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The great utility that plastics generate for society has generated a large amount of waste, producing tons of garbage from this material that damages the ecosystem, human health, and farmland. Likewise, the issue of the absence of electricity in low-income areas is critical for society. This research proposes a novel solution to simultaneously solve these two problems, which, through single-chamber microbial fuel cells, introduce plastic waste and the fungus Paecilomyces. The microbial fuel cells (MFCs) showed a maximum electric current of 0.547 ± 0.185 mA with a peak voltage of 0.575 ± 0.106 V on day 36; on this day, the MFCs operated with a pH of 6.524 ± 0.360 and electrical conductivity of 264.847 ± 6.395 mS/cm. These results demonstrate the potential of this system to generate electricity from plastic waste, addressing the issue of electricity scarcity in low-income areas. The chemical oxygen demand was also reduced by 85.47%, indicating the system's ability to degrade plastic waste. The power density calculated on day 36 was 0.0624 ± 0.0053 mW/cm2 at a current density of 0.0052 mA/cm2 and an internal resistance of 55.254 ± 7.583 Ω. The reducing action of the fungus on the plastic was demonstrated in the FTIR transmittance spectrum because the characteristic peaks (3378, 2854–2911, 1642, 1472, and 720 cm−1) of the plastic suffered reductions in the final state, and the micrographs of the plastic surfaces showed the lifting of layers and the formation of irregular structures and a decrease in the thickness of the plastic sample of 139.66 ± 4.19 µm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mismanagement of plastic waste, organic waste, and the shortage of electricity in remote villages has created significant challenges for industries and governments. Therefore, this research aims to utilize the fungus Trichoderma sp. as a catalyst in microbial fuel cells, where the novelty of the research is the generation of electricity and the degradation of plastic simultaneously. In this study, single-chamber microbial fuel cells were constructed using carbon (anode) and zinc (cathode) electrodes. The substrate consisted of 20 gr of potato waste and 1.5 × 1.5 cm samples of plastic waste, all combined in 390 mL of Bushnell broth, into which Trichoderma sp. was inoculated. The highest electrical readings were recorded on day 23, showing values of 5.648 ± 0.093 mA and 0.479 ± 0.025 V. On the same day, the pH level was measured at 7.046 ± 0.314, and the substrate's electrical conductivity was found to be 155.135 ± 2.569 mS/cm. Over the 45-day monitoring period, the chemical oxygen demand decreased by 78.67%. The microbial fuel cells achieved a maximum power density of 68.140 ± 2.418 mW/cm2 at a current density of 4.719 mA/cm2, with an internal resistance of 23.647 ± 1.514 Ω. Analysis of the plastic using FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) revealed a decrease in the intensity of spectral bands associated with hydroxyl groups, C-H structural groups, methyl groups, and C=C bonds. Additionally, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) images demonstrated a reduction in the thickness of the plastic film and the formation of voids and sheets, highlighting the potential of Trichoderma sp. for plastic degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic waste, a persistent and escalating issue, and the high costs of installing electric power, particularly in remote areas, have become pressing concerns for governments. This research proposes a novel method for generating electric power from sugarcane bagasse waste and reducing plastic waste. The key to this method is the use of the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus in microbial fuel cells. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) demonstrated their effectiveness by generating peaks of electric current (4.325 ± 0.261 mA) and voltage (0.427 ± 0.031 V) on day twenty-six, with a pH of 5.539 ± 0.278. The peak electrical conductivity of the substrate was 130.574 ± 4.981 mS/cm. The MFCs were able to reduce the chemical oxygen demand by 83%, showing a maximum power density of 86.316 ± 4.724 mW/cm2 and an internal resistance of 37.384 ± 62.522 Ω. The infrared spectra of the plastic samples showed a decrease in the peaks 2850–2920, 1470, and 720 cm−1, which are more characteristic of plastic, demonstrating the action of the Pleurotus ostreatus fungus on the plastic samples. Also, the micrographs taken by SEM showed the reduction in the thickness of the plastic film by 54.06 µm and the formation of microstructures on the surface, such as pores and raised layers of the sample used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amount of waste from agriculture has significantly increased in recent decades due to the growing demand for food. Meanwhile, providing electricity to remote areas remains a challenge due to the high installation costs. Single-chamber fuel cells offer a promising solution as they can effectively generate electric power and treat organic waste. For this reason, the main objective of this research is to utilize pickled chili waste as fuel in SC-MFCs (single-chamber fuel cells), using carbon and zinc electrodes to assess its potential as a sustainable alternative fuel source. The fuel cells exhibited a maximum electric current and voltage of 5.565 ± 0.182 mA with 0.963 ± 0.033 V of voltage, respectively, with a substrate electrical conductivity of 113.526 ± 6.154 mS/cm with a pH of 