Vânia B. Oliveira

Energies • 0

<jats:p>The Future of Energy is focused on the consolidation of new energy technologies. Among them, Fuel Cells (FCs) are on the Energy Agenda due to their potential to reduce the demand for fossil fuel and greenhouse gas emissions, their higher efficiency (as fuel cells do not use combustion, their efficiency is not linked to their maximum operating temperature) and simplicity and absence of moving parts. Additionally, low-power FCs have been identified as the target technology to replace conventional batteries in portable applications, which can have recreational, professional, and military purposes. More recently, low-power FCs have also been identified as an alternative to conventional batteries for medical devices and have been used in the medical field both in implantable devices and as micro-power sources. The most used power supply for implantable medical devices (IMD) is lithium batteries. However, despite its higher lifetime, this is far from enough to meet the patient’s needs since these batteries are replaced through surgeries. Based on the close synergetic connection between humans and microorganisms, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were targeted as the replacement technology for batteries in IMD since they can convert the chemical energy from molecules presented in a living organism into electrical energy. Therefore, MFCs offer the following advantages over lithium batteries: they do not need to be replaced, avoiding subjecting IMD users to different surgeries and decreasing medical costs; they do not need external recharging as they operate as long as the fuel is supplied, by the body fluids; they are a more environmentally friendly technology, decreasing the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emissions resulting from the utilization of fossil fuels and the dependency on fossil fuels and common batteries. However, they are complex systems involving electrochemical reactions, mass and charge transfer, and microorganisms, which affect their power outputs. Additionally, to achieve the desired levels of energy density needed for real applications, an MFC system must overcome some challenges, such as high costs and low power outputs and lifetime.</jats:p>

KRUTI DAVE, Parth Darji, Fenie Gandhi et al.

• 0

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>With the expanding population, there is increase in an energy demand, which leads to the depletion of non-sustainable energy sources, for example; fossils. As the current situation speaks, the oil deposits are left for mere 53 years, likely with gas i.e. 52 years and with coal 150 years. So, there is an urgent need to find a sustainable source which is cheap and environment friendly, owing to the fact of current energy consumption level is left for merely 230 years. As committed by green alternative, for the future enhancement of the planet, the fossil fuel abandonment is required, and instigation of renewable resources such as Microbial Fuel Cell [MFCs] and Plant Microbial Fuel Cell [PMFCs] should be implemented. MFC is a visionary technique, as it converts wastage into the energy, whereas, PMFC is a new-fangled technique devoid of any climatic conditions and also it requires less investment. By scrutinizing this technique, <jats:italic>Bacillus megaterium </jats:italic>and sewage material is used in MFCs whereas <jats:italic>Azolla</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Trigonella foenum </jats:italic>is used in PMFCs, which converts chemical energy into electrical energy with the help of electrons flowing from anode to cathode via circuit. The individual setup of each MFCs and PMFCs are examined diurnally for voltage and current gain proceeded by connection of both [MFC and PMFC] in series with LED in between thus gaining the luminance in LED. So assurance is gained by this technique of MFC and PMFC as distinctive energy harvesting technology equipped with; consistency, maintenance and free power for distant future.</jats:p>

akihiro okamoto, Kohei Shimokawa, Duyen Minh Pham et al.

• 0

<title>Abstract</title> <p>The escalating demand for large-scale rechargeable batteries to achieve sustainability goals underscores the urgent need to secure Li metal from diverse sources ^1-3. Intercalation materials offer promise for selective and efficient electrochemical recovery from various sources, but the requirement of electrodes in driving intercalation reactions presents challenges for scale-up ^4-6. Herein, we introduce a biologically driven method for electrochemical Li recovery, utilizing a combination of intercalation nanomaterials and dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria, specifically <italic>Shewanella oneidensis </italic>MR-1. This method couples bacterial metabolic hydrocarbon oxidation with Li intercalation into λ-MnO₂, achieving rates and selectivity comparable to electrode-based methods across different Li concentrations. Over 95% of Li was recovered from seawater within hours, with less than 1% co-intercalation of other metal ions. The efficacy of this reaction is maintained across scales by the autonomous formation of microbe/λ-MnO₂ agglomerates, in which extracellular and cell-surface cytochromes facilitate efficient electron transfer. Comprehensive techno-economic and life-cycle analyses for Li₂CO₃ production indicate that our method outperforms conventional evaporative processes, reducing <italic>on-site</italic> Li source water loss by two orders of magnitude without increasing costs. Our scalable bioelectrochemical approach could enable efficient Li recovery and offer great potential for sustainable resource management and recycling for both research and industrial applications.</p>

David N. Breslauer

Advanced Functional Materials • 2024

Over the past two decades, significant advancements have been made in the scalable production and commercialization of microbially‐produced recombinant protein polymers. This perspective presents the evolution from early research efforts to the development of market‐ready products, with a focus on recombinant silk‐like proteins. Initial attempts to synthesize spider silk proteins in microbial hosts faced challenges with solubility, stability, and yield. Recent advancements in synthetic biology, protein engineering, and bioprocess development have enabled the substantial progress on these challenges. Early commercial efforts highlight the complexities and high costs involved in silk production and more recent strategies have shifted toward processes with better scalability, techno‐economics, and product properties. Significant commercial progress has been made, with products launched in textiles and personal care. Although market penetration is limited so far, substantial groundwork is laid for future success. Key challenges remain, such as continued high production costs and the need for cost‐effective purification and fiber spinning techniques. However, the convergence of scientific, technological, and market developments –including a growing number of product launches – suggests that recombinant silk and protein polymers can soon become widespread sustainable materials across various industries.

