Enhanced azithromycin removal in microalgae-microbial fuel cells: comparative analysis of anode and cathode configurations.
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75% confidenceThis study investigates the removal of azithromycin in microalgae-microbial fuel cells (m-MFCs) with two configurations, A-AZ-MFC and C-AZ-MFC, and finds that both achieve comparable degradation but A-AZ-MFC has superior electrochemical output and microbial tolerance.
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Abstract
Azithromycin (AZ), a broad-spectrum antibiotic, is commonly found in aquatic habitats. This study investigated two microalgae-microbial fuel cell (m-MFC) configurations, A-AZ-MFC (AZ in the anode) and C-AZ-MFC (AZ in the cathode), which were run in fed-batch mode under open- and closed-circuit conditions (10-200 mg/L AZ). AZ removal increased from 43 % in an open circuit to 83 % when the circuit was closed in A-AZ-MFC and from 68 % to 84 % in C-AZ-MFC. While both A-AZ-MFC and C-AZ-MFC achieved comparable AZ degradation (83-84 %), A-AZ-MFC demonstrated superior electrochemical output (Power density: 275 mW/m 3 ; Net energy recovery: 0.11 kWh/kg COD; Coulombic efficiency: 26 %) and higher microbial tolerance (IC 50 = 77.02 mg/L), indicating effective electron transfer and steady biofilm activity. Both designs achieved successful detoxification, as evidenced by comparable transformation product profiles and lower effluent toxicity. These findings demonstrate m-MFCs, especially anode-optimized systems, as sustainable platforms for the removal of antibiotics and the production of bioenergy.