MESSAI.iO

AI summary

82% confidence

A two-chamber microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) was operated in continuous-flow mode to simultaneously oxidize COD at the anode and reduce CO₂ to acetate and methane at the cathode. The system achieved 95% Coulombic efficiency at the anode (866 mgCOD/L·d removal) and diverted 76% of electron equivalents into cathodic product formation. Ion transport across the proton exchange membrane enabled concurrent recovery of ammonium (242 mgN/L) and bicarbonate (22.49 gHCO₃⁻/L), demonstrating integrated wastewater treatment with chemical and nutrient recovery.

Generated by MESSAI extraction pipeline · review against source PDF

Generic MECRepresentative model
Click to animate flow
loading 3D model…

Representative MEC — matched on the paper’s system type only, not its reactor or geometry.

Extraction

Reported parameters

No values extracted from this paper yet.

Open in lab for full controls, parameter editing, and template overlays.

Open in lab →

What they did

System
MEC

What worked

No outcome metrics extracted yet.

Abstract

A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) was operated in continuous-flow condition to obtain cathodic CO2 reduction into acetate and methane along with COD anodic oxidation. Under steady-state conditions, most of the electron equivalents produced by COD anodic oxidation (866 mgCOD/Ld) were diverted into current rather than microbial growth, with an average Coulombic efficiency of 95 ± 8 %. In the cathodic chamber, acetate and methane formation from CO2 reduction accounted for 76% of the equivalents generated in the anodic oxidation reaction. Because a spill of cathodic liquid phase was necessary in order to counterbalance osmotic diffusion across the PEM, it was also possible to spill from the cathodic chamber a concentrated stream of acetate (248 ± 16meq/L). Moreover, as an additional effect, cation transport across the proton exchange membrane (PEM) and the consequent alkalinity generation made it possible to accumulate ammoniumnitrogen (242 ± 19 mgN/L) and bicarbonate (22.49 ± 1.45 gHCO3-/L). Hence, the MEC combined COD andCO2 removal in addition to nutrients and energy recovery from an anodic influent that simulated an urban wastewater.

Keywords

AnodeMicrobial electrolysis cellElectrolysisAlkalinityFaraday efficiencyBicarbonate

Identifiers

DOI
10.3303/cet1649075
Journal
IRIS Research product catalog (Sapienza University of Rome)
Year
2016