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To cite this article: Rushika Patel, Purvi Zaveri & Nasreen S. Munshi (2017): Microbial fuel cell,
the Indian scenario: developments and scopes, Biofuels, DOI: 10.1080/17597269.2017.1398953
Article views: 4
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BIOFUELS, 2017
https://doi.org/10.1080/17597269.2017.1398953
planned by researchers. This review looks into details of MFCs developed by research groups of
India from the perspective of structure, configuration, substrate, various electrogenic bacteria
and, ultimately, the output generated. This allows the reader not only to know the current
status but also to understand limitations, loopholes and further scope of development in the
field of MFC technology.
Figure 1. Schematic representation of double-chambered microbial fuel cell construction: (A) using a proton exchange membrane
(PEM) as separator; (B) using a salt bridge as separator [8].
Zaveri et al. (2016) constructed a dual-chambered H- and a carbon felt electrode. The anode was filled with
type DC-MFC with synthetic wastewater having synthetic wastewater containing sodium acetate as the
sucrose as anolyte, with graphite electrodes and E. coli sole source of carbon, and mixed anaerobic sludge
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as the MFC culture, and showed the suitability of such after heat treatment at 100 C for 15 min as a source of
an MFC for treatment of industrial wastewater [8]. Dif- microbial consortium. Various percentages of montmo-
ferent separators such as an anionic exchange mem- rillonite or kaolinite were used as a cation exchanger. It
brane, a cationic exchange membrane and a salt was observed that the ceramic separator has low resis-
bridge were used to investigate performance of the tance, less oxygen diffusion and greater long-term sta-
DC-MFC for the treatment of combined industrial efflu- bility of operation [9]. Many more parameters can still
ent of South Gujarat. Figure 1 shows a DC-MFC with (A) be modified and improved in dual-chamber construc-
an ion exchange membrane and (B) a salt bridge. The tions. There is scope for improvement in almost all
salt bridge was found to be the best candidate for sta- components of the dual-chambered MFC.
ble voltage output, with high Biochemical Oxygen
Demand (BOD) and COD reduction achieved [8].
As electron transfer from organism to electrode Single-chambered MFC
plays a very important role in the working of MFCs, var-
ious forms of graphite such as rod, sheet, brush and In a single-chambered microbial fuel cell (SC-MFC), the
blade types are used to enhance the surface area of anodic chamber is connected to a porous, air-exposed
electrodes. cathode, separated by a PEM (Figure 2) or gas diffusion
Pathak and Mahadwad constructed a DC-MFC with layer.
five carbon and graphite rods (or blades) in a single Three SC-MFCs were constructed using plexiplex
chamber as electrodes with distinct surface areas. Dif- material with 320 mL capacity, having inlet and
ferent surface areas used in system were 64.46 cm2 for
the small rod, 176.43cm2 for the large rod, 210.43 cm2
for four blades, 267.20 cm2 for six blades and
486.60 cm2 for eight blades [1]. The anode chamber
was filled with 300 mL inoculated sludge and 700 mL
wastewater collected from the Upflow Anaerobic
Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor and from the influent
stream of the Sewage Treatment Plant, Tapovan,
Nashik, treating 78 MLD, respectively. Potassium per-
manganate was used as a catholyte and the two cham-
bers were separated by a PEM. With different
electrodes, viz. carbon rod, graphite rod, four-blade
graphite, six-blade graphite and eight-blade graphite,
open-circuit voltages generated were 0.741, 1.023,
1.183, 1.351 and 1.431 V, respectively. Ghadge and
Ghangrekar [9] constructed a DC-MFC with variation in
separators. In this study, a low-cost ceramic separator
was used instead of a PEM or salt bridge. DC-MFCs Figure 2. Design of SC-MFC. (PEM: Proton Exchange
were designed using a transparent polyacrylic material Membrane).
4 R. PATEL ET AL.
outlet ports and the chamber separated by PEM, by Fourteen months of stable performance reveals the
Mohan et al. [10]. Graphite plates with surface area viability of MFC for field applications [12].
of 70 cm2 were used as electrodes. In this study, an
anaerobic mixed consortium was used as the inocu-
Stacked MFC
lum and the effect of biofilm formation on graphite
anodes was investigated. The operation was done A small-scale single MFC does not generate sufficient
in fed-batch mode. Designed synthetic wastewater power to be used in even low-consumption devices.
and chemical wastewaters were used as substrate, Using a number of MFCs connected in series or in par-
with 1.67 and 1.81 kg COD/m3/day organic loading allel is one way to increase power generation for spe-
rates, respectively, to investigate substrate degrada- cific applications (Figure 4). A novel configuration of
tion and power generation in the presence of bio- stacked MFCs was adapted for continuous and high
film on the anode electrode. Concentrated electricity production by Aelterman et al. [13]. In this
orthophosphoric acid (88%) was added to wastewa- type of construction, individual MFCs’ CE is not altered,
ter to achieve pH 6 for inhibition of methanogenic but together they increase the total current output. A
bacteria and to sustain acidogenic bacteria during stacked MFC was designed with three MFCs, fabricated
the process. An air cathode was used and the using polyvinylchloride (PVC), to have a two-compart-
anode and cathode were connected with copper ment system with 100 mL working volume per cell
wire. The partially developed biofilm or fully devel- [14]. A dual-gas diffusion cathode was used in this
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oped biofilm on the surface of the anode evidenced study. VITO-CoRETM cold-rolled gas diffusion electrodes
the positive influence on degradation and electricity (GDEs) were used as cathodes on both side of MFCs,
production. This study also showed the role of bio- whereas carbon cloth was used as the anode. Ion-per-
film in the enhancement of electron transfer in the meable separators were used as connectors. Ambient
absence of a mediator. air was fed at the catholyte via the GDE at an overpres-
Unique SC-MFC devices were constructed, with a sure of 5 mbar. Farm manure was used as biocatalyst
distinct design of the anodic chamber, by Khare and after pretreatment with 2-bromoethane sulphonic acid
Bundela [11]. The SC-MFC was designed with plastic (BESA). Anodic chambers were filled with diluted dark
chamber of 2-L capacity, a carbon electrode, a salt fermentation effluent. This study displayed a continu-
bridge as a separator and methylene blue as the medi- ous increase in voltage up to a maximum of 2.12 V,
ator for transfer of electrons to the anode. Four differ- contributing to a power density of 3163 mW/m3 with 2
ent types of wastewater, obtained from biscuit and kV external resistance. Increased treatment efficiency
potato processing factories, cow dung and vermicom- (82%) was achieved as compared to individual systems
post from Jabalpur, were used as carbon sources. The (»60%) when run in continuous mode.
system was operated for 7 days and generated maxi- Such structural modifications play a very important
mum voltages of 356, 258, 174 and 357 mV from bis- role in achieving improvements in open-circuit voltage
cuit and potato processing factories, cow dung and generated by MFCs. However, physicochemical condi-
vermicompost, respectively. This study demonstrated tions under operation, and the scale of operation, also
that MFCs are self-sufficient devices that can success- are contributing factors to cells’ voltage output.
fully generate elecricity from organic waste and reus-
able waste materials.
Microbes used in MFC
An air-cathode SC-MFC was assembled using a
baked clayware cylinder with 26-L capacity which The catalyst being exploited in MFCs is a live microbial
had three compartments (lower, middle and upper) population, microbial consortia or pure isolated forms.
and three sample collection ports. The outer wall of Being exposed to a diverse array of organic substances,
the cylinder was coated with carbon ink (carbon microbial communities present in marine sediment, soil,
powder with MnO2 catalyst) and comprised of three wastewater and activated sludge have proved to be effi-
different cathodes called the separator electrode cient inocula for use in MFCs. Due to availability of varie-
assembly. The air-cathode SC-MFC can be con- ties of species and their exposure to various sbstrates,
nected in series (Figure 3), individually or in parallel. consortia have better ability to utilize a broad substrate
The anode was made of carbon felt with 0.44 m2 range. Apart from the basic function of microorganisms
surface area. The anodic chamber was filled with for degrading substrates and generating electricity, they
4.87 L of anaerobic sludge after providing combined also have been employed to fix oxygen in some cases,
pretreatment of acid and heat where synthetic which is discussed later in the section.
wastewater with sucrose was used as carbon source. Anaerobic sludge is a widely used microbial consor-
COD varied from 0.5 to 2.0 g/L in the wastewater. tium in various types of fuel cells, but the activity of
The maximum power of 17.85 mW was achieved at methanogens was found to negatively influence the
0.375 V (47.25 mA) with 78% COD removal. CE of MFCs. To provide a solution to this practical
BIOFUELS 5
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problem, the addition of marine algae such as Chaeto- was used as a biocatalyst in an MFC [17]. Work on Sac-
ceros is employed. It contains hexadecatrienoic acid, charomyces cerevisiae (a commonly used fungus during
which significantly reduces the growth of methano- fermentation and baking) as an anodic biocatalyst in an
genic archaea. Rajesh et al. designed a DC-MFC that ini- SC-MFC without mediator has also been reported. The
tially contained anaerobic sludge with pretreatment of performance of the SC-MFC was determined in terms of
Chaetoceros, and they also added Chaetoceros after a power generation and substrate removal. It was
few cycles [15]. A decrease of almost 60% in specific reported that the performance of the device was influ-
methanogenic activity was observed after pretreat- enced by pH because S. cerevisiae has superior growth
ment of anaerobic sludge, and led to an increase in at pH 6 [18]. Experiments were performed to compare
power generation. the performance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and
Bacteria used in MFCs have been extensively investi- Escherichia coli with anaerobic consortia as anodic bio-
gated with or without mediators. Pseudomonas aerugi- catalyst. The study concluded that mixed microbial con-
nosa and Shewanella putrefaciens are strains well known sotia had higher practical utility than the pure culture
for their ability to degrade complex organic compounds for real field conditions and wastewater treatment with
and for bioelectrogenicity, respectively. These two high degradation capacity and electricity production
strains were inividually or together used in MFCs for [19].
better electricity generation and substrate utilization Subhas et al. designed an SC (Single Chambered)
[16]. Paenibacillus, a starch-degrading microorganism, autotrophic photo-bioelectrocatalytic fuel cell using an
Figure 4. Stacked MFC of five individual cells. (PEM: Proton Exchange Membrance; A: Anode; C: Cathode).
