title: Operational, design and microbial aspects related to power production with microbial fuel cells implemented in constructed wetlands.
abstract: This work aimed at determining the amount of energy that can be harvested by implementing microbial fuel cells (MFC) in horizontal subsurface constructed wetlands (HSSF CWs) during the treatment of real domestic wastewater. To this aim, MFC were implemented in a pilot plant based on two HSSF CW, one fed with primary settled wastewater (Settler line) and the other fed with the effluent of a hydrolytic up-flow sludge blanket reactor (HUSB line). The eubacterial and archaeal community was profiled on wetland gravel, MFC electrodes and primary treated wastewater by means of 16S rRNA gene-based 454-pyrosequencing and qPCR of 16S rRNA and mcrA genes. Maximum current (219 mA/m(2)) and power (36 mW/m(2)) densities were obtained for the HUSB line. Power production pattern correlated well with water level fluctuations within the wetlands, whereas the type of primary treatment implemented had a significant impact on the diversity and relative abundance of eubacteria communities colonizing MFC. It is worth noticing the high predominance (13-16% of relative abundance) of one OTU belonging to Geobacter on active MFC of the HUSB line that was absent for the settler line MFC. Hence, MFC show promise for power production in constructed wetlands receiving the effluent of a HUSB reactor.
authors.affiliation: GEMMA, Department of Hydraulic, Maritime and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, c/ Jordi Girona 1-3, Building D1, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Corbella
authors.affiliation: GIRO Joint Research Unit IRTA-UPC, IRTA, Torre Marimon, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guivernau
authors.affiliation: GIRO Joint Research Unit IRTA-UPC, IRTA, Torre Marimon, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viñas
authors.affiliation: GEMMA, Department of Hydraulic, Maritime and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, c/ Jordi Girona 1-3, Building D1, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: jaume.puigagut@upc.edu.
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Puigagut
mesh_terms: D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D045302:Geobacter / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Constructed wetlands; Domestic wastewater; Geobacter; Microbial fuel cells