Trends and Prospects of Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells as Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystem Remediation Technology

A sediment microbial fuel cell (SMFC) is a system in which MFC is applied to a sediment layer of an aqueous system for water purification. SMFCs can remove contaminants from sediments and decompose organic matter while simultaneously producing electrical energy. SMFC is installed in the form of installing an anode in the sediment at the bottom of the water system and a cathode in the water layer above the sediment, and connecting the two electrodes through an external circuit. Early SMFCs were developed to be used as power sources in hard-to-reach deep water areas or remote areas. However, recently, it has attracted a lot of attention as a technology for biologically purifying pollutants through its own power supply. Furthermore, it is being developed as a means of monitoring the environmental condition of the installed area. Despite the importance of SMFC, no comprehensive review has yet been published to the Korean readers on the trends and prospects of SMFC research. Therefore, in this review paper, the mechanism of SMFC, their mechanism of removal of organic, inorganic, and heavy metals, and the current state of SMFC technology are discussed, and future prospects are presented.