Further treatment of decolorization liquid of azo dye coupled with increased power production using microbial fuel cell equipped with an aerobic biocathode.
A microbial fuel cell (MFC) incorporating a recently developed aerobic biocathode is designed and demonstrated. The aerobic biocathode MFC is able to further treat the liquid containing decolorization products of active brilliant red X-3B (ABRX3), a respective azo dye, and also provides increased power production. Batch test results showed that 24.8% of COD was removed from the decolorization liquid of ABRX3 (DL) by the biocathode within 12 h. Metabolism-dependent biodegradation of aniline-like compound might be mainly responsible for the decrease of overall COD. Glucose is not necessary in this process and contributes little to the COD removal of the DL. The similar COD removal rate observed under closed circuit condition (500 Ω) and opened circuit condition indicated that the current had an insignificant effect on the degradation of the DL. Addition of the DL to the biocathode resulted in an almost 150% increase in open cycle potential (OCP) of the cathode accompanied by a 73% increase in stable voltage output from 0.33 V to 0.57 V and a 300% increase in maximum power density from 50.74 mW/m(2) to 213.93 mW/m(2). Cyclic voltammetry indicated that the decolorization products of the ABRX3 contained in the DL play a role as redox mediator for facilitating electron transfer from the cathode to the oxygen. This study demonstrated for the first time that MFC equipped with an aerobic biocathode can be successfully applied to further treatment of effluent from an anaerobic system used to decolorize azo dye, providing both cost savings and high power output.
Sun
Jian
J
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Ecological Remediation for Industrial Agglomeration area, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China. sunjian472@163.com
Bi
Zhe
Z
Hou
Bin
B
Cao
Yun-qing
YQ
Hu
Yong-you
YY
D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D004566:Electrodes; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism
D004396:Coloring Agents; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical