title: Effect of light on the production of bioelectricity and added-value microalgae biomass in a Photosynthetic Alga Microbial Fuel Cell.
abstract: This study demonstrates the simultaneous production of bioelectricity and added-value pigments in a Photosynthetic Alga Microbial Fuel Cell (PAMFC). A PAMFC was operated using Chlorella vulgaris in the cathode compartment and a bacterial consortium in the anode. The system was studied at two different light intensities and the maximum power produced was 62.7 mW/m(2) with a light intensity of 96 μE/(m(2)s). The results showed that increasing light intensity from 26 to 96 μE/(m(2)s) leads to an increase of about 6-folds in the power produced. Additionally, the pigments produced by the microalga were analysed and the results showed that the light intensity and PAMFC operation potentiated the carotenogenesis in the cathode compartment. The demonstrated possibility of producing added-value microalgae biomass in microbial fuel cell cathodes will increase the economic feasibility of these bioelectrochemical systems, allowing the development of energy efficient systems for wastewater treatment and carbon fixation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia, I.P. Unidade de Bioenergia, Estrada do Paço do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luísa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gouveia
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia, I.P. Unidade de Bioenergia, Estrada do Paço do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia, I.P. Unidade de Bioenergia, Estrada do Paço do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Diogo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sebastião
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia, I.P. Unidade de Bioenergia, Estrada do Paço do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto Superior Técnico, Centro Química Estrutural, DEQ, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Beatriz P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Nobre
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia, I.P. Unidade de Bioenergia, Estrada do Paço do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisboa, Portugal. Electronic address: cristina.matos@lneg.pt.
authors.forename: Cristina T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Matos
mesh_terms: D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology*; D018533:Biomass; D048408:Chlorella vulgaris / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D004560:Electricity; D008027:Light; D058086:Microalgae / Q000528:radiation effects*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000172:deficiency; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010860:Pigments, Biological; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Bioelectricity; Chlorella vulgaris; Microbial fuel cell; Pigments