Title: Optimising the proportion of pure and mixed culture in inoculum to enhance the performance of microbial fuel cells

Authors: Dipak A. Jadhav; Makarand M. Ghangrekar

Addresses: School of Water Resources, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, India ' Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, India

Abstract: Single-chambered microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were inoculated with different proportions of Shewanella putrefaciens and mixed-anaerobic sludge, viz. 100:0% (MFC-1), 0:100% (MFC-2), 10:90% (MFC-3), 30:70% (MFC-4) and 50:50% (MFC-5). Performance of these MFCs was evaluated using different electrochemical analyses. Due to specific substrate-selectivity, MFC-1 showed lower power (1.22 W.m⁻³) than MFC-2 (2.15 W.m⁻³). Power performance increased from 2.21 (MFC-3) to 2.56 W.m⁻³ (MFC-4) with increased fraction of Shewanella from 10 to 30% in the inoculum, and power density further enhanced to 3.1 W.m⁻³ in MFC-5 inoculated with equal-fraction of Shewanella and mixed sludge. Bioelectrochemical analyses showed higher electron transfer rate and lower charge-transfer resistance in MFC-5 due to synergy between both the inoculums and promoted the electron transfer at anode. Thus, inoculation of MFC with equal-fraction of mixed-anaerobic sludge and Shewanella showed effective bio-augmentation to improve the anodic bioactivity and power generation from MFC.

Keywords: bioaugmentation; ceramics separator; cyclic voltammetry; microbial fuel cell; MFC; synergistic association; wastewater treatment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2020.110159

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2020 Vol.23 No.1, pp.50 - 67

Accepted: 23 Jun 2020
Published online: 07 Oct 2020 *

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