6 R. PATEL ET AL.
algal consortium as biocatalyst in the anode [20]. The more eco-friendly energy generation techniques
consortium was obtained from an ecological water through MFC [24]. Wastewater was collected from vari-
body at Hyderabad and was enriched before further ous industries including a biscuit factory and a potato
use. This device worked in the presence of atmospheric processing factory, and mixed with vermicompost,
CO2 and domestic wastewater as a carbon source. It which provided good amounts of starch, glucose and
was run with a dark:light cycle of 12 h. Availability of mixtures of organic substrates, and was able to gener-
light and uptake of organic matter are two major fac- ate a maximum of 385 mV [25].
tors affecting electrogenicity and degradation effi-
ciency of algal fuel cells. This fuel cell was found to be
Other applications of MFC
a potentially cost-effective, sustainable and renewable
alternative ecofriendly device. But the photosynthetic The first successful prototype MFC was developed in
nature of algae poses a major limitation of increased May 2007, by the University of Queensland, Australia,
concentration of dissolved oxygen, which negatively with cooperative efforts by Foster’s Brewing Company.
influences degradation and generation of electricity. This prototype was designed with a capacity for 10 L of
After evidence of usage of microalgae in anodes, brewery waste water to convert into carbon dioxide,
the efficiency of organisms to fix oxygen was used to clean water and electricity. With the prototype proven
aerate the cathode by Mohan et al. [21]. They con- successful, plans are in effect to produce a 660-gallon
structed a DC-MFC with a microalgae consortium as a version for the brewery, which is estimated to produce
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biocathode. An anaerobic consortium was used as a 2 kilowatts of power. Gifu University announced in
biocatalyst for production of electricity and substrate December 2014 that it was the first in the world to suc-
degradation. To stabilize voltage ouput initially an air- cessfully recover phosphorus from wastewater while
cathode was used. The cathode was then filled with generating power through the use of MFCs. Other
microalgae and domestic wastewater to ensure parellel globally studied applications of MFCs include those for
degradation and increased oxygen concentration. It hydrogen production and as sensors. However, there
was observed that seasonal changes had considerable are no reports on full-scale successful implementation
impact on electrogenic activity (spring: 57.0 mW/m2; of MFCs in India, to the best of our knowledge.
summer 1.1 mW/m2). This phenomenon may be due to During the 1960s, MFCs came under scrutiny for two
the higher activity of RuBisCO at lower temperature of main technology transfers. The US space program
spring leading to higher oxygenic photosynthetic wanted to build an MFC for use as a waste disposal sys-
activity of microalgae and respective dissolved oxygen tem for space flights and for simultaneous electricity
levels. Higher temperature of summer and light inten- generation. The second group were medical research-
sity were found to prevent rich algal biomass growth ers with the goal of creating a power supply for a per-
as well as their photosynthetic activity during summer.. manently implantable artificial heart [26]. Phototrophic
This study offers a model example of the synergistic MFCs also represent an excellent attempt in the
relationship between bacterial fermentation in the advancement of MFC technology for hydrogen pro-
anode and the oxygenic photosynthesis of microalgae duction, electricity production and waste treatment.
in the cathode resulting in progress in power output as Other than that, the successful circuit design of stacked
well as treatment efficiency. MFCs is also a great achievment in MFC technology.
In addition to the physiological limitations of
growth at lower temperatures, power generated by
Substrate
MFCs is not sufficient to run even low-power devices
The substrate, being the electron donor of the system, like sensors or transmitters continuously. Improving
plays a very important role in the generation of high various parameters, such as reducing internal resis-
voltage from MFCs. A complex substrate may be tance, increasing the surface area of the electrodes,
unavailable or unsuitable for immediate assimilation/ use of adapted cultures or microbial consortia, using a
degradation by microorganisms. Substrates reported fed-batch system and the construction of stacked
for use in MFCs range from the simplest sugars to com- MFCs, may help in resolving such issues. Alternative
plex organic compounds, and mixtures of organic mat- strategies include the use of a suitable power manage-
ter, various sludges and wastewater from individual ment program, and use of an ultra-capacitor for
industries [22]. Most studies have been conducted improving MFC performance.
with single substrates such as acetate, sucrose and glu-
cose, and preliminary investigation and optimization of
Conclusion
various types of MFCs were done [23]. Substrates such
as cow dung, vegetables and fishery waste have also Intensive research on MFCs has significantly reduced
been used in DC-MFCs. The aim of using such sub- the complexity of rate-limiting steps, which in turn has
strates was to investigate the feasibility of replacing led to higher current output. Some companies such as
traditional Indian methanogenesis with better and MFC tech (Opencel) have emerged to use MFCs for fuel
BIOFUELS 7
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