Chaochao Li, Shaoan Cheng

Critical Reviews in Biotechnology • 2019

Abstract Various new energy technologies have been developed to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The bioelectrochemical system (BES), an integrated microbial–electrochemical energy conversion process, is projected to be a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy technology. However, low power density is still one of the main limiting factors restricting the practical application of BESs. To enhance power output, functional group modification on anode surfaces has been primarily developed to improve the bioelectrochemical performances of BESs in terms of startup, power density, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and coulombic efficiency (CE). This modification could change the anode surface characteristics: roughness, hydrophobicity, biocompatibility, chemical bonding and electrochemically active surface area. This will facilitate bacterial adhesion, biofilm formation and extracellular electron transfer (EET). Additionally, some antibacterial functional groups are applied on air cathodes in order to suppress aerobic biofilms and enhance cathodic oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs). Various modification strategies such as: soaking, heat treatment and plasma modification have been reported to introduce functional groups typically as O-, N- and S-containing groups. In this review, the effects of anode functional groups on electroactive bacteria through the whole biofilm formation process are summarized. In addition, the application of those modification technologies to improve bioelectricity generation, resource recovery, bioelectrochemical analysis and the production of value-added chemicals and biofuels is also discussed. Accordingly, this review aims to help scientists select the most appropriate functional groups and up-to-date methods to improve biofilm formation. Graphical Abstract

Jie-jie Chen

Environmental Science &amp; Technology • 2023

Interfacial electron transfer (IET) is essential for chemical and biological transformation of pollutants, operative across diverse lengths and time scales. This Perspective presents an array of multiscale molecular simulation methodologies, supplemented by in situ monitoring and imaging techniques, serving as robust tools to decode IET enhancement mechanisms such as interface molecular modification, catalyst coordination mode, and atomic composition regulation. In addition, three IET-based pollutant transformation systems, an electrocatalytic oxidation system, a bioelectrochemical spatial coupling system, and an enzyme-inspired electrocatalytic system, were developed, demonstrating a high effect in transforming and degrading pollutants. To improve the effectiveness and scalability of IET-based strategies, the refinement of these systems is necessitated through rigorous research and theoretical exploration, particularly in the context of practical wastewater treatment scenarios. Future endeavors aim to elucidate the synergy between biological and chemical modules, edit the environmental functional microorganisms, and harness machine learning for designing advanced environmental catalysts to boost efficiency. This Perspective highlights the powerful potential of IET-focused environmental remediation strategies, emphasizing the critical role of interdisciplinary research in addressing the urgent global challenge of water pollution.

Hasika Suresh, Presley Bird, Kundan Saha et al.

• 0

<jats:title>Summary</jats:title> <jats:p>Electroactive microbes can be used as components in electrical devices to leverage their unique behavior for biotechnology, but they remain challenging to engineer because the bioelectrochemical systems (BES) used for characterization are low-throughput. To overcome this challenge, we describe the development of the Bioelectrochemical Crossbar Architecture Screening Platform (BiCASP), which allows for samples to be arrayed and characterized in individually addressable microwells. This device reliably reports on the current generated by electroactive bacteria on the minute time scale, decreasing the time for data acquisition by several orders of magnitude compared to conventional BES. Also, this device increased the throughput of screening engineered biological components in cells, quickly identifying mutants of the membrane protein wire MtrA in <jats:italic>Shewanella oneidensis</jats:italic> that retain the ability to support extracellular electron transfer (EET). BiCASP is expected to enable the design of new components for bioelectronics by supporting directed evolution of electroactive proteins.</jats:p> <jats:sec> <jats:title>The bigger picture</jats:title> <jats:p>Devices that interface microbes and materials, known as bioelectronics, can be used to sense environmental chemicals in real time, generate energy from sugars, and synthesize chemicals. While these devices leverage the unique capabilities of living systems as components in devices, such as their ability to convert chemical information in the environment into electrical information at the cell surface, it remains challenging to engineer these cellular components and their biomolecules for new applications, largely because commercially available bioelectrochemical systems for monitoring current generated by electroactive microbes are costly and require large culture volumes, needs continuous monitoring for days to obtain stable signals, and multichannel potentiostats to monitor multiple microbes in parallel.</jats:p> <jats:p>To overcome these challenges, we created the Bioelectrochemical Crossbar Architecture Screening Platform or BiCASP that is easy to fabricate, enables parallel analysis of microbial samples in flexible arrayed formats, and yields a stable signal on the minute time scale. This device is expected to enable the application of combinatorial protein engineering methods, such as directed evolution, to proteins that control microbial current production, by allowing for fast screening of cells expressing protein mutant libraries. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate that this device can screen for cells that express mutants of decaheme cytochromes that retain the ability to electrically connect cells to electrodes. This device will simplify the engineering of cells and proteins that function as electrical switches as well as the diversification of bioelectronic devices for real-time sensing of chemicals in the environment.</jats:p> <jats:p>Furthermore, BiCASP is promising as a high-throughput screening (HTS) platform, enabling rapid, parallel analysis of cellular and molecular interactions of diverse biological systems through label-free electrochemical methods. Such capabilities could transform drug discovery, personalized medicine, and functional genomics, supporting systematic genetic and chemical screens even at single-cell resolution.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Highlights</jats:title> <jats:list list-type="bullet"> <jats:list-item> <jats:p>A high-throughput screening platform with individual addressability</jats:p> </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> <jats:p>A device with a flexible crossbar architecture that simplifies current analysis</jats:p> </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> <jats:p>Reproducible detection of real-time cellular current on the minute time scale</jats:p> </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> <jats:p>The device can be used to screen a library for cells with functional protein wires</jats:p> </jats:list-item> </jats:list> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Graphical Abstract</jats:title> <jats:fig id="ufig1" position="float" orientation="portrait" fig-type="figure"> <jats:graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="663982v1_ufig1" position="float" orientation="portrait"/> </jats:fig> </jats:sec>

Simone Schmitz, Miriam A. Rosenbaum

Biotechnology and Bioengineering • 2018

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) hold great promise for sustainable energy generation via a microbial catalyst from organic matter, for example, from wastewater. To improve current generation in BES, understanding the underlying microbiology of the electrode community is essential. Electron mediator producing microorganism like <jats:italic>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</jats:italic> play an essential role in efficient electricity generation in BES. These microbes enable even nonelectroactive microorganism like <jats:italic>Enterobacter aerogenes</jats:italic> to contribute to current production. Together they form a synergistic coculture, where both contribute to community welfare. To use microbial co‐operation in BES, the physical and chemical environments provided in the natural habitats of the coculture play a crucial role. Here, we show that synergistic effects in defined cocultures of <jats:italic>P. aeruginosa</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>E. aerogenes</jats:italic> can be strongly enhanced toward high current production by adapting process parameters, like pH, temperature, oxygen demand, and substrate requirements. Especially, oxygen was identified as a major factor influencing coculture behavior and optimization of its supply could enhance electric current production over 400%. Furthermore, operating the coculture in fed‐batch mode enabled us to obtain very high current densities and to harvest electrical energy for 1 month. In this optimized condition, the coulombic efficiency of the process was boosted to 20%, which is outstanding for mediator‐based electron transfer. This study lays the foundation for a rationally designed utilization of cocultures in BES for bioenergy generation from specific wastewaters or for bioprocess sensing and for benefiting from their synergistic effects under controlled bioprocess condition.</jats:p>

