Simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal using a litre-scale upflow microbial fuel cell.
A 10 L upflow microbial fuel cell (UMFC) was constructed for simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal. During the 6-month operation, the UMFC constantly removed carbon and nitrogen, and then generated electricity with synthetic wastewater as substrate. At 5.0 mg L(-1) dissolved oxygen, 100 Ω external resistance, and pH 6.5, the maximum power density (Pmax) and nitrification rate for the UMFC was 19.5 mW m(-2) and 17.9 mg·(L d)(-1), respectively. In addition, Pmax in the UMFC with chicken manure wastewater as substrate was 16 mW m(-2), and a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 94.1% in the UMFC was achieved at 50 mM phosphate-buffered saline. Almost all ammonia in the cathode effluent was effectively degraded after biological denitrification in the UMFC cathode. The results can help to further develop pilot-scale microbial fuel cells for simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal.
College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng 224051, China.
Ling-ling
LL
Zhao
College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology, No. 5 Xinmofan Road, Nanjing 210009, China E-mail: tshsong@njut.edu.cn.
Tian-shun
TS
Song
D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*
D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen