Potential for wastewater treatment systems based on microbial fuel cells and biological hydrogen production

It is possible to simultaneously accomplish wastewater treatment and generate electricity from organic matter using bacteria as a biocatalyst with microbial fuel cells (MFC)-based technologies. In systems that have been used recently, 10-50 mw/sq m was generated using domestic wastewater while simultaneously achieving wastewater treatment (80% removal of the biochemical oxygen demand of the wastewater). The maximum achievable level in MFC was on the order of 1000 mw/sq m. Although this power level appeared low, such levels are sufficient to make energy recovery from wastewater economically feasible in the near future due to the high surface area densities currently used in some wastewater treatment processes. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 228th ACS National Meeting (Philadelphia, PA 8/22-26/2004).