6.62 ± 0.42 on the twelfth day. The internal resistance measured was 46.582 ± 6.845 Ω, and the maximum power density reached 148.128 ± 8.914 mW/cm2 at a current density of 3.657 A/cm2. Additionally, the microorganisms Pseudomonas taiwanensis and Candida parapsilosis were identified with 100% identity in the anode electrode. This study demonstrates that pickled chili residues can successfully generate bioelectricity and light an LED bulb connected to MFCs in series with a voltage of 2.67 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrialization has brought many environmental problems since its expansion, including heavy metal contamination in water used for agricultural irrigation. This research uses microbial fuel cell technology to generate bioelectricity and remove arsenic, copper, and iron, using contaminated agricultural water as a substrate and Bacillus marisflavi as a biocatalyst. The results obtained for electrical potential and current were 0.798 V and 3.519 mA, respectively, on the sixth day of operation and the pH value was 6.54 with an EC equal to 198.72 mS/cm, with a removal of 99.08, 56.08, and 91.39% of the concentrations of As, Cu, and Fe, respectively, obtained in 72 h. Likewise, total nitrogen concentrations, organic carbon, loss on ignition, dissolved organic carbon, and chemical oxygen demand were reduced by 69.047, 86.922, 85.378, 88.458, and 90.771%, respectively. At the same time, the PDMAX shown was 376.20 ± 15.478 mW/cm2, with a calculated internal resistance of 42.550 ± 12.353 Ω. This technique presents an essential advance in overcoming existing technical barriers because the engineered microbial fuel cells are accessible and scalable. It will generate important value by naturally reducing toxic metals and electrical energy, producing electric currents in a sustainable and affordable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific reports have diversified enormously in the various thematic areas of the scientific world, generating errors and biases in the searches and directing the various investigations. For this reason, this article provides an approach, from the point of view of bibliometric analysis, to reveal the trends of agricultural waste for its potential use as fuel in generating electrical energy. This research has used the programs RStudio, VosViewer, and Excel for the compilation and analysis of data, whose data were extracted from Scopus during the period from 2013 to 15 March 2024, filtering all types of publications that were not original articles and English language. Scientific reports have found that biodigesters are constantly evolving, improving valves, studying and analyzing different types of agricultural waste, and using microorganisms to accelerate the fermentation process of agricultural waste. The terms biogas (330 occurrences), anaerobic digestion (214 occurrences), and agriculture (212 occurrences) were the words with the highest occurrences. At the same time, the author that stood out was Liu Y., who had an H index of 6 and 117 citations in his six articles published in the Scopus database. Moreover, China (1900 citations) was the country with the highest citation numbers, followed by the United States (1060 citations) and India (967 citations). The designs of biogas production increase efficiency and can increase biodigesters' performance. The research also reveals the different types of development and trends that stood out and emerged in the last decade, such as the authors who have had the most impact on this topic that has recently emerged and the countries that have obtained the most significant number of publications on the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, two significant problems involve the government, population, and environment: the accelerated increase in organic waste and the need to replace conventional energy with environmentally sustainable energy. The sustainable use of organic waste is being intensely investigated to generate energy plants that produce alternative sustainable electrical energy beneficial to the population at a low cost. The novelty of this research is given by the use of pepper waste as fuel in the generation of bioelectricity, giving added value to these types of waste, benefiting farmers and companies dedicated to the export and import of these fruits, because they will be able to generate their own electrical energy using their own waste at a lower cost. For this reason, this research uses pepper waste as fuel in single-chamber microbial fuel cells manufactured at a low cost as its primary objective. The maximum values of the electric current (5.118 ± 0.065 mA) and electric potential (1.018 ± 0.101 V) were shown on the fourteenth day, with an optimal operating pH of 7.141 ± 0.134 and electrical conductivity of 112.846 ± 4.888 mS/cm. Likewise, a reduction in the COD was observed from 1210.15 ± 0.89 mg/L to 190.36 ± 16.58 mg/L in the 35 days of monitoring and with a maximum ORP of 426.995 ± 8.615 mV, whose internal resistance was 33.541 ± 2.471 Ω. The peak power density was 154.142 ± 8.151 mW/cm2 at a current density of 4.834 A/cm2, and the Rossellomorea marisflavi strain was identified with 99.57% identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, industry in all its forms is vital for the human population because it provides the services and goods necessary to live. However, this process also pollutes soils and rivers. This research provides an environmentally friendly solution for the generation of electrical energy and