Işılay BİLGİÇ

Gazi Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi Part C: Tasarım ve Teknoloji • 0

<jats:p xml:lang="en">Fuel cells are known as eco-friendly systems considering that only water is produced as a secondary product due to energy-producing reactions. However in order to increase the commercial usage of fuel cells, it is necessary to decrease the costs of the catalysts. In recent studies on alternative energy systems microbial fuel cell systems (MFC) with their basic structure and system allowing wastewater treatment, rise to notice. Inorganic molecules as catalysts and microorganisms instead of enzymes are used in MFCs. A majority of the catalysts are wasted in the traditional catalysts coating methods. The control of the particle size of the Pt is derived by using different powers in the coating process. The Pt-coated carbon electrodes are tested both within a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) and MFC. In this study used oxidation bacteria Thiobacillus ferrooxidans on the cathode and mixed culture bacteria on the anode of MFC. As a result of using these electrodes the conductivity and ultimately the performance is increased. The performances of both fuel cell systems are investigated with electrochemical measurements. Moreover, the electron transfer mechanism at the cathode is clarified by examining the porphyrin structure of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans via quantum mechanical methods.</jats:p>

Ummy Mardiana

IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science • 2021

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) based on bacteria from Cikurubuk Traditional market waste water has been applied for energy production. We have been observed that there were some potential of microorganims could be applied as renewable source of energy in term of electricity production. A traditional market plays a major role in socio-economics and constitutes a significant aspect of Indonesian culture. One of the major contributors to domestic pollution is a pollution from wastewater traditional market which is containing organic substance and nutriens. This conditions if not properly solved can causes seriously harm the human health and environment. The objective of this study is to develop the waste water treatment technology without energy supply by using the potential activities of microorganism through microbial fuel cell system. We have been determined some biocatalysts from biofilm at the surface of anode. To provide the results some characterizations have been conducted using<jats:italic>Chronoamperometry</jats:italic>. The optimization of anode conditions have been also studied to maintenance the long performance of MFC. Results confirmed that the biocatalyst activities could be a promising renewable source for energy production and very suitable as an alternative technology based green chemistry technology.</jats:p>

J. Shanthi Sravan, S. Venkata Mohan

Microbial Biotechnology • 2023

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Biogenic waste (solid/liquid/gaseous) utilization in biological processes has disruptive potential of inclining towards carbon neutrality, while producing diverse products output. Anaerobic fermentation (methanogenesis and acidogenesis) routes are crucial bioprocesses for production of various renewable chemicals (carboxylate platform/organic acids, short/medium chain alcohols, aldehydes, biopolymers) and fuels (methane, hydrogen, hythane, biodiesel and electricity), while individual operations posing process limitations on their conversion efficiency. Advantageous benefit of using the individual bioprocess technicalities is of utmost importance in the context of sustainability to conceptualize and execute integrated waste biorefinery. The opinion article intends to document/familiarize the waste‐fed biorefinery potential with application of hybrid advancements towards multiple product/energy/renewable chemical spectrum leading to carbon neutrality bioprocesses. Unique and notable challenges with diverse process integrations along with electrochemical/interspecies‐redox metabolites‐materials synergy/enzymatic interventions are specifically emphasized on application‐oriented waste feedstock potential towards achieving sustainability.</jats:p>

Mesut Yılmazoğlu

Algal Biotechnology for Fuel Applications • 2022

<jats:p>The purpose of this book chapter is to provide general information regardingmicrobial fuel cell (MFC) systems, an important type of fuel cell of environmentallyfriendly energy conversion systems as an alternative to fossil fuel technologies.Besides, it is one of the main motivations of this study to include the academicliterature on microbial fuel cells, which is a very popular field of study in recent years.In this context, the history, principles, and different approaches of MFCs are discussed.After that, the materials (anode, cathode, membrane, etc.) that make up the system areexamined. Finally, different types of microbial fuel cells that can be varied by materialdesign are discussed and presented.</jats:p>

M. Haddad, O. Joudeh

Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering Technology • 0

<jats:p>The technical and economic feasibility of microbial fuel cell use in wastewater treatment for energy and resource recovery was investigated. A double chambered-MFC model (DS-MFC) operated by primary effluent wastewater as substrate was used. Four different COD-MFCs groups were constructed in three duplicates (input COD from 342 to 1733 mg/l). Initial COD value, electrode type, and salt bridge size and its concentration were set and fixed for each MFC group. After 15 days-startup period the MFCs were operated for 30 days. COD was measured for the twelve MFCs every two days and output voltage was measured every 24 hours. Results revealed that the COD of the substrate used in MFC at any time is related proportionally to output voltage from that MFC, and a logarithmic model was found that can be used to predict COD for a wastewater sample by measuring output voltage of MFC operated by that sample. Maximum COD removal percentage achieved in this study was 87.1 % which agrees with published research. A maximum output power achieved was 0.585 W/m3 treated. It was found that COD removal behavior for the first group (typical wastewater composition) was second order while the other three groups with higher concentrations was first order. The payback period of the system under consideration was estimated at 8.3 years (infeasible). If we include the environmental and energy challenge benefits of the system to its economic feasibility, the system feasibility could be considered appropriate. </jats:p>

I. Ieropoulos

The 2019 Conference on Artificial Life • 2019

This talk will present results from the practical implementation of MFCs in a range of applications. The presentation will show the chronological evolution of the technology, starting from the earlier implementation in robotics to the more recent development in sanitation and as a robotic chemostat for maintaining steady state conditions in microbial communities. The talk will have a focus on EvoBot, a robotic chemostat that has been developed as part of the EU FP-7 EVOBLISS project (611640), which was funded under the Evolving Living Technologies Programme. The work combined scientific approaches from robotics, artificial intelligence, chemistry, and microbiology and the talk will demonstrate how the integration of these otherwise disparate disciplines was used to produce i) a generally useful, expandable and customizable technical platform for the artificial evolution of new materials and applications based on a real-time feedback robotic workstation and ii) a specific improved technology, namely a microbial fuel cell, that incorporates natural as well as artificial macro-, micro-, and nanoscale elements for improved function. EvoBot was used with the scientific objective to investigate the possibility of optimizing artificial chemical life, microbial ecosystems, and nanoparticles and their physiochemical, dynamic environments using robot facilitated, artificial evolution. The main conceptual synergy of EVOBLISS was to embody the principles of living technology at various scales in order to probe a system?s ability to evolve within and between scales. The talk continues with a description of the multiple by-products that can be produced by the core MFC technology and concludes with the case for microbial fuel cells as a platform technology for multiple a range of environments including sanitation, renewable energy generation, production of value-added products via elemental recycling and wastewater treatment.

