Factors affecting the performance of a single-chamber microbial fuel cell-type biological oxygen demand sensor.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are devices that exploit microorganisms as biocatalysts to degrade organic matter or sludge present in wastewater (WW), and thereby generate electricity. We developed a simple, low-cost single-chamber microbial fuel cell (SCMFC)-type biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) sensor using carbon felt (anode) and activated sludge, and demonstrated its feasibility in the construction of a real-time BOD measurement system. Further, the effects of anodic pH and organic concentration on SCMFC performance were examined, and the correlation between BOD concentration and its response time was analyzed. Our results demonstrated that the SCMFC exhibited a stable voltage after 132 min following the addition of synthetic WW (BOD concentration: 200 mg/L). Notably, the response signal increased with an increase in BOD concentration (range: 5-200 mg/L) and was found to be directly proportional to the substrate concentration. However, at higher BOD concentrations (>120 mg/L) the response signal remained unaltered. Furthermore, we optimized the SCMFC using synthetic WW, and tested it with real WW. Upon feeding real WW, the BOD values exhibited a standard deviation from 2.08 to 8.3% when compared to the standard BOD5 method, thus demonstrating the practical applicability of the developed system to real treatment effluents.

[1]  B. Min,et al.  In situ microbial fuel cell-based biosensor for organic carbon. , 2011, Bioelectrochemistry.

[2]  D. Pant,et al.  A review of the substrates used in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for sustainable energy production. , 2010, Bioresource technology.

[3]  Jae Kyung Jang,et al.  Improving the dynamic response of a mediator-less microbial fuel cell as a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) sensor , 2004, Biotechnology Letters.

[4]  Ashley E. Franks,et al.  Microbial Fuel Cells, A Current Review , 2010 .

[5]  Jae Kyung Jang,et al.  Continuous determination of biochemical oxygen demand using microbial fuel cell type biosensor. , 2004, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[6]  Byung Hong Kim,et al.  A mediator-less microbial fuel cell using a metal reducing bacterium, Shewanella putrefaciens , 2002 .

[7]  Irini Angelidaki,et al.  Submersible microbial fuel cell sensor for monitoring microbial activity and BOD in groundwater: Focusing on impact of anodic biofilm on sensor applicability , 2011, Biotechnology and bioengineering.

[8]  Neil Pasco,et al.  MICREDOX--development of a ferricyanide-mediated rapid biochemical oxygen demand method using an immobilised Proteus vulgaris biocomponent. , 2004, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[9]  Bo Mattiasson,et al.  Microbial BOD sensor for monitoring treatment of wastewater from a rubber latex industry , 2008 .

[10]  K. Scott,et al.  Effect of temperature on the performance of microbial fuel cells , 2010 .

[11]  Shungui Zhou,et al.  Electrocatalytic activity of anodic biofilm responses to pH changes in microbial fuel cells. , 2011, Bioresource technology.

[12]  Byung Hong Kim,et al.  Novel BOD (biological oxygen demand) sensor using mediator-less microbial fuel cell , 2003, Biotechnology Letters.

[13]  Jae Kyung Jang,et al.  Improvement of a microbial fuel cell performance as a BOD sensor using respiratory inhibitors. , 2005, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[14]  Chao Li,et al.  Influences of initial pH on performance and anodic microbes of fed‐batch microbial fuel cells , 2011 .

[15]  G. Gil,et al.  Operational parameters affecting the performannce of a mediator-less microbial fuel cell. , 2003, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[16]  Shungui Zhou,et al.  Microorganism-immobilized carbon nanoparticle anode for microbial fuel cells based on direct electron transfer , 2011, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.

[17]  Hyung Joo Kim,et al.  Practical field application of a novel BOD monitoring system. , 2003, Journal of environmental monitoring : JEM.

[18]  Keith Scott,et al.  A single-chamber microbial fuel cell as a biosensor for wastewaters. , 2009, Water research.

[19]  K R Rogers,et al.  Recent advances in biosensor techniques for environmental monitoring. , 2006, Analytica chimica acta.

[20]  Zhang Yixin.  Research advances in biosensor for rapid measurement of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) , 2007 .

[21]  Richard M. Stuetz,et al.  On‐line monitoring of wastewater quality: a review , 2001 .

[22]  I Karube,et al.  Microbial electrode BOD sensors , 1977, Biotechnology and bioengineering.