Recovery of heavy metals from industrial wastewater using bioelectrochemical system inoculated with novel Castellaniella species

Water pollution is a global issue that has drastically increased in recent years due to rapid industrial development. Different technologies have been designed for the removal of pollutants from wastewater. However, most of these techniques are expensive, generate new waste, and focus solely on metal removal instead of metal recovery. In this study, novel facultative exoelectrogenic strains designated Castellaniella sp. A5, Castellaniella sp. B3, and Castellaniella sp. A3 were isolated from a microbial fuel cell (MFC). These isolates were utilized as pure and mixed culture inoculums in a bioelectrochemical system (BES) to produce bioelectricity and treat simulated industrial wastewater. A single-chamber MFC inoculated with the mixed culture attained the highest electricity generation (i.e., 320 mW/m2 power density and 3.19 A/m2 current density), chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency (91.15 +/- 0.05%), and coulombic efficiency (54.81 +/- 4.18%). In addition, the BES containing biofilms of the mixed culture achieved the highest Cu, Cr, and Cd removal efficiencies of 99.89 +/- 0.07%, 99.59 +/- 0.53%, and 99.91 +/- 0.04%, respectively. The Cr6+ and Cu2+ in the simulated industrial wastewater were recovered via microbial electrochemical reduction as Cr3+ and Cu0, respectively. However, Cd2+ precipitated as Cd (OH)2 or CdCO3 on the surface of the cathodes. These results suggest that a mixed culture inoculum of Castellaniella sp. A5, Castellaniella sp. B3, and Castellaniella sp. A3 has great potential as a biocatalyst in BES for heavy metals recovery from industrial wastewater.

Automated summary

Water pollution has become a significant global issue due to rapid industrial development, with technologies like a bioelectrochemical system showing promise for the treatment and recovery of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. The study isolated novel exoelectrogenic strains from a microbial fuel cell and demonstrated their effectiveness in producing bioelectricity and achieving high removal efficiencies of heavy metals like Cu, Cr, and Cd. This research highlights the potential of mixed culture inoculums in bioelectrochemical systems for heavy metals recovery.