Responses from freshwater sediment during electricity generation using microbial fuel cells.
In a two-electrode system, freshwater sediment was used as a fuel to examine the relationship between current generation and organic matter consumption with different types of electrode. Sediment microbial fuel cells using porous electrodes showed a superior performance in terms of generating current when compared with the use of non-porous electrodes. The maximum current densities with thicker and thin porous electrodes were 45.4 and 37.6 mA m(-2), respectively, whereas the value with non-porous electrodes was 13.9 mA m(-2). The amount of organic matter removed correlated with the current produced. The redox potential in the anode area under closed-circuit conditions was +246.3 +/- 67.7 mV, while that under open-circuit conditions only reached -143.0 +/- 7.18 mV. This suggests that an application of this system in organic-rich sediment could provide environmental benefits such as decreasing organic matter and prohibiting methane emission in conjunction with electricity production via an anaerobic oxidation process.
Hong
Seok Won
SW
Center for Environmental Technology Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 131, Cheongryang, Seoul, 130-650, Korea. swhong@kist.re.kr
Chang
In Seop
IS
Choi
Yong Su
YS
Kim
Byung Hong
BH
Chung
Tai Hak
TH