Supachai Puengsungwan

2022 37th International Technical Conference on Circuits/Systems, Computers and Communications (ITC-CSCC) • 2022

A wireless sensor network (WSN s) is a technology that can monitor physical changes especially when the region of interest has a large area. This paper presents a new concept for monitoring rice-paddy health using WSN s for precision agriculture. The proposed concept applies Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell (P-MFC) principle for harvesting electrical energy to supply a sensor node. At the same time, the photosynthesis perception of rice plants is carried out through the existing perception available in the electrodes of the energy harvesting (EH) system. Experiments have shown that the proposed concept can realize EH at 1.011 mW/m2 and can sense changes in the photosynthesis of rice plants without the need to install an external light sensor. To achieve lifetime concern of an energy storage, supercapacitors are proposed instead of lithium batteries. According to the experimental results, charging current of supercapacitors can reach at 0.374 μAh/m2.

Daxing Zhang, He-Wen Tian, Yongxian Guo

Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Wireless Communication and Sensor Networks (WCSN 2016) • 2017

Terrestrial Microbial Fuel Cells (TMFCs) can be inoculated and work using of soil, which overcomes the shortcomings of Aquatic Microbial Fuel Cells (AMFCs) and extends application areas of MFCs. Energy supply, as a primary influential factor determining the lifetime of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) nodes, remains an open challenge. In theory, sensor nodes powered by MFCs have an eternal life. However, low output voltage and power density of MFCs are two pronounced challenges for the application in WSNs. A Terrestrial microbial fuel cell (TMFC) reactor is proposed in the paper. The power generation performance of the proposed TMFC is tested. A single-hop WSN powered by a TMFC experimental setup was designed and experimented with. Results show that the TMFC can achieve enough power for the WSN node working periodically, which validates the feasibility of WSNs powering by TMFCs. Keywords-Terrestrial microbial fuel cell; wireless sensor network; energy harvesting; power management

Pedro Serra, Antonio Vitoria Espirito-Santo

Advances in Environmental Engineering and Green Technologies • 2016

<jats:p>Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC) are the main topic of this chapter. Different types of electrochemical devices are presented and their typical power output is compared with other energy sources, providing a framework for the uses and applications of MFC technology. Following an historical approach of how this technology came to be, a more detailed description of some aspects of a typical microbial fuel cell is then brought forward. The energy harvesting concept, its use on low power wireless systems and maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques are presented and described. Wastewater treatment plants are a kind of infrastructure where this technology could be applied with a major success to power wireless sensing networks. An experimental setup, develop to improve the use of MFC in waste water treatment plants is presented. This chapter also provides a review on research trends for microbial fuel cells and maximum power point tracking algorithms, therefore, pointing current researches on this technology.</jats:p>

Meizhen Gao

International Journal of Energy Research • 2024

The need for sustainable integrated energy systems to mitigate environmental impact is hindered by challenges in fluctuating demand, trading reliability, and trustworthiness. This paper proposes an innovative approach to tackle these challenges by introducing a blockchain-based integrated energy system trading model with smart contracts. It is intricately linked with the operation of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology and power-to-gas (P2G) equipment. The CCS-P2G-coupled operation principle is first outlined, followed by the presentation of a comprehensive system model. The peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading algorithm is enhanced using the Bloom filtering technique. Leveraging smart contracts, a distributed energy trading mechanism is employed, resulting in a meticulously constructed integrated energy system trading model for CCS-P2G-coupled operation. The proposed model is rigorously evaluated for energy trading efficiency and system performance, revealing significant improvements compared to prior studies and showcasing substantial cumulative benefits. Three operation scenarios are examined, with experimental results highlighting the model’s superior carbon emission reduction capacity. This study introduces an innovative paradigm for trading and managing integrated energy systems, holding potential implications for the sustainable development and decarbonization transition of future energy systems.

Murali Krishna Pasupuleti

• 0

<jats:p>Abstract: This research volume presents a comprehensive and interdisciplinary examination of blockchain technology and its transformative applications across finance, real estate, healthcare, and renewable energy systems. The book establishes a conceptual and technical foundation for understanding distributed ledger technologies, cryptographic protocols, and smart contract architectures, while also exploring the evolving governance and interoperability standards shaping blockchain ecosystems. The work constructs an integrated framework that addresses pressing challenges in centralized infrastructures—ranging from inefficiencies in global financial systems and opaque land registries to fragmented healthcare data and non-transparent energy markets. Methodologically, the book combines formal analysis, case studies, and implementation models, utilizing both permissionless and permissioned blockchain platforms. Specific topics include decentralized finance (DeFi), tokenized asset ownership, blockchain-enabled health data management, and peer-to-peer energy trading frameworks. Key findings demonstrate blockchain's capacity to enhance security, transparency, automation, and inclusivity in socio-economic systems. The results highlight improved transactional efficiency in cross-border payments, fraud-resistant property verification systems, tamper-proof clinical trial data pipelines, and auditable renewable energy certificate trading. The book concludes with a discussion on ethical implications, energy sustainability, algorithmic fairness, and regulatory alignment. The implications extend to academic researchers, policymakers, and industry practitioners seeking to implement or evaluate blockchain-driven transformations. This volume serves as a foundational resource for reimagining institutional trust, digital identity, and decentralized governance in the age of distributed technologies. Keywords Blockchain, decentralized systems, smart contracts, distributed ledger technology, DeFi, tokenization, digital assets, real estate technology, healthcare interoperability, patient data sovereignty, blockchain in clinical trials, pharmaceutical supply chain, peer-to-peer energy trading, renewable energy certificates, energy-efficient consensus, blockchain governance, Layer 2 solutions, cross-chain interoperability, regulatory compliance, algorithmic transparency.</jats:p>

