Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Amna Anjum, Shaukat Ali Mazari, Zubair Hashmi, Abdul Sattar Jatoi, Rashid Abro
Summary: Cathodes are crucial in assessing the performance of microbial fuel cells, with oxidation reduction reactions improving power density and electrochemical performance. Proper catalyst loading can enhance cathode performance significantly.
JOURNAL OF ELECTROANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rong Cui, Jianhua Wang, Lifen Liu, Tingting Yu, Yihua Li, Changfei Gao
Summary: In this study, a dual-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) with a carbon-felt based Iron/Magnesium/Zirconium polycrystalline catalytic cathode was constructed to remove radioactive ions in low concentration nuclear industry wastewater. The MFC showed a steady voltage output and a high removal efficiency for radioactive ions, allowing for electricity production while treating the wastewater.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaojun Jin, Nuan Yang, Hong Liu, Sha Wang
Summary: A novel method of nitrogen removal through membrane penetration was proposed in a dual-chamber microbial fuel cell with a proton exchange membrane (PEM). The study showed that NH4+-N migrated rapidly across the PEM, with 50% being oxidized to NO3 -N in the cathode chamber and the remaining being eliminated through short-cut nitrification/denitrification. Additionally, NO3 -N crossed the PEM again and was reduced via anodic denitrification. The functional microorganisms in the anode and cathode were found to have different compositions.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dongliang Wang, Jingping Hu, Bingchuan Liu, Huijie Hou, Jiakuan Yang, Yuxiao Li, Yi Zhu, Sha Liang, Keke Xiao
Summary: The research found that using a dual-cathode microbial fuel cell electro-Fenton hybrid system can simultaneously enhance MFC power generation and organic degradation efficiency, showing significant degradation effects on Rhodamine B, methyl orange, and 4-chlorophenol with higher removal efficiency than uncoupled EF system.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xueli Zhang, Zhiyuan Lin, Bolong Liang, Ming Zhong, Mingtao Zhang, Kexun Li, Hao Wang, Cuicui Lv
Summary: A method of preparing porous iron-nitrogen-doped carbon nanospheres using an inexpensive zinc-iron Prussian blue analogue as the precursor was proposed in this study, which significantly improves the performance of activated carbon air-cathode microbial fuel cells.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Deepak Kumar, Geetanjali, Patit Paban Kundu
Summary: Developing advanced non-precious metal catalysts is crucial for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) in oxygen reduction reactions (ORR). Fe-N-C catalysts are considered the best alternative to platinum-based catalysts for ORR. In this study, Fe-N-doped carbon foam catalysts were synthesized using an environmentally friendly and cost-effective Fe-embedded poly (acrylamide-co-acrylonitrile) hydrogel-based carbon foam (Fe@Am-co-An/CF) for MFCs. The Fe@Am-co-An/CF (2:22) catalyst exhibited the highest power density compared to other catalysts, indicating its promising potential for ORR activity in MFCs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Hui Wang, Guodong Chai, Yitong Zhang, Dongqi Wang, Zhe Wang, Haiyu Meng, Chunbo Jiang, Wen Dong, Jiake Li, Yishan Lin, Huaien Li
Summary: This study investigated the use of shrimp shell and sodium acetate as anodic carbon sources in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and their impact on electricity generation and heavy metal removal. The results showed that MFCs using sodium acetate had higher voltage and power density compared to those using shrimp shell. Increasing the concentration of shrimp shell also improved the power density. Various electroactive microorganisms were detected in the MFCs at the end of the experiment. These findings suggest that shrimp shell can be used as a substrate for high-content solid waste degradation to provide energy for heavy metal reduction.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Simran Kaur Dhillon, Patit Paban Kundu
Summary: The performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can be enhanced by synthesizing a composite material of magnesium cobaltite embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon. The composite serves as an air cathode and demonstrates superior power output compared to traditional catalysts.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zhifang Zuo, Ting Huang, Xiaoting Zhu, Xiaoyu Jia, Enren Zhang
