Treatment of seafood industrial wastewater coupled with electricity production using air cathode microbial fuel cell under saline condition

Abstract

The present study investigated seafood industrial wastewater treatment with corresponding power generation in air cathode microbial fuel cell under saline condition (40 g/L). The results recorded total chemical oxygen demand) removal of 52 ± 1.8%, 64 ± 1.1%, 85 ± 1.2%, 89 ± 1.4%, and 76 ± 1.2% to the corresponding organic load (OL) of 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25, and 1.5 gCOD/L under saline condition. Soluble chemical oxygen demand reduction was in the range of 46% to 78% at OL of 0.5 to 1.5 gCOD/L. The maximum power density (530 ± 15 mW/m²) and coulombic efficiency (52 ± 2.4%) was procured at the OL of 1.25 and 0.5 gCOD/L, respectively. Total suspended solids removal was 74 ± 1.5% at OL of 1.25 gCOD/L and 64 ± 1.3% at OL 1.5 gCOD/L. Bacterial community analysis for anode region samples for OL 0.5 and 1 gCOD/L was extensively dominated by Bacillus (MN880233) with 75.8% and 55.8%, respectively. Interestingly at 1.25 gCOD/L OL, Rhodococcus (MN880237) was predominant (42.3%) strain in the anode region and recorded high power production under saline condition. Sludge samples subjected to phylogenetic analysis explored the dominance of Clostridium, Turicibacter, and Marinobacter at different OL from 0.5 to 1.5 gCOD/L. Bacterial community results at 1.25 gCOD/L of OL sludge samples revealed completely different strains of dominancy in the community. Marinobacter (53.3%), Ochrobactrum (19.3%), and Bacillus (8.1%). Thus, the phylogenetic analysis of the anodic and sludge samples clearly detailed the presence of halophilic bacterial strains with high potential to treat seafood processing industrial wastewater and excellent exoelectrogenic activity for power production.

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Identifiers

DOI

10.1002/er.5774

Journal

International Journal of Energy Research

Year

2020