title: Continuous treatment of high strength wastewaters using air-cathode microbial fuel cells.
abstract: Treatment of low strength wastewaters using microbial fuel cells (MFCs) has been effective at hydraulic retention times (HRTs) similar to aerobic processes, but treatment of high strength wastewaters can require longer HRTs. The use of two air-cathode MFCs hydraulically connected in series was examined to continuously treat high strength swine wastewater (7-8g/L of chemical oxygen demand) at an HRT of 16.7h. The maximum power density of 750±70mW/m2was produced after 12daysof operation. However, power decreased by 85% after 185d of operation due to serious cathode fouling. COD removal was improved by using a lower external resistance, and COD removal rates were substantially higher than those previously reported for a low strength wastewater. However, removal rates were inconsistent with first order kinetics as the calculated rate constant was an order of magnitude lower than rate constant for the low strength wastewater.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 231Q Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
authors.forename: Kyoung-Yeol
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 231Q Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
authors.forename: Wulin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: CDM Smith, 14432 SE Eastgate Way, Suite 100, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 231Q Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA. Electronic address: blogan@psu.edu.
authors.forename: Bruce E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Logan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D004566:Electrodes; D013552:Swine; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Air-cathode; COD removal rate; High strength wastewater; Microbial fuel cell; Swine wastewater