Payman Rezaei, Masoud AliAkbar Golkar

IET Blockchain • 2024

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>This study presents an innovative energy management framework for multi‐microgrids, integrating the burgeoning domain of cryptocurrency mining. Cryptocurrencies, a novel fusion of encryption technology and financial currency, are witnessing exponential global growth. This expansion correlates with a surge in the prevalence of mining activities, amplifying electricity consumption and necessitating accelerated advancements in urban transmission and distribution infrastructures, coupled with increased financial investments. Despite cryptocurrencies' growth, comprehensive research to capitalize on their potential is scarce. This article introduces an operation cost model for miners in the proposed dual‐stage framework. The first stage is dedicated to day‐ahead scheduling, focusing on peak shaving and valley filling in the electricity demand curve, while concurrently optimizing operational costs. The second stage, updating each 5 min, minimizes imbalances in response to uncertain network conditions. A pivotal feature of this framework is the allocation of revenues generated from mining operations towards enhancing renewable energy resources. Empirical simulations underscore the framework's efficacy, evidenced by a substantial peak shaving of 482.833 kW and valley filling of 4084.42 kW. Furthermore, this approach effectively maintains operational costs within a feasible spectrum. Notably, the demand curve's peak‐to‐valley distance extends to 4 MW, with the revenue from mining activities alone sufficient to offset operational expenditures.</jats:p>

Erginbay Uğurlu, Yusuf Muratoğlu

Research Anthology on Blockchain Technology in Business, Healthcare, Education, and Government • 2021

<jats:p>Two of the important topics concerning scientists and governments are blockchain and climate change. After the paper of Satoshi Nakamoto, blockchains became a global phenomenon. After its usage for cryptocurrencies, blockchain is starting to be used for digital protocols and smart contracts. Blockchain technology is used in many sectors, such as banking, finance, car leasing, entertainment, energy, etc. Climate change leads to global warming, which means the long-term warming of the planet. Therefore, governments have made an effort to decrease global warming or keep it stable. One of the mitigation ways of global warming is to use renewable energy. Solar energy is one of the most used types of renewable energy sources, and also blockchain technology is widely used in this sector. In this chapter, the authors investigate the use of blockchain technology in the solar energy sector. </jats:p>

Murali Krishna Pasupuleti

Blockchain Revolution: Transforming Finance, Real Estate, Healthcare, and Renewable Energy • 0

<jats:p>Abstract: The chapter "Decentralized Innovation: Transforming Finance, Real Estate, Healthcare, and Energy with Blockchain" explores the profound impact of blockchain technology in reshaping key global industries. By leveraging decentralization, blockchain enhances transparency, trust, and efficiency, eliminating intermediaries and fostering innovation. The chapter delves into blockchain’s transformative role in finance through decentralized finance (DeFi) and cross-border transactions, revolutionizes real estate with tokenization and smart contracts, secures healthcare data while enhancing pharmaceutical supply chains, and advances renewable energy with peer-to-peer trading and carbon credit management. Through case studies, challenges such as scalability, regulatory hurdles, and ethical considerations are analyzed alongside emerging trends like blockchain-AI integration and cross-industry applications. This comprehensive exploration underscores blockchain’s potential to drive a sustainable, transparent, and decentralized future across sectors. Keywords Blockchain, Decentralization, Decentralized Finance, DeFi, Smart Contracts, Tokenization, Renewable Energy, Healthcare Data Security, Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading, Carbon Credit Management, Blockchain-AI Integration, Transparent Supply Chains, Real Estate Innovation, Cross-Industry Blockchain Applications, Decentralized Ecosystems.</jats:p>

Scott J. Satinover, Miguel Rodriguez, Maria F Campa et al.

• 0

<title>Abstract</title> <p><bold>Background </bold>Microbial electrolysis is a promising technology for converting aqueous wastes into hydrogen. Substrate adaptability is an important feature, seldom documented in Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MECs). The correlation between substrate composition and community structure has not been well established. This study used a MEC capable of producing over 10 L/L-day of hydrogen from a switchgrass-derived bio-oil aqueous phase and investigated four additional substrates. The additional substrates included a red oak-derived bio-oil aqueous phase, a corn stover fermentation product, a mixture of phenol and acetate, and acetate alone. <bold>Results </bold>The MEC fed with the corn stover fermentation product resulted in the highest performance among the complex feedstocks, producing an average current density of 7.3 A/m², although the acetate fed MEC outperformed complex substrates, producing 12 ± A/m². 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that community structure and community diversity were not predictive of performance, and replicate community structures diverged despite identical inoculum and enrichment procedure. The trends in each replicate, however, were indicative of the influence of the substrates. <italic>Geobacter</italic> was the most dominant genus across most of the samples tested, but its abundance did not correlate strongly to current density. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed that acetate accumulated during open-circuit conditions when MECs were fed with complex feedstocks and was quickly degraded once closed-circuit conditions were applied. The largest net acetic acid removal rate occurred when MECs were fed with red oak bio-oil aqueous phase, consuming 2.93 ± 0.00 g/L-day. Principal component analysis found that MEC performance metrics such as current density, hydrogen productivity, and COD removal were closely correlated. Net acetic acid removal was also found to correlate with performance. However, no bacterial genus correlated to performance metrics, and the analysis suggested that less than 70% of the variance was accounted for by the two components. <bold>Conclusions </bold>This study demonstrates the robustness of microbial communities to adapt to a range of feedstocks and conditions without relying on specific species, delivering high hydrogen productivities, thus indicating functional adaptation vs. compositional requirement. MECs may,, play a central role in the 21^st-century bioeconomy as factories producing a zero-emission fuel.</p>

Ellie Vipond, Pattanathu K.S.M. Rahman

Advances in Environmental Engineering and Green Technologies • 2018

<jats:p>The engineering of replacements for crude oil is a priority within industrial biotechnology. Biogas, produced by anaerobic digestion (AD) during organic waste degradation, has been used for electricity generation and heating. Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are an emerging technology which when combined with AD can produce higher yields of such energy whilst simultaneously treating waste water and sludge. MECs are bioelectrochemical systems which utilize the metabolism of microbes to oxidize organics. The majority of the research has been focused on biohydrogen production, despite associated issues, which has resulted in poor commercialization prospects. Consequently, scientists are now suggesting that methane production should be the focus of MEC technology. This chapter presents lab research on the bioprocessing of biomethane using AD and MECs and addresses important issues, namely the lack of pilot-scale studies. Downstream processing techniques are discussed, as well as a novel suggestion of further utilising MECs in the purification process. </jats:p>

Hyungwon Chai, Bonyoung Koo, Sunghoon Son et al.

• 0

<jats:p>Electrode is a key component in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) and it needs significant improvement for practical implementation of MEC. For effective development of electrode technology, accurate and reproducible analytical methods are very important. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) is an essential analytical method for evaluating electrode performance; however, it has not been firmly established yet in the MEC field. In this study, biological brush (BB), abiotic brush (AB), Pt wire (PtW), stainless steel wire (SSW) and mesh (SSM)) were tested to explore the most suitable counter electrode in different medium conditions. Coefficient of variation (CV) for Imax of LSV were comparatively analyzed. In BB-anode LSV, SSW (0.48%) and SSM (2.17%) showed higher reproducibility as a counter electrode. In SSM-cathode LSV, BB (1.76%) and PtW (2.01%) produced more reproducible results. In the Ni-AC-SSM-cathode LSV, PtW (3.54%) and BB (8.81%) produced more reproducible result. It shows electrode used in the operation is an appropriate counter electrode in the acetate-added condition. However, in the absence of acetate, PtW (1.24%) and BB (1.71%) produced more reproducible results in SSM cathode and PtW (0.61%) and SSW (1.21%) did in the Ni-AC-SSM-cathode, showing PtW is an appropriate counter electrode. These results also shows that PtW is an appropriate counter electrode in cathode LSV.</jats:p>

N. Sharma, Sarita Bhandari, A. K. Bhargava

Asian Journal of Research in Chemistry • 2015

Water pollution is serious issue with rapid progress of urbanization and industrialization in the country. The discharge of sewage and industrial waste and effluents to water resource is damaging both flora and fauna near the receiving water bodies. Paodhoi River originates at the foot hills of Shivalik ranges and passes through main city of Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India and finally confluence into the Hindane River near Tapri. The quality of the water of river at origin is quite good but as it enters into city, this river carries large volume of municipal waste, sewage waste as well as industrial waste. The collected water samples in three season viz., summer, winter and monsoon from three sampling sites for two consecutive years revealed that level of BOD were near to alarming stage at downstream and quality of river water was worse than treated wastewater from industry. Presence of type of microorganism and aquatic organisms provide a clue on the environmental conditions prevailing in the particular habitat. The concentration of total phytoplankton was found highest (488 μ/l ± 30.46) in the summer season at upstream with good water quality and deteriorated to lowest in the downstream with polluted water. Similarly MPN count was highest in the downstream.

Abasyn Journal Life Sciences • 0

<jats:p>Biofouling is a serious and challenging problem in water treatment systems which hinder the efficiency of membrane filtration performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the biofouling propensity and biological treatment performance of a bacterial consortium in a biological membrane bioreactor for the treatment of dye wastewater. During bioreactor operation with the bacterial consortium, a significant relationship was revealed between transmembrane pressure (TMP) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). When tested for dye and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, SMBR showed increased removal performance with the operating time, possibly owing to the biofilm formation on membrane and the adaptation of sludge. Thus, it is expected that the results of this study will be valuable for further development of a suitable biofouling mitigation strategy for batik wastewater treatment in membrane bioreactor. Keywords: Biofouling; biofilm, Batik wastewater; bacterial consortium; extracellular polymeric substances</jats:p>

Shashi Kant Bhatia

Sustainability • 0

<jats:p>A continuous increase in global population is demanding more development and industrialization, which leads to the production of various waste such as municipal wastewater, agricultural waste, industrial waste, medical waste, electronic wastes, etc [...]</jats:p>

Boyu Lyu, Bharat Manna, Xueyang Zhou et al.

• 0

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Organic micropollutants (OMPs) in wastewater present significant environmental challenges, but effective removal strategies are hindered by our limited understanding of their co-metabolic biodegradation. We aim to elucidate the microbial enzymes, metabolic pathways, and community members involved in OMP co-metabolic degradation, thereby paving the way for more effective wastewater treatment strategies. We integrated multi-omics (metagenomics, metaproteomics, and metabolomics) and functional group analysis to investigate 24 OMPs under three aeration conditions. Our findings reveal that oxidoreductases, particularly cytochrome P450s and peroxidases, are crucial for recalcitrant OMPs containing halogen groups (-Cl, -F) like fluoxetine and diuron. Hydrolases, including amidases, are instrumental in targeting amide-containing (-CONH₂) OMPs such as bezafibrate and carbamazepine. Regarding microbial metabolism involved in OMP co-metabolic degradation, we found that amino acid metabolism is crucial for degrading amine-containing (-NH₂) OMPs like metoprolol and citalopram. Lipid metabolism, particularly for fatty acids, contributes to the degradation of carboxylic acid (-COOH) containing OMPs such as bezafibrate and naproxen. Finally, with<jats:italic>Actinobacteria</jats:italic>,<jats:italic>Bacteroidetes</jats:italic>, and<jats:italic>Proteobacteria</jats:italic>emerging as primary contributors to these functionalities, we established connections between OMP functional groups, degradation enzymes, metabolic pathways, and microbial phyla. Our findings provide generalized insights into structure-function relationships in OMP co-metabolic degradation, offering the potential for improved wastewater treatment strategies.</jats:p><jats:sec><jats:title>Graphical abstract</jats:title><jats:fig id="ufig1" position="float" orientation="portrait" fig-type="figure"><jats:graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="611302v1_ufig1" position="float" orientation="portrait"/></jats:fig></jats:sec>

Jianxun Shen, T. Shirey, Adam J. Wyness et al.

