title: Horizontal arrangement of anodes of microbial fuel cells enhances remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil.
abstract: With the aim of in situ bioremediation of soil contaminated by hydrocarbons, anodes arranged with two different ways (horizontal or vertical) were compared in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Charge outputs as high as 833 and 762C were achieved in reactors with anodes horizontally arranged (HA) and vertically arranged (VA). Up to 12.5 % of the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) was removed in HA after 135 days, which was 50.6 % higher than that in VA (8.3 %) and 95.3 % higher than that in the disconnected control (6.4 %). Hydrocarbon fingerprint analysis showed that the degradation rates of both alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in HA were higher than those in VA. Lower mass transport resistance in the HA than that of the VA seems to result in more power and more TPH degradation. Soil pH was increased from 8.26 to 9.12 in HA and from 8.26 to 8.64 in VA, whereas the conductivity was decreased from 1.99 to 1.54 mS/cm in HA and from 1.99 to 1.46 mS/cm in VA accompanied with the removal of TPH. Considering both enhanced biodegradation of hydrocarbon and generation of charge in HA, the MFC with anodes horizontally arranged is a promising configuration for future applications.
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control/College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
authors.forename: Yueyong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaojing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Qixing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D004566:Electrodes; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D010578:Petroleum / Q000378:metabolism; D059392:Petroleum Pollution; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D010578:Petroleum; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants