Bioelectricity production from the anodic inoculation of Geobacter sulfurreducens DL-1 bacteria in constructed wetlands-microbial fuel cells

Environmental pollution problems caused by the use of fossil fuels have led to the search for renewable energy sources to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, constructed wetlands-microbial fuel cells (CW-MFC) could contribute to sustainable development, considering that this technology focuses on the production of bioelectricity. One of the main challenges of CW-MFCs is to potentiate their bioelectrochemical performance. Therefore, this research used the Geobacter sulfurreducens DL-1 bacterium (biofilm) as a bioelectrocatalyst to increase bioelectricity generation. For this, three bioreactors were built as CW-MFCs, using Juncus effusus root exudates and Philodendron cordatum macrophytes as endogenous substrates. The biofilm was developed in a nutrient broth acetate fumarate and directly inoculated onto the anodes of each CW-MFC. The results of bio-electrochemical analyses showed that the biofilm generated more bioelectricity when it consumed the exudates of the Juncus effusus macrophyte, resulting in a maximum performance of 107 mW/m2 power density,-361 mV anodic potential, 290 mV cathodic potential, and 124 & omega; internal resistance, using a concentration of 27.5 mg/L of total organic carbon as an endogenous substrate. The results determined that the quantity of root exudates consumed by the anodic biofilm is directly related to the production of bioelectricity in CW-MFCs.

Automated summary

The environmental pollution problems caused by fossil fuels have prompted the search for renewable energy sources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Constructed wetlands-microbial fuel cells (CW-MFCs) provide a potential solution for sustainable development by focusing on bioelectricity generation. This research utilized Geobacter sulfurreducens DL-1 bacterium as a bioelectrocatalyst in CW-MFCs to enhance bioelectricity production. The results demonstrated that the consumption of root exudates by the anodic biofilm directly influenced the bioelectricity generation in CW-MFCs.