. With decreasing anodic pH, electrogenic microorganisms form a shell to protect against anodic biogenesis. In this study, MDC was used to treat actual industrial tailwater, and the salt removal efficiency stabilized at 63.2–74.1%.

Application of bio-electrochemical systems for phosphorus resource recovery: Progress and prospects.

Role of microbial electrolysis desalination cell in sustainable water and energy management: Performance assessment of platinum and nickel foam cathodes and simulating integration with reverse osmosis systems

The rapid technological advancements and the shift towards clean energy have significantly increased the demand for metals, leading to an increasing metal pollution problem. This review explores recent advances in bioelectrochemical systems (BES) for metal recovery from waste, especially Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) and Electrical, Electronic Wastes (EEW) and waste from smelters, highlighting their potential as a sustainable and economically viable alternative to traditional methods. This study addresses the applications and limitations of current BES recovery techniques. BES, including microbial fuel cells (MFCs), microbial electrolytic cells (MECs), and Microbial Desalination Cells (MDCs), offer promising solutions by combining microbial processes with electrochemical reactions to recover valuable metals while reducing energy requirements. This review categorizes recent research into two main areas: pure BES applications and BES coupled with other technologies. Key findings include the efficiency of BES in recovering metals like copper, chromium, vanadium, iron, zinc, nickel, lead, silver, and gold and the potential for integrating BES with other systems to enhance performance. Despite significant progress in BES application for metal recovery, challenges such as high costs and slow kinetics remain, necessitating further research to optimize materials, configurations, and operational conditions. The work also includes an economic assessment and guidelines for BES development and upscale. This review underscores the critical role of BES in advancing sustainable metal recovery and mitigating the environmental impact of metal pollution.