Microbial fuel cells operating on mixed fatty acids.
Strategies are being developed to harvest the energy content of the wasted sludge generated from the treatment of domestic wastewater. Sludge can be hydrolysed and fermented, giving a mixture of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Based on the composition of such a fermented stream, synthetic media were created and tested for VFA conversion in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Mainly acetate and propionate were preferred as electron donors in the mixed VFA system, which generated a power density of 49+/-1 mW L(NAC)(-1). The other VFAs (butyrates/valerates/caproic acid) were also removed, albeit at lower rates. In single VFA tests, each VFA could be removed, but particularly i-butyrate did not provide significant current generation. PCR-DGGE indicated that the microbial community structure was highly determined by the fed VFA, rather than by the initial inoculum. The communities were dominated by Proteobacteria such as Geobacter, Comamonas, Pseudomonas and Pelobacter species. This study demonstrated the feasibility of using fatty acids, as present in fermented sludge hydrolysates, for current generation.
Advanced Water Management Centre, Gehrmann Building, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
Stefano
S
Freguia
Ee Hoi
EH
Teh
Nico
N
Boon
Kar Man
KM
Leung
Jurg
J
Keller
Korneel
K
Rabaey
D001419:Bacteria / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology; D003470:Culture Media; D004560:Electricity; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation
D003470:Culture Media; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile