title: Simultaneous co-metabolic decolourisation of azo dye mixtures and bio-electricity generation under thermophillic (50 °C) and saline conditions by an adapted anaerobic mixed culture in microbial fuel cells.
abstract: In this study, azo dye adapted mixed microbial consortium was used to effectively remove colour from azo dye mixtures and to simultaneously generate bio-electricity using microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Operating temperature (20-50 °C) and salinity (0.5-2.5%w/v) were varied during experiments. Reactor operation at 50 °C improved dye decolourisation and COD removal kinetic constants by approximately 2-fold compared to the kinetic constants at 30 °C. Decolourisation and COD removal kinetic constants remained high (0.28 h(-1) and 0.064 h(-1) respectively) at moderate salinity (1%w/v) but deteriorated approximately 4-fold when the salinity was raised to 2.5% (w/v). Molecular phylogenetic analysis of microbial cultures used in the study indicated that both un-acclimated and dye acclimated cultures from MFCs were predominantly comprised of Firmicutes bacteria. This study demonstrates the possibility of using adapted microbial consortia in MFCs for achieving efficient bio-decolourisation of complex azo dye mixtures and concomitant bio-electricity generation under industrially relevant conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Applied Biosciences, Applied Biotechnology Research Group, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6UW, UK. eustace.fernando@my.westminster.ac.uk
authors.forename: Eustace
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernando
authors.forename: Tajalli
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keshavarz
authors.forename: Godfrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kyazze
mesh_terms: D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D054712:Salinity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D001391:Azo Compounds; D004396:Coloring Agents; D017931:DNA Primers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical