Two-stage microbial fuel cell (MFC) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) system for enhancing wastewater treatment and resource recovery based on MFC as a biosensor

Shuai Zhao; Hui Yun; Aman Khan; El-Sayed Salama; Margarita Mikhailovna Redina; Pu Liu; Xiangkai Li

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2021.112089

Two-stage microbial fuel cell (MFC) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) system for enhancing wastewater treatment and resource recovery based on MFC as a biosensor

Environ Res. 2022 Mar;204(Pt B):112089. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112089. Epub 2021 Sep 24.

Authors

Shuai Zhao¹, Hui Yun¹, Aman Khan¹, El-Sayed Salama², Margarita Mikhailovna Redina³, Pu Liu¹, Xiangkai Li⁴

Affiliations

¹ Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environment Pollution, School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, 222 South Tianshui Rd, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China.
² Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, PR China.
³ Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Moscow, Miklukho-Maklaya str., 6, 117198, Russia.
⁴ Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environment Pollution, School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, 222 South Tianshui Rd, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China. Electronic address: xkli@lzu.edu.cn.

PMID: 34571032
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112089

Abstract

Lack of process control between the two stages of a combined microbial fuel cell-membrane bioreactor (MFC-MBR) system limits its application in wastewater treatment due to membrane fouling and high energy consumption. In this study, a two-stage MFC-MBR integrated system was established to investigate the impact of incorporating process control on petroleum refinery wastewater treatment. The results showed that chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal exhibits a linear relationship with the MFC voltage output (R² = 0.9821); therefore, the MFC was used as a biosensor to control the combined system. The removal efficiencies of COD, ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), and total nitrogen (TN) were 96.3%, 92.4%, and 86.6%, respectively, in the MFC-MBR biosensor, whereas those in the control system were 74.7%, 71.2%, and 64.7% respectively. Furthermore，using the biosensor control system yielded a 50% reduction in the transmembrane pressure (1.01 kPa day^-1) and decreased membrane fouling in wastewater treatment. The maximum energy recovery of the biosensor system (0.00258 kWh m^-3) was five times higher than that of the control system, as determined by calculating the mass balance of the system. Thus, this study indicates that using the MFC as a biosensor for process control in an MFC-MBR system can improve overall system performance.

Keywords: Biosensor; Energy recovery; Membrane bioreactor; Microbial fuel cell; Process control; Wastewater treatment.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Bioelectric Energy Sources*
Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis
Bioreactors
Biosensing Techniques*
Membranes, Artificial
Wastewater
Water Purification*

Substances

Membranes, Artificial
Waste Water