Treatment of Sulfate/Sulfide-Containing Wastewaters Using a Microbial Fuel Cell: Single and Two-Anode Systems

Abstract

The microbial fuel cell (MFC) was employed to convert reductive potential in sulfate-laden wastewaters to electricity via reducing sulfate to sulfide by sulfate-reducing bacteria and then oxidizing sulfide to sulfur by exoelectrogens. The excess sulfide presented in the anodic solution inhibited the activities of functional strains in MFC. This study proposed the use of a two-anode system, with a sulfate-reducing bacteria anode and an exoelectrogen (C27) anode in the anodic cell, to efficiently convert reductive potential of sulfate into electricity. The microbial community of sulfate-reducing bacteria anode and the electrochemical characteristics of the studied MFCs were reported.

Keywords:

• Microbial fuel cell
• Sulfate-reducing bacteria Exoelectrogen
• C27
• Two anodes

Additional information

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from NSFC Project No. 51278128 and financial support from the National Science Council (NSC).