Strategies to alleviate clogging in constructed wetlands: What can be learned from the microbial fuel cell coupled membrane bioreactor?

Biological clogging is considered to be the most challenging problem affecting the long-term operation in constructed wetlands (CWs). The existing methods for alleviating biological clogging have defects as high cost, poor adaptability, and damage to the internal environment. Thus, identifying a safe and effective method with lower cost is imperative. The integration of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) into membrane bioreactors (MBRs) have been found to control membrane fouling and improve wastewater treatment efficiencies, therefore, a bold idea is proposed that MFC-CW, consisting of MFCs and CWs, has potential to control clogging in CWs owing to the similarity in material composition between membrane fouling and biological clogging, and the advantageous conditions for MFCs and CWs to be naturally compatible. In this review, the regulatory mechanism of MFC-MBR to mitigate membrane fouling is explored, inspiring new insights into the use of bioelectrochemical actions in MFCs to alleviate biological clogging in CWs, which provides a theoretical basis for the practical application of MFC-CW, and helps achieving the stable and long-term operation of CWs.

Automated summary

Biological clogging is a major problem in constructed wetlands (CWs) and current methods to mitigate it have drawbacks. This review discusses the integration of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with membrane bioreactors (MBRs) to control membrane fouling in wastewater treatment. The potential of MFC-CW, consisting of MFCs and CWs, to alleviate biological clogging in CWs is explored, providing a theoretical basis for practical application and long-term operation of CWs.