Factors affecting the performance of microbial fuel cells for sulfur pollutants removal.
A microbial fuel cell (MFC) has been developed for removal of sulfur-based pollutants and can be used for simultaneous wastewater treatment and electricity generation. This fuel cell uses an activated carbon cloth+carbon fibre veil composite anode, air-breathing dual cathodes and the sulfate-reducing species Desulfovibrio desulfuricans. 1.16gdm(-3) sulfite and 0.97gdm(-3) thiosulfate were removed from the wastewater at 22 degrees C, representing sulfite and thiosulfate removal conversions of 91% and 86%, respectively. The anode potential was controlled by the concentration of sulfide in the compartment. The performance of the cathode assembly was affected by the concentration of protons in the cation-exchanging ionomer with which the electrocatalyst is co-bound at the three-phase (air, catalyst and support) boundary.
Zhao
Feng
F
Chemical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom.
Rahunen
Nelli
N
Varcoe
John R
JR
Roberts
Alexander J
AJ
Avignone-Rossa
Claudio
C
Thumser
Alfred E
AE
Slade
Robert C T
RC
D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003901:Desulfovibrio / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011211:Electric Power Supplies / Q000382:microbiology*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013455:Sulfur / Q000378:metabolism*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D013455:Sulfur