Utilizing different food cultures for wastewater treatment and enhanced power generation in microbial fuel cells

Tariq Chaudhary; Shaheryar Ahmed; Muhammad Usman; Ali O. M. Maka; Shafqat Rasool; Mohammad Ghaleeh; Baixin Chen

doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.107706

Utilizing different food cultures for wastewater treatment and enhanced power generation in microbial fuel cells

Tariq Chaudhary
, Shaheryar Ahmed
, Muhammad Usman
, Ali O. M. Maka
, Shafqat Rasool
, Mohammad Ghaleeh
, Baixin Chen^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Engineering

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of reactor architecture and biocompatibility of anode material on wastewater treatment and power generation in single-chamber (SC) and dual-chamber (DC) microbial fuel cells (MFCs) by utilizing different bacterial food cultures. Comparison between graphite-coated Cu (composite) and 304L stainless steel (SS) anodes is presented under optimized pH (7.13) and temperature (34 °C). Food cultures, especially buttermilk with an acetic acid substrate, significantly enhanced power density (PD), achieving 2.17 W/m² using composite anode and 1.67 W/m² using SS in SCMFCs. Mixed food cultures raised performance by ~50% achieving 3.31 W/m² and 2.97 W/m² using composite and SS anodes respectively. High chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rates (>68%) confirm effective wastewater treatment. These findings suggest that macroporous composite anodes can improve microbial compatibility and power output in MFCs, with optimal performance observed at neutral pH and ambient temperatures.

Original language	English
Article number	107706
Pages (from-to)	1-11
Number of pages	11
Journal	Biomass and Bioenergy
Volume	195
Issue number	April 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.107706
Publication status	Published - 17 Feb 2025

Data Access Statement

Data will be made available on request

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13 Climate Action

Keywords

Microbial Fuel Cell
Wastewater
Food Cultures
Composite Anode
Power Generation
Reactor Optimization

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Chaudhary_et_al_Utilizing_different_food_cultures_for_wastewater_treatment_and_enhanced_power_generation_in_microbial_fuel_cells_2025Final published version, 4.76 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Utilizing different food cultures for wastewater treatment and enhanced power generation in microbial fuel cells",

abstract = "This study investigates the impact of reactor architecture and biocompatibility of anode material on wastewater treatment and power generation in single-chamber (SC) and dual-chamber (DC) microbial fuel cells (MFCs) by utilizing different bacterial food cultures. Comparison between graphite-coated Cu (composite) and 304L stainless steel (SS) anodes is presented under optimized pH (7.13) and temperature (34 °C). Food cultures, especially buttermilk with an acetic acid substrate, significantly enhanced power density (PD), achieving 2.17 W/m² using composite anode and 1.67 W/m² using SS in SCMFCs. Mixed food cultures raised performance by \textasciitilde{}50\% achieving 3.31 W/m² and 2.97 W/m² using composite and SS anodes respectively. High chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rates (>68\%) confirm effective wastewater treatment. These findings suggest that macroporous composite anodes can improve microbial compatibility and power output in MFCs, with optimal performance observed at neutral pH and ambient temperatures.",

keywords = "Microbial Fuel Cell, Wastewater, Food Cultures, Composite Anode, Power Generation, Reactor Optimization",

author = "Tariq Chaudhary and Shaheryar Ahmed and Muhammad Usman and Maka, \{Ali O. M.\} and Shafqat Rasool and Mohammad Ghaleeh and Baixin Chen",

year = "2025",

month = feb,

day = "17",

doi = "10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.107706",

language = "English",

volume = "195",

pages = "1--11",

journal = "Biomass and Bioenergy",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Utilizing different food cultures for wastewater treatment and enhanced power generation in microbial fuel cells

AU - Chaudhary, Tariq

AU - Ahmed, Shaheryar

AU - Usman, Muhammad

AU - Maka, Ali O. M.

AU - Rasool, Shafqat

AU - Ghaleeh, Mohammad

AU - Chen, Baixin

PY - 2025/2/17

Y1 - 2025/2/17

N2 - This study investigates the impact of reactor architecture and biocompatibility of anode material on wastewater treatment and power generation in single-chamber (SC) and dual-chamber (DC) microbial fuel cells (MFCs) by utilizing different bacterial food cultures. Comparison between graphite-coated Cu (composite) and 304L stainless steel (SS) anodes is presented under optimized pH (7.13) and temperature (34 °C). Food cultures, especially buttermilk with an acetic acid substrate, significantly enhanced power density (PD), achieving 2.17 W/m² using composite anode and 1.67 W/m² using SS in SCMFCs. Mixed food cultures raised performance by ~50% achieving 3.31 W/m² and 2.97 W/m² using composite and SS anodes respectively. High chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rates (>68%) confirm effective wastewater treatment. These findings suggest that macroporous composite anodes can improve microbial compatibility and power output in MFCs, with optimal performance observed at neutral pH and ambient temperatures.

AB - This study investigates the impact of reactor architecture and biocompatibility of anode material on wastewater treatment and power generation in single-chamber (SC) and dual-chamber (DC) microbial fuel cells (MFCs) by utilizing different bacterial food cultures. Comparison between graphite-coated Cu (composite) and 304L stainless steel (SS) anodes is presented under optimized pH (7.13) and temperature (34 °C). Food cultures, especially buttermilk with an acetic acid substrate, significantly enhanced power density (PD), achieving 2.17 W/m² using composite anode and 1.67 W/m² using SS in SCMFCs. Mixed food cultures raised performance by ~50% achieving 3.31 W/m² and 2.97 W/m² using composite and SS anodes respectively. High chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rates (>68%) confirm effective wastewater treatment. These findings suggest that macroporous composite anodes can improve microbial compatibility and power output in MFCs, with optimal performance observed at neutral pH and ambient temperatures.

KW - Microbial Fuel Cell

KW - Wastewater

KW - Food Cultures

KW - Composite Anode

KW - Power Generation

KW - Reactor Optimization

U2 - 10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.107706

DO - 10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.107706

M3 - Article

SN - 0961-9534

VL - 195

SP - 1

EP - 11

JO - Biomass and Bioenergy

JF - Biomass and Bioenergy

IS - April 2025

M1 - 107706

ER -

Utilizing different food cultures for wastewater treatment and enhanced power generation in microbial fuel cells

Abstract

Data Access Statement

UN SDGs

Keywords

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