title: Enhancing waste activated sludge digestion and power production using hypochlorite as catholyte in clayware microbial fuel cell.
abstract: Waste activated sludge was digested in anodic compartment of dual chambered clayware microbial fuel cell (MFC). Performance of MFC was evaluated using oxygen (MFC-1) and hypochlorite (MFC-2) as cathodic electron acceptors. Power production of 8.7 W/m(3) was achieved using hypochlorite as catholyte, which was two times higher than using oxygen (4.2 W/m(3)). Total chemical oxygen demand of sludge was reduced by 65.4% and 84.7% in MFC-1 and MFC-2, respectively. Total and volatile suspended solids reductions were higher in MFC-2 (75.8% and 80.2%, respectively) as compared to MFC-1 (66.7% and 76.4%, respectively). Use of hypochlorite demonstrated 3.8 times higher Coulombic efficiency (13.8%) than oxygen. Voltammetric and impedance analysis revealed increase in reduction peak (from 8 to 24 mA) and decreased polarization resistance (from 42.6 to 26.5 Ω). Hypochlorite proved to be better cathodic electron acceptor, supporting rapid sludge digestion within 8 days of retention time and improved power production in MFC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India.
authors.forename: Anil N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Ghadge
authors.affiliation: School of Water Resources, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India.
authors.forename: Dipak A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Jadhav
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India.
authors.forename: Harapriya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pradhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India. Electronic address: ghangrekar@civil.iitkgp.ernet.in.
authors.forename: Makarand M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ghangrekar
mesh_terms: D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D017097:Electric Impedance; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D006997:Hypochlorous Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D012722:Sewage
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage; D006997:Hypochlorous Acid; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Electrochemical analysis; Hypochlorite; Microbial fuel cell; Power density; Sludge digestion