1. Factors affecting the performance of microbial fuel cells for sulfur pollutants removal.
- Author
-
Zhao F, Rahunen N, Varcoe JR, Roberts AJ, Avignone-Rossa C, Thumser AE, and Slade RC
- Subjects
- Biodegradation, Environmental, Environmental Pollutants isolation & purification, Equipment Design, Equipment Failure Analysis, Reproducibility of Results, Sensitivity and Specificity, Desulfovibrio cytology, Desulfovibrio metabolism, Electric Power Supplies microbiology, Environmental Pollutants metabolism, Sulfur metabolism
- Abstract
A microbial fuel cell (MFC) has been developed for removal of sulfur-based pollutants and can be used for simultaneous wastewater treatment and electricity generation. This fuel cell uses an activated carbon cloth+carbon fibre veil composite anode, air-breathing dual cathodes and the sulfate-reducing species Desulfovibrio desulfuricans. 1.16gdm(-3) sulfite and 0.97gdm(-3) thiosulfate were removed from the wastewater at 22 degrees C, representing sulfite and thiosulfate removal conversions of 91% and 86%, respectively. The anode potential was controlled by the concentration of sulfide in the compartment. The performance of the cathode assembly was affected by the concentration of protons in the cation-exchanging ionomer with which the electrocatalyst is co-bound at the three-phase (air, catalyst and support) boundary.
- Published
- 2009
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