• 2020

Over the past 150 million years, the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert has been transformed by geologic and atmospheric conditions into one of the most unique and inhospitable landscapes on the planet. This makes it an ideal Mars analog that has been explored for decades as preliminary studies on the space life discovery. However, two heavy rainfalls that occurred in the Atacama in 2015 and 2017 provide a unique opportunity to study the response of resident extremophiles to rapid environmental change associated with excessive water and salt shock. Here we combine geochemical analyses with molecular biology to study the variations in salts and microbial communities along an aridity gradient, and to examine the reshuffling of hyperarid microbiomes before and after the two rainfall events. Analysis of microbial community composition revealed that soils within the southern desert were consistently dominated by Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi, Bacteroidetes, Gemmatimonadetes, and Verrucomicrobia; soils within the hyperarid sites were dominated by Aquificae and Deinococcus-Thermus before heavy rainfalls, while these organisms almost totally diminished after rainfall, and the hyperarid microbial consortia and metabolisms transformed to a more southern desert pattern along with increased biodiversity. Salts at the shallow subsurface were dissolved and leached down to a deeper layer, both benefitting and challenging indigenous microorganisms with the excessive input of water and ions. Microbial viability was found to change with aridity and rainfall events but correlated with elevation, pH, conductivity, chloride, nitrate, sulfate, and soil organic matters (SOM). Metagenomic functional pathways related to stressor responses also increased in post-rainfall hyperarid soils. Our findings contribute to the primary goal of Atacama Mars analog research for understanding the microbial community structure and adaptations: this study sheds light on the structure of xerophilic, halophilic, and radioresistant microbiomes in hyperarid environments, and their response to changes in water availability.

Nimrod Wieler, Tali Erickson Gini, O. Gillor et al.

Biogeosciences • 2021

Abstract. Biological rock crusts (BRCs) are ubiquitous features of rock surfaces in drylands composed of slow-growing microbial assemblages. BRC presence is often correlated with rock weathering, soiling effect or mitigating geomorphic processes. However, their development rate is still unknown. In this work, we characterised and dated BRCs in an arid environment, under natural conditions, by integrating archaeological, microbiological and geological methods. To this end, we sampled rocks from a well-documented Byzantine archaeological site and the surrounding area located in the central Negev, Israel. The archaeological site, which is dated to the fourth to seventh centuries CE, was constructed from two lithologies, limestone and chalk. BRC started developing on the rocks after being carved, and its age should match that of the site. Using stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios, we confirmed the biogenic nature of the crusts. The BRC samples showed mild differences in the microbial community assemblages between the site and its surroundings, irrespective of lithology, confirming the dominance of aeolian inoculation sources. All BRCs were dominated by Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria. We further measured the BRC thickness on 1700-year-old building stone blocks and determined it to be 0.1–0.6 mm thick. Therefore, a BRC growth rate was estimated, for the first time, to be 0.06–0.35 mm kyr −1 . Our dating method was then validated on a similar archaeological site located ca. 20 km away, giving comparable values. We propose that BRC growth rates could be used as an affordable yet robust dating tool in archaeological sites in arid environments.

B. Toshbadalov

American Journal of Applied Science and Technology • 2025

The Kyzylkum Desert represents a unique and extreme ecosystem where plants depend critically on their associated microbiomes for survival and adaptation. This review explores the intricate composition, dynamic interactions, and functional roles of plant microbiomes in such harsh environments, emphasizing their ecological importance and potential applications. Despite significant progress in microbiome research, major gaps remain in understanding the specific mechanisms that enable these microbial communities to thrive under extreme abiotic stressors like high salinity, nutrient deficiency, and drought. Advanced molecular approaches, including metagenomics and 16S rRNA sequencing, are highlighted as indispensable tools for unraveling microbial diversity and functionality in desert ecosystems. Key findings reveal the vital roles of microbial communities—bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, and archaea—in enhancing nutrient acquisition, improving drought resilience, and mitigating oxidative stress in desert plants. Notably, symbiotic associations such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria, phosphate-solubilizing fungi, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are crucial in facilitating plant survival in the nutrient-poor soils of the Kyzylkum Desert. Furthermore, this review underscores the unique adaptive traits of desert microbiomes, including stress-response proteins, exopolysaccharide production, and osmoprotectants, which collectively sustain plant-microbe interactions under challenging conditions. This review integrates findings from local and international research to bridge critical knowledge gaps and underscores the potential of desert microbiomes for sustainable applications, including bioinoculants, soil health enhancement, and desertification mitigation. These insights pave the way for innovative strategies to harness microbial communities in addressing global challenges in agriculture and ecosystem restoration.

Xiaolan Xue, Jannathan Mamut

Agronomy • 2024

Most research on plant–microbe interactions emphasize the effects of micronutrients on the rhizosphere microbial community structure. However, the influence of seed structures, particularly the radicle sheath, on microbial diversity at the seedling root tips under varying temperatures and humidity has been less explored. This study conducted controlled indoor experiments in the northern desert of Xinjiang to assess the radicle sheath’s impact on microbial community composition, diversity, and function. The results indicated no significant changes in the Chao1 index for bacteria and fungi, but notable differences were observed in the Shannon and Simpson indices (p < 0.05). Under drought conditions, the radicle sheath significantly reduced bacterial infections without affecting fungi. Genus-level analysis showed an increased abundance of specific dominant bacterial groups when the radicle sheath was retained. NMDS analysis confirmed its significant effect on both bacterial and fungal community structures. LEfSe analysis identified 34 bacterial and 15 fungal biomarkers, highlighting the treatment’s impacts on microbial taxonomic composition. Functional predictions using PICRUSt 2 revealed that the radicle sheath facilitated the conversion of CH4 to CH3OH and various nitrogen cycle processes under drought. Overall, the radicle sheath plays a crucial role in maintaining rhizosphere microbial community stability and enhancing the functions of both bacteria and fungi under drought conditions.

Francisco Mateo-Ramírez, H. Addi, F. J. Hernández‐Fernández et al.

Journal of Chemical Technology &amp; Biotechnology • 2017

BACKGROUND The present work explores the catalytic and electric performance of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) implemented with high chemical oxygen demand (COD) industrial wastewater from Spain. The polymer inclusion membrane based on 70% [MTOA][Cl] IL was used as separator and showed a good efficiency in power production and COD removal. RESULTS Outputs of 72% in COD conversion, 200 mV voltage and 32 mW m−3 power density were obtained, demonstrating that slaughterhouse wastewater is a good feedstock for the scale-up of this technology. Furthermore, the effect of the microbial fuel cell on the physical/chemical parameters of the slaughterhouse wastewater was analyzed. The concentration of nitrite, orthophosphate, sulfate and ammonium was reduced by more than half. CONCLUSIONS Air breathing cathode-microbial fuel cells based on polymer ionic liquids inclusion membranes allow the treatment of an industrial and high load slaughterhouse wastewater with good depuration and electrical performance efficiency. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry

Safa H. Fadhil, Z. Ismail

Bioremediation Journal • 2021

Abstract Algae-photosynthetic microbial fuel cell (PMFC) could be considered as a promising approach for producing purified water. This study assessed the performance of an algae-PMFC continuously operated for 120 days to treat and demineralize real-field slaughterhouse wastewater associated with bioenergy generation. Mixed bacterial species including Pseudomonas and Bacillus as the dominant species were used to inoculate the anodic chamber, whereby Chlorella vulgaris microalgae were used in the cathodic section. The results showed that maximum removal efficiency of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonium ions from the actual slaughterhouse wastewater were 99.65% and 70%, respectively. Maximum and average recorded power output were 543.28 and 391.42 mW/m2, respectively. Dense growth of both; the biofilm in the anodic compartment as well as Chlorella vulgaris microalgae in the cathodic compartment were clearly observed after 120-days operation. The promising results of this potential approach encourage the application of PMFC for the treatment of slaughterhouse wastewater.

