The utilization of the economical membranes in the dual-chambered microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can efficiently treat wastewater and produce electricity

Abstract

This study successfully built and evaluated the microbial fuel cell (MFC). Synthetic wastewater and actual wastewater were used to run and study two MFC chambers linked by a salt bridge. By shifting the operating temperature between (25 – 30 °C) and the pH value from (4.0 to 7.0), the optimal operating temperature, as well as pH value, were determined (6.7 – 6.5). A decrease in pH increased the observed voltage and current in addition to shortening the operation time to only five days, while an increase in operating temperature indicated a substantial influence on lowering operation time. The cell was put through its paces with actual wastewater present, at optimal temperatures and pH levels. The implementation of three different membranes for the purpose of separating MFCs resulted in a gradual rise of voltage, with cellophane displaying the highest increase, followed by paper filter and PEM (proton exchange membrane). The use of PEM is quite prevalent in water treatment, but its inability to allow for permeability renders it susceptible to drying out. These findings validated the produced cell's potential for rapidly treating such polluted material. COD levels for the implemented studies showed a decrease of over 60%, demonstrating the capability of live microorganisms in digesting reusing substrate to generate electrical power. The cell produced approximately 0.443 mV and 8.3 A.