the bioremediation of heavy metals such as arsenic, iron, and copper present in river waters used to irrigate farmers' crops. This research used single-chamber microbial fuel cells with activated carbon and zinc electrodes as anodes and cathodes, respectively, and farmers' irrigation water contaminated with mining waste as substrate. Pseudomonas stutzeri was used as a biocatalyst due to its ability to proliferate at temperatures between 4 and 44 °C—at which the waters that feed irrigated rivers pass on their way to the sea—managing to generate peaks of electric current and voltage of 4.35 mA and 0.91 V on the sixth day, which operated with an electrical conductivity of 222 mS/cm and a pH of 6.74. Likewise, the parameters of nitrogen, total organic carbon, carbon lost on the ignition, dissolved organic carbon, and chemical oxygen demand were reduced by 51.19%, 79.92%, 64.95%, 79.89%, 79.93%, and 86.46%. At the same time, iron, copper, and arsenic values decreased by 84.625, 14.533, and 90.831%, respectively. The internal resistance values shown were 26.355 ± 4.528 Ω with a power density of 422.054 mW/cm2 with a current density of 5.766 A/cm2. This research gives society, governments, and private companies an economical and easily scalable prototype capable of simultaneously generating electrical energy and removing heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution generated by the misuse of large amounts of fruit and vegetable waste has become a major environmental and social problem for developing countries due to the absence of specialized collection centers for this type of waste. This research aims to generate electricity in an eco-friendly way using red dragon fruit (pitahaya) waste as the fuel in single-chamber microbial fuel cells on a laboratory scale using zinc and copper electrodes. It was possible to generate voltage and current peaks of 0.46 ± 0.03 V and 2.86 ± 0.07 mA, respectively, with an optimum operating pH of 4.22 ± 0.09 and an electrical conductivity of 175.86 ± 4.72 mS/cm at 8 °Brix until the tenth day of monitoring. An internal resistance of 75.58 ± 5.89 Ω was also calculated with a maximum power density of 304.33 ± 16.51 mW/cm2 at a current density of 5.06 A/cm2, while the FTIR spectra showed a decrease in the initial compounds and endings, especially at the 3331 cm−1 peaks of the O–H bonds. Finally, the yeast-like fungus Geotrichum candidum was molecularly identified (99.59%). This research will provide great opportunities for the generation of renewable energy using biomass as fuel through electronic devices with great potential to generate electricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of organic waste as fuel for energy generation will reduce the great environmental problems currently caused by the consumption of fossil sources, giving agribusiness companies a profitable way to use their waste. In this research, tomato waste with different percentages of sucrose (0-target, 5, 10, and 20%) was used in microbial fuel cells manufactured on a laboratory scale with zinc and copper electrodes, managing to generate maximum peaks of voltage and a current of 1.08 V and 6.67 mA in the cell with 20% sucrose, in which it was observed that the optimum operating pH was 5.29, while the MFC with 0% (target) sucrose generated 0.91 V and 3.12 A on day 13 with a similar pH, even though all the cells worked in an acidic pH. Likewise, the cell with 20% sucrose had the lowest internal resistance (0.148541 ± 0.012361 KΩ) and the highest power density (224.77 mW/cm2) at a current density of 4.43 mA/cm2, while the MFC with 0% sucrose generated 160.52 mW/cm2 and 4.38 mA/cm2 of power density and current density, respectively, with an internal resistance of 0.34116 ± 0.2914 KΩ. In this sense, the FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) of all the substrates used showed a high content of phenolic compounds and carboxylate acids. Finally, the MFCs were connected in a series and managed to generate a voltage of 3.43 V, enough to light an LED (green). These results give great hope to companies and society that, in the near future, this technology can be taken to a larger scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enormous environmental problems that arise from organic waste have increased due to the significant population increase worldwide. Microbial fuel cells provide a novel solution for the use of waste as fuel for electricity generation. In this investigation, onion waste was used, and managed to generate maximum peaks of 4.459 ± 0.0608 mA and 0.991 ± 0.02 V of current and voltage, respectively. The conductivity values increased rapidly to 179,987 ± 2859 mS/cm, while the optimal pH in which the most significant current was generated was 6968 ± 0.286, and the ° Brix values decreased rapidly due to the degradation of organic matter. The microbial fuel cells showed a low internal resistance (154,389 ± 5228 Ω), with a power density of 595.69 ± 15.05 mW/cm2 at a current density of 6.02 A/cm2; these values are higher than those reported by other authors in the literature. The diffractogram spectra of the onion debris from FTIR show a decrease in the most intense peaks, compared to the initial ones with the final ones. It was possible to identify the species Pseudomona eruginosa, Acinetobacter bereziniae, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Yarrowia lipolytica adhered to the anode electrode at the end of the monitoring using the molecular technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]