Summary: This study shows that single-chamber microbial fuel cells (S-MFCs) assembled with a bioanode and an activated carbon (AC) air cathode can simultaneously remove nitrobenzene (NB) and generate electricity. The S-MFCs with 1 mM NB exhibit long-term NB tolerance and stable electricity production, with a maximum power of 16.2 ± 1.3 W m(-3) and NB removal up to 98% in an operation cycle. The adsorption at the AC air cathode is the main pathway for the removal of NB and its reduction product aniline (AN) from solution in S-MFCs.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Simran Kaur Dhillon, Patit Paban Kundu
Summary: Efficient and inexpensive electrocatalysts for microbial fuel cells were developed. PANI@Fe/NC showed superior performance with a higher power output compared to conventional catalysts. This novel cathode catalyst has potential for long-term fuel cell applications.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jing Zhang, Zongwu Wang, Liangliang Chu, Ruyan Chen, Chunyan Zhang, Sam Toan, David M. Bagley, Jianhui Sun, Shuying Dong, Maohong Fan
Summary: A combined photoelectrocatalytic microbial fuel cell with BiOCl/reduced graphene oxide aerogel photocathode was constructed, showing excellent power generation capacity and simultaneous removal of oxytetracycline (OTC) and methyl orange (MO). The synergistic effects of photocatalysis and MFC dramatically increased the pollutant removal efficiency while producing energy in situ, demonstrating extensive application prospects for actual wastewater treatment.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jing Guo, Jianping Cheng, Jiaquan Wang, Shuheng Hu
Summary: The study demonstrated the simultaneous degradation of trivalent arsenic and nitrate by a double-chamber MFC, with removal rates of approximately 63.35% and 55.95% respectively. The presence of bacteria with arsenic resistance, such as Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas, was enhanced in the long-term arsenic-polluted environment, suggesting the oxidation of trivalent arsenic to pentavalent arsenic by electrode-attached microorganisms. These results provide theoretical reference for expanding the application scope of MFCs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiuling Zhang, Yuanfeng Liu, Congju Li
Summary: The study revealed that the power performance of the microbial fuel cell (MFC) increases with the initial concentration of Cr (VI), while the removal efficiency of Cr (VI) is not significantly affected by the initial concentration. The MFC with an initial Cr (VI) concentration of 15 mg/L showed the highest removal efficiency of 66.5% for Cr (VI).
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Wilgince Apollon, Juan Antonio Vidales-Contreras, Humberto Rodriguez-Fuentes, Juan Florencio Gomez-Leyva, Emilio Olivares-Saenz, Victor Arturo Maldonado-Ruelas, Raul Arturo Ortiz-Medina, Sathish-Kumar Kamaraj, Alejandro Isabel Luna-Maldonado
Summary: This study evaluates the impact of plant microbial fuel cells (P-MFCs) on plant growth and finds that using different types of livestock urine can increase the number of roots, stem diameter, and height of the plants.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xiao-Li Yang, Tao Li, Yang-Guang Xia, Rajendra Prasad Singh, Hai-Liang Song, Heng Zhang, Ya-Wen Wang
Summary: This study investigated the performance of an ecological floating bed-microbial fuel cell (EFB-MFC) coupled system for electricity generation and nitrogen removal. Results showed that introducing plants into the MFC system reduced resistance and increased voltage, while also improving NH4+-N and TN removal efficiency. Water spinach system showed the best performance, but rotten roots of windmill grass released extra NH4+-N which impaired nitrogen removal. Radial oxygen loss and root exudates played significant roles in enhancing electricity generation and nitrogen removal. Electrical stimulation of enzyme activity related to nitrogen removal and migration of NH4+-N contributed to enhancing nitrogen removal.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Rong-Gui Zhu, Chang-Gui Pan, Feng-Jiao Peng, Chao-Yang Zhou, Jun-Jie Hu, Kefu Yu
