Feasibility study of simultaneous bioelectricity generation and dye decolorization using naturally occurring decolorizers

This first-attempt study tended to uncover microbial characteristics of simultaneous bioelectricity generation and dye decolorization in air-cathode single-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) using indigenous dye decolorizers (e.g., Acinetobacter johnsonii NIUx72, Enterobacter cancerogenus BYm30, Klebsiella pneumoniae ZMd31). Batch experimental results showed that supplementation of azo dye C.I. reactive blue 160 (RBu 160) simultaneously stimulated dye decolorization and bioelectricity generation for ZMd31. However, such additions of RBu 160 repressed bacterial activity of A. johnsonii NIUx72, E. cancerogenus BYm30 for power production in MFC. Apparently, selecting appropriate electrochemically active microbes is inevitably top-priority for simultaneous bioelectricity generation and dye decolorization in MFCs. (C) 2010 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.