Carbon nanomaterial-modified graphite felt as an anode enhanced the power production and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon removal in sediment microbial fuel cells

Yinxiu Liang; Hongyan Zhai; Boyue Liu; Min Ji; Jie Li

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136483

Carbon nanomaterial-modified graphite felt as an anode enhanced the power production and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon removal in sediment microbial fuel cells

Sci Total Environ. 2020 Apr 15:713:136483. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136483. Epub 2020 Jan 7.

Authors

Yinxiu Liang¹, Hongyan Zhai², Boyue Liu³, Min Ji¹, Jie Li⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China.
² School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China. Electronic address: zhaihy@tju.edu.cn.
³ School of Environment and Municipal Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin 300384, China.
⁴ College of Light Industry Science and Technology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300222, China.

PMID: 31954253
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136483

Abstract

Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) can be used to generate electricity and remove organic contaminants. For electricity generation and contaminant removal, the anode material is one of important factors influencing the performance of SMFCs. In this study, graphene (GR), graphene oxide (GO) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were applied to modify the graphite felt (GF) anode in SMFCs during 110 d operation. An economical and easy modification method with the carbon nanomaterials was applied. The carbon nanomaterials increased the electrochemically active surface areas and biomass content of the anodes and correspondingly effectively enhanced the generation of electricity and the removal rates of loss on ignition (LOI) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (phenanthrene and pyrene). During the steady period from 50 d to 110 d, the GO-SMFCs favored the enrichment of EAB and thus output the highest voltages of 30.60-48.61 mV. The GR-SMFCs and GO-SMFCs generated high electric power of approximate 0.98 ± 0.14 kJ and 0.87 ± 0.04 kJ, followed by CNT-SMFCs (0.57 ± 0.06 kJ) and GF-SMFCs (0.49 ± 0.07 kJ) during the 110 d operation. The PAH degradation was not directly related to the electric current in the SMFCs. Near the anodes, the order of the phenanthrene removal rates was CNT-SMFCs (78.1%) > GR-SMFCs (73.0%) ≈ GO-SMFCs (71.2%) > GF-SMFCs (45.6%), and the order of the pyrene removal rates was GO-SMFCs (69.6%) ≈ GR-SMFCs (68.2%) ≈ CNT-SMFCs (66.7%) > GF-SMFCs (42.3%). The three carbon nanomaterials increased the microbial community diversity and slightly changed the microbial community distribution of biofilms on the anodes. Correlation analysis indicated that the degradation of phenanthrene was positively correlated with the abundances of Pseudomonas, Thauera, Diaphorobacter, Tumebacillus and Lysobacter. Pyrene degradation was strongly correlated with LOI degradation.

Keywords: Carbon nanomaterials; Electricity generation; Microorganisms; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Sediment microbial fuel cell.

MeSH terms

Bioelectric Energy Sources*
Electricity
Electrodes*
Graphite
Nanotubes, Carbon
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Substances

Nanotubes, Carbon
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Graphite