title: Rice mill wastewater treatment in microbial fuel cells fabricated using proton exchange membrane and earthen pot at different pH.
abstract: Performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs), fabricated using an earthen pot (MFC-1) and a proton exchange membrane (MFC-2), was evaluated while treating rice mill wastewater at feed pH of 8.0, 7.0 and 6.0. A third MFC (MFC-3), fabricated using a proton exchange membrane (PEM), was operated as control without pH adjustment of the acidic raw wastewater. Maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies of 96.5% and 92.6% were obtained in MFC-1 and MFC-2, respectively, at feed pH of 8.0. MFC-3 showed maximum COD removal of 87%. The lignin removal was 84%, 79%, and 77% and the phenol removal was 81%, 77%, and 76% in MFC-1, MFC-2, and MFC-3, respectively. Maximum sustainable volumetric power was obtained at feed pH of 8.0, and it was 2.3 W/m(3) and 0.53 W/m(3), with 100 ohm external resistance, in MFC-1 and MFC-2, respectively. The power was lower at lower feed pH. MFC-3 generated lowest volumetric power (0.27 W/m(3)) as compared to MFC-1 and MFC-2. More effective treatment of rice mill wastewater and higher energy recovery was demonstrated by earthen pot MFC as compared to MFC incorporated with PEM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur-721302, India.
authors.forename: Manaswini
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Behera
authors.forename: Partha S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Jana
authors.forename: Tanaji T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: More
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ghangrekar
mesh_terms: D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004566:Electrodes; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007220:Industrial Waste; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D012275:Oryza; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D019800:Phenol / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D011522:Protons; D013997:Time Factors; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011522:Protons; D019800:Phenol; D010100:Oxygen