Bioelectricity production from food waste leachate using microbial fuel cells: Effect of NaCl and pH

Xiao Min Li; Ka Yu Cheng; Jonathan W C WONG

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2013.09.037

Bioelectricity production from food waste leachate using microbial fuel cells: Effect of NaCl and pH

Xiao Min Li, Ka Yu Cheng, Jonathan W C WONG^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Biology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

80 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Microbial fuel cells are a promising technology for simultaneous treatment and energy recovery from food waste leachate. This study evaluates the effects of NaCl (0-150mM) and pH on the treatment of food waste leachate using microbial fuel cells. The food waste leachate amended with 100mM NaCl enabled the highest maximum power density (1000mW/m³) and lowest internal resistance (371Ω). Increasing the anodic pH gradually from acidic to alkaline conditions (pH 4-9) resulted in a gradual increase in maximum power density to 9956mW/m³ and decrease in internal cell resistance to 35.3Ω. The coulombic efficiency obtained under acidic conditions was only 17.8%, but increased significantly to 60.0% and 63.4% in the neutral and alkaline pH's MFCs, respectively. Maintaining a narrow pH window (6.3-7.6) was essential for efficient bioelectricity production and COD removal using microbial fuel cells for the treatment of food waste leachate.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	452-458
Number of pages	7
Journal	Bioresource Technology
Volume	149
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2013.09.037
Publication status	Published - Dec 2013

Scopus Subject Areas

Bioengineering
Environmental Engineering
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Waste Management and Disposal

User-Defined Keywords

Bioelectrochemical systems
Food waste leachate
NaCl
PH
Waste-to-energy

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.biortech.2013.09.037

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title = "Bioelectricity production from food waste leachate using microbial fuel cells: Effect of NaCl and pH",

abstract = "Microbial fuel cells are a promising technology for simultaneous treatment and energy recovery from food waste leachate. This study evaluates the effects of NaCl (0-150mM) and pH on the treatment of food waste leachate using microbial fuel cells. The food waste leachate amended with 100mM NaCl enabled the highest maximum power density (1000mW/m3) and lowest internal resistance (371Ω). Increasing the anodic pH gradually from acidic to alkaline conditions (pH 4-9) resulted in a gradual increase in maximum power density to 9956mW/m3 and decrease in internal cell resistance to 35.3Ω. The coulombic efficiency obtained under acidic conditions was only 17.8%, but increased significantly to 60.0% and 63.4% in the neutral and alkaline pH's MFCs, respectively. Maintaining a narrow pH window (6.3-7.6) was essential for efficient bioelectricity production and COD removal using microbial fuel cells for the treatment of food waste leachate.",

keywords = "Bioelectrochemical systems, Food waste leachate, NaCl, PH, Waste-to-energy",

author = "Li, {Xiao Min} and Cheng, {Ka Yu} and WONG, {Jonathan W C}",

year = "2013",

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doi = "10.1016/j.biortech.2013.09.037",

language = "English",

volume = "149",

pages = "452--458",

journal = "Bioresource Technology",

issn = "0960-8524",

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T1 - Bioelectricity production from food waste leachate using microbial fuel cells

T2 - Effect of NaCl and pH

AU - Li, Xiao Min

AU - Cheng, Ka Yu

AU - WONG, Jonathan W C

PY - 2013/12

Y1 - 2013/12

N2 - Microbial fuel cells are a promising technology for simultaneous treatment and energy recovery from food waste leachate. This study evaluates the effects of NaCl (0-150mM) and pH on the treatment of food waste leachate using microbial fuel cells. The food waste leachate amended with 100mM NaCl enabled the highest maximum power density (1000mW/m3) and lowest internal resistance (371Ω). Increasing the anodic pH gradually from acidic to alkaline conditions (pH 4-9) resulted in a gradual increase in maximum power density to 9956mW/m3 and decrease in internal cell resistance to 35.3Ω. The coulombic efficiency obtained under acidic conditions was only 17.8%, but increased significantly to 60.0% and 63.4% in the neutral and alkaline pH's MFCs, respectively. Maintaining a narrow pH window (6.3-7.6) was essential for efficient bioelectricity production and COD removal using microbial fuel cells for the treatment of food waste leachate.

AB - Microbial fuel cells are a promising technology for simultaneous treatment and energy recovery from food waste leachate. This study evaluates the effects of NaCl (0-150mM) and pH on the treatment of food waste leachate using microbial fuel cells. The food waste leachate amended with 100mM NaCl enabled the highest maximum power density (1000mW/m3) and lowest internal resistance (371Ω). Increasing the anodic pH gradually from acidic to alkaline conditions (pH 4-9) resulted in a gradual increase in maximum power density to 9956mW/m3 and decrease in internal cell resistance to 35.3Ω. The coulombic efficiency obtained under acidic conditions was only 17.8%, but increased significantly to 60.0% and 63.4% in the neutral and alkaline pH's MFCs, respectively. Maintaining a narrow pH window (6.3-7.6) was essential for efficient bioelectricity production and COD removal using microbial fuel cells for the treatment of food waste leachate.

KW - Bioelectrochemical systems

KW - Food waste leachate

KW - NaCl

KW - PH

KW - Waste-to-energy

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U2 - 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.09.037

DO - 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.09.037

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24140849

AN - SCOPUS:84885802484

SN - 0960-8524

VL - 149

SP - 452

EP - 458

JO - Bioresource Technology

JF - Bioresource Technology

ER -

Bioelectricity production from food waste leachate using microbial fuel cells: Effect of NaCl and pH

Abstract

Scopus Subject Areas

User-Defined Keywords

UN SDGs

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