Nitrogen recovery from wastewater using microbial fuel cells

• Published in: Frontiers of environmental science & engineering 2016-02, Vol.10 (1), p.185-191
• Main Authors: Xiao, Yong, Zheng, Yue, Wu, Song, Yang, Zhao-Hui, Zhao, Feng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ammonium compounds; Biochemical fuel cells; Cathodes; Chambers; Contaminants; Crop growth; Earth and Environmental Science; electrodes; electromigration; Environment; Ferric nitrate; Fertilizers; Fuel cells; Fuel technology; microbial fuel cells; microbial fuel cells (MFCs); Microorganisms; Nitrates; Nitrogen; nitrogen recovery; potassium; Potassium ferricyanide; Recovery; Research Article; Waste recovery; Wastewater; wastewater treatment; 作物生长; 合成废水; 微生物燃料电池; 生物元素; 电池回收; 铁氰化钾; 阳极室; 阴极室
• ISSN: 2095-2201; 2095-221X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11783-014-0730-5

Nitrogen is one of major contaminants in wastewater; however, nitrogen, as bio-elements for crop growth, is the indispensable fertilizer in agriculture. In this study, two-chamber microbial fuel cells （MFCs） were first operated with microorganisms in anode chamber and potassium ferricyanide as catholyte. After being success- fully startup, the two-chamber MFCs were re-constructed to three-chamber MFCs which were used to recover the NO-3 -N and NH＋4 -N of synthetic wastewater into value- added nitrogenous fertilizer from cathode chamber and anode chamber, respectively. Ferric nitrate was used as the sole electron acceptor in cathode, which also was used to evaluate the NO-3 -N recover efficiency in the case major anion of NO3 in cathode. The output voltage of these MFCs was about 600-700 mVat an external load of 500 Ω. About 47% NH＋4 -N in anode chamber and 83% NO-3 -N in cathode chamber could be recovered. Higher current density can selectively improve the recovery efficiency of both NH＋4-N and NO3 -N. The study demonstrated a nitrogen recovery process from synthetic wastewater using three-chamber MFCs.