Microbial fuel cell-based biosensor for online monitoring wastewater quality: A critical review

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2020-04, Vol.712, p.135612, Article 135612
• Main Authors: Do, Minh Hang, Ngo, Huu Hao, Guo, Wenshan, Chang, Soon Woong, Nguyen, Dinh Duc, Liu, Yiwen, Varjani, Sunita, Kumar, Mathava
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biochemical oxygen demand; Bioelectric Energy Sources; Biosensing Techniques; Biosensor; Challenges; Microbial fuel cell-based; Waste Water; Wastewater quality monitoring
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135612

Recently, the application of the microbial fuel cell (MFC)-based biosensor for rapid and real-time monitoring wastewater quality is very innovative due to its simple compact design, disposability, and cost-effectiveness. This review represents recent advances in this emerging technology for the management of wastewater quality, where the emphasis is on biochemical oxygen demand, toxicity, and other environmental applications. In addition, the main challenges of this technology are discussed, followed by proposing possible solutions to those challenges based on the existing knowledge of detection principles and signal processing. Potential future research of MFC-based biosensor has been demonstrated in this review. [Display omitted] •MFCs-based biosensor is an innovative technology for wastewater quality detection.•No transducer is needed for MFC-based biosensors to read and convert the signal.•MFCs sensor's limitations are sensitivity, irreproducibility, labor scaling and stability.•Future research on improving electrodes' material and configurations is essential.