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This study investigates microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for simultaneous power generation and nitrogen removal from high-concentration nitrate wastewater. A two-chamber MFC with carbon cloth electrodes and proton exchange membrane was operated at varying NO₃-N concentrations (138–552 mg/L). Optimal performance occurred at 414 mg/L, achieving 97.48% NO₃-N removal, 0.17 V stable voltage, and 40.18 mW/m² power density. Proteobacteria dominated the cathode biofilm, with Thauera and Rhodocyclales as key denitrifiers. However, incomplete reduction led to nitrite accumulation, indicating insufficient anode electron supply.

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Coulombic efficiency7.3%

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What they did

System
MFC

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Abstract

Abstract Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has the function of decarburization and denitrification and is considered advantageous in treating wastewater with a low carbon-nitrogen ratio. In the current study, MFC treats different concentrations of nitrate nitrogen. And compared with abiotic electrode treatment and microbial treatment only, MFC showed obvious treatment advantages. The best treatment effect was recorded when the nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) concentration was 414 mg/L. The running of the MFC system showed that it produced a stable output voltage up to 0.17 V within 160 h; And showed a power density up to 40.18 mW/m², which was 1.58 times of M1 (138 mg/L, 25.49 mW/m²), 4.48 times of non-biological electrode; The removal rate of NO3-N was 97.48%, but the lack of anode electron supply resulted in the incomplete reduction of nitrate nitrogen and accumulation of nitrite-nitrogen (188.83 mg/L). Nitrate-nitrogen concentration in the study had no significant impact on microbial population diversity. However, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria increased from 47.3% to 65.4% when NO3-N concentration increased from 138 to 414 mg/L. Results from this study are promising for a theoretical basis for microbial cathode denitrification.

Keywords

Microbial fuel cellDenitrificationNitrateNitrogenNitriteMicrobial population biology

Identifiers

DOI
10.21203/rs.3.rs-1820657/v1
Journal
Research Square
Year
2022