Summary: This comprehensive survey investigated the occurrence, bioaccumulation, and trophic magnification of parabens and their metabolite 4-HB in a marine food web. Results showed that parabens were the predominant pollutants in marine organisms, with significant bioaccumulation from sediments. The estimated trophic magnification factor indicated biomagnification for MeP and trophic dilution for 4-HB. Overall, the risks for humans consuming marine organisms were found to be low.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Andres F. Torres-Franco, Deborah Leroy-Freitas, Cristina Martinez-Fraile, Elisa Rodriguez, Pedro A. Garcia-Encina, Raul Munoz
Summary: Anaerobic and microalgae-based technologies have emerged as sustainable alternatives for municipal wastewater treatment. However, the presence of viruses in the treated wastewater is a major concern for reuse applications. This study assessed the ability of these technologies to reduce viruses during secondary wastewater treatment. The results showed that all technologies were effective in reducing the concentration of viruses, with microalgae-based treatment exhibiting the highest potential for reducing the disinfection requirements of treated wastewater.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Young Gwang Kim, Sae Yun Kwon, Spencer J. Washburn, Scott C. Brooks, Ji Won Yoon, Lucien Besnard
Summary: The study uses Hg isotope ratios to identify the sources and exposure pathways of mercury in bivalves, finding that dissolved Hg phases in the water column are the primary source and exposure pathway to bivalves. This provides new insights into using bivalves as bioindicators for sediment quality monitoring.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hui Geng, Ying Xu, Rui Liu, Dianhai Yang, Xiaohu Dai
Summary: This study investigates the effect of cation exchange resin (CER) on the sequential recovery of hydrogen and methane from anaerobic digestion (AD) and the corresponding mechanisms. The results show that CER can simultaneously enhance the production of hydrogen and methane by promoting the solubilisation, hydrolysis, and acidification of organic matter. Additionally, CER facilitates effective contact between bacteria and organic particulates and reduces the energy barrier for mass transfer during methane production. The study also reveals changes in the microbial community structure and metagenomics during the AD process.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaojing Lin, Zhan Jin, Shunfeng Jiang, Zhiquan Wang, Suqing Wu, Ke Bei, Min Zhao, Xiangyong Zheng
Summary: Dehumidification combined with addition of absorbent resin supplement (ARS) was used to achieve rapid evaporation of non-pretreated urine, resulting in high water evaporation efficiency and nutrient recovery.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yangli Che, Chaoran Lin, Shen Li, Jiao Liu, Longhai Zhu, Shilei Yu, Nan Wang, Haoshuai Li, Mutai Bao, Yang Zhou, Tonghao Si, Rui Bao
Summary: Hydrodynamic processes play a crucial role in the transmission of sediments, microbial assembly, and organic carbon redistribution in the ocean. Through experiments and analysis, we found that hydrodynamics shape the assembly of microbial communities and control the redistribution of different sourced organic carbon, thereby influencing microbial-mediated biogeochemical transformation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chao Chen, Yu Yang, Nigel J. D. Graham, Zhenyu Li, Xingtao Yang, Zhining Wang, Nadia Farhat, Johannes S. Vrouwenvelder, Li -an Hou
Summary: The fouling of seawater reverse osmosis membranes is a persistent challenge in desalination. This study monitored the operational performance of a desalination plant for 7 years and the fouling development in different areas of membrane modules. The findings showed that operational performance declined over time and fouling mainly occurred at the feed side of the modules, with the highest microbial diversity. Keystone species like Chloroflexi and Planctomycetes played an important role in maintaining community structure and biofilm maturation. Polysaccharides, soluble microbial products, marine humic acid-like substances, and inorganic substances contributed to fouling. Overall, biofouling had a significant impact on membrane fouling after 7 years of operation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dan Li, Jieyi Sun, Yibo Fu, Wentao Hong, Heli Wang, Qian Yang, Junhong Wu, Sen Yang, Jianhui Xu, Yunfei Zhang, Yirong Deng, Yin Zhong, Ping'an Peng
