Development of Electroactive and Anaerobic Ammonium-Oxidizing (Anammox) Biofilms from Digestate in Microbial Fuel Cells.
Microbial Fuel cells (MFCs) have been proposed for nutrient removal and energy recovery from different wastes. In this study the anaerobic digestate was used to feed H-type MFC reactors, one with a graphite anode preconditioned with Geobacter sulfurreducens and the other with an unconditioned graphite anode. The data demonstrate that the digestate acts as a carbon source, and even in the absence of anode preconditioning, electroactive bacteria colonise the anodic chamber, producing a maximum power density of 172.2 mW/m(2). The carbon content was also reduced by up to 60%, while anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacteria, which were found in the anodic compartment of the reactors, contributed to nitrogen removal from the digestate. Overall, these results demonstrate that MFCs can be used to recover anammox bacteria from natural sources, and it may represent a promising bioremediation unit in anaerobic digestor plants for the simultaneous nitrogen removal and electricity generation using digestate as substrate.
Pasteur Institute-Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Enea Gino
EG
Di Domenico
Pasteur Institute-Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy ; Astronautic Electric and Energetic Engineering Department, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy.
Gianluca
G
Petroni
Department of Chemical Engineering Materials Environment, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy.
Daniele
D
Mancini
Astronautic Electric and Energetic Engineering Department, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy.
Alberto
A
Geri
Department of Chemical Engineering Materials Environment, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy.
Luca
L
Di Palma
Pasteur Institute-Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Fiorentina
F
Ascenzioni
D064751:Ammonium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D000693:Anaerobiosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D004560:Electricity; D004566:Electrodes; D045302:Geobacter / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D006108:Graphite / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism
D064751:Ammonium Compounds; D006108:Graphite; D009584:Nitrogen