Afşin Çetinkaya, Levent Bilgili

Environmental Research and Technology • 0

<jats:p xml:lang="en">Slaughterhouse wastewater is one of the most produced industrial wastewater in the world and has a high pollution potential, and this wastewater can cause a high level of polluting effect when it is given directly to river beds or sewage systems. Wastewater contains proteins, fats, carbohydrates in the treatment of blood, skin and feathers, which results in much higher biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen content (COD). The possibility of using ultrafiltration for slaughterhouse wastewater treatment was investigated. The results showed that ultrafiltration can be an efficient purification method. COD and BOD5 remova lefficiency is around 96% and 95%. In addition to these results, the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of the ultrafiltration system was also carried out. Accordingly, the effects of ultrafiltration system on human health, ecosystem quality, climate change and resources were calculated as 0,00000046 Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY), 0,134 PDFxm2yr, 0,336 kg CO2 eq and 6,937 MJ respectively. As a result of the study, it is thought that slaughterhouse wastewater can be used as irrigation water after passing through the ultrafiltration membrane due to the high content of N and P.</jats:p>

Xiaoyu Cong, Peter Krolla, Umer Zeb Khan et al.

• 0

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>The global spread of antimicrobial resistances is mainly due to the emission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, antibiotic resistance genes, facultative pathogenic bacteria, and antimicrobial resistance causing substances in human and animal waste into the environment. Innovative strategies are sought to intervene decentrally or centrally at sources of the emergence and spread of hygienically relevant bacteria. In this study, the dissemination of facultative pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes of clinical relevance are monitored in the raw effluents from poultry and pig slaughterhouses in combination of some conventional wastewater treatments on site. As an innovation step, the antimicrobial blue light (aBL) in combination with a porphyrin-based photo-enhancer is investigated for decontamination purpose. Facultative pathogenic bacteria from the clinically significant ESKAPE group are used as reference bacteria and examined for the effectiveness of this inactivation strategy. Beside the directed analyses with reference bacteria, a successful application of the combinatory light-based method was also demonstrated using raw sewage from slaughterhouse.</jats:p>

Venko Beschkov, Elena Razkazova-Velkova

Energy Storage Battery Systems - Fundamentals and Applications • 0

<jats:p>Industrial fermentation and biological wastewater treatment are usually based on redox processes taking place in living cells and on enzyme processes. The practical application of these redox processes is usually associated with electricity generation in microbial fuel cells or process enhancement in microbial electrolysis cells. The microbial fuel cell approach leads to straightforward wastewater treatment with less energy demand. Additional advantages of these processes are the direct removal of various pollutants and the avoidance of addition of chemical agents with the resulting waste products of treatment as it is familiar with the traditional chemical methods. Another option for the use of bioelectrochemical processes in practice is the approach of microbial electrolysis cells. The application of electric field on fermentation or microbial wastewater treatment processes might result in different aspects: either in purely electrochemical processes on the electrodes or in different types of bioelectrochemical stimulation of enzyme activity in the living cells. These applications are associated with the combination of enzyme activity with electrochemical processes to produce or remove certain compounds rapidly at high concentrations with no additions of other chemicals. In the present chapter, both approaches (microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells) are presented and discussed. Some practical applications and experimental examples of such bioelectrochemical redox processes stimulated by constant electric field are demonstrated.</jats:p>

Sigrid Kusch-Brandt, Mohammad A. T. Alsheyab

J • 0

<jats:p>A wastewater refinery is a multifunctional solution that combines different technologies and processing schemes to recover a spectrum of valuable materials from municipal or industrial wastewater. The concept of wastewater refinery introduces a new perspective on wastewater treatment and management. It aims at making the most of wastewater constituents by co-producing different worthful outputs, such as water, energy, nitrogen, sulfide, and phosphorous. This can turn the treatment of wastewater from a major cost into a source of profit. The wastewater refinery approach is well aligned with the concept of the circular economy. A case study on Qatar’s wastewater revealed the potential recovery of significant quantities of valuable resources embodied in the country’s wastewater. Valorization of organic constituents and the recovery of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfide should be given priority. To facilitate the adoption of the wastewater refinery concept, research is required to explore technical and economic bottlenecks.</jats:p>

Riang Anggraini Rahmanisa, I Nyoman Widiasa

Reaktor • 2020

<jats:p>Spent caustic wastewater is produced from the scrubbing process using a caustic solution to absorb contaminants in the oil stream (hydrocarbon). Indonesia’s Petroleum Oil Refinery produces spent caustic wastewater from LPG and kerosene processing unit. Spent caustic wastewater has the characteristic of a strong odor with very high pH (12-14), containing dangerous pollutants such as phenol, aldehydes, mercaptans, and thiols that can be harmful to the human and environment. The Fenton process is used to treat spent caustic before being discharged to the environment. The Fenton process is one of AOPs (Advanced Oxidation Process) using Fe2+ as a catalyst and H2O2 as an oxidant to oxidize organic contaminants in wastewater. This study aims to determine the operating conditions of the Fenton Process with the target characteristics of treated spent caustic meet the WWTP (Waste Water Treatment Plant) inlet specifications and to make the design process of spent caustic treatment with the Fenton Process capacity of 10 m3/day. By operating at the H2O2/Fe (II) ratio of 1.8, the final target was achieved with COD of 810 ppm, ammonia of 22.84 ppm, sulfide of 60.93 ppm and phenol of 14.56 ppm. Total Capital Investment (TCI) for the design is US$ 2146701.89 whereas Total Manufacturing Cost of US$ 2089740.75.Keywords: spent caustic; refinery wastewater; Fenton process</jats:p>