Summary: Sulfidation-oxidation treatment of magnetite (Fe3O4) enhances the production of dark center dot OH, which can efficiently degrade dissolved organic matter (DOM) and accelerate carbon cycling.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Cheng Yu, Kaijun Wang, Kaiyuan Zhang, Ruiyang Liu, Pingping Zheng
Summary: This study implemented a microaerobic-aerobic configuration in a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment facility and investigated the effects on sludge characteristics, pollutant removal, microbial community, and granulation mechanisms. The results showed successful transition from flocculent-activated sludge to well-defined AGS after two months of operation. The primary pathways for pollutant removal were simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal. Moreover, the incorporation of internal separators induced shifts in the flow pattern, which promoted granulation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhe Zhang, Shaoyang Hu, Guangrong Sun, Wei Wang
Summary: Halogenated aromatic disinfection byproducts (DBPs), such as halogenated phenols, have garnered widespread attention due to their high toxicity and prevalence. This study reports on the analysis, occurrence, and cytotoxicity of a group of emerging halogenated aromatic DBPs, known as halogenated polyhydroxyphenols (HPPs), in drinking water.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Shengyue Chen, Jinliang Huang, Peng Wang, Xi Tang, Zhenyu Zhang
Summary: Accurate prediction of river water quality is crucial for sustainable water management. This study introduces wavelet analysis and transfer learning techniques to assist LSTM modeling, proposing a newly coupled modeling approach that improves short-term prediction of river water quality.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bang Du, Xinmin Zhan, Piet N. L. Lens, Yifeng Zhang, Guangxue Wu
Summary: Efficient anaerobic digestion relies on the cooperation of different microorganisms with different metabolic pathways. This study investigated the effects of different operational modes and the addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) on ethanol metabolic pathways. The results showed that the SBR mode and the presence of CO2 facilitated ethanol metabolism towards propionate production, while the CFR mode with extended solids retention time enriched Geobacter. Adjusting operational modes and PAC addition can modulate anaerobic ethanol metabolism and enrich Geobacter.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Wanfa Wang, Si-Liang Li, Jun Zhong, Yuanbi Yi, Fujun Yue, Zenglei Han, Qixin Wu, Ding He, Cong-Qiang Liu
Summary: This study compares the carbon biogeochemical processes in karst and non-karst regions within large thermal stratified river-reservoir systems. The results demonstrate that karst reservoirs have a reduced potential for carbon emissions and highlight the importance of considering geologic settings to improve accuracy in regional and global CO2 emission estimates.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chunxia Jiang, Zelong Zhao, Dong Zhu, Xiong Pan, Yuyi Yang
Summary: This study analyzed the occurrence and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in different environmental media of the Yangtze River using metagenomics. Core resistome dominated by multidrug resistance genes was found in all samples, while rare resistome dominated by various resistance genes was more prevalent in plasmids. Specific bacteria were identified as hosts for both core and rare resistomes, with high clinical concern ARGs found in the rare resistome. Particle-associated environment provided the most ideal conditions for resistome hosts. This study provided insights into the genetic locations of ARGs and the community assembly mechanisms of ARG hosts in freshwater environments.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yu Zhang, Yongtao He, Linchun Jia, Lei Xu, Zheng Wang, Yueling He, Ling Xiong, Xumeng Lin, Hong Chen, Gang Xue
Summary: By synergizing organic carbon source, thiosulfate, and zero-valent iron, efficient mixotrophic denitrification of oligotrophic secondary effluent can be achieved. Thiosulfate plays a vital role in promoting TN removal efficiency, while corrosion of Fe0 releases OH- to neutralize H+ from thiosulfate-driven denitrification, creating a suitable environment for denitrification. The coordination of thiosulfate and Fe0 maintains the dominance of Thiobacillus for denitrification.