A novel application of simple submersible yeast-based microbial fuel cells as dissolved oxygen sensors in environmental waters

In this study, yeast microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were established as biosensors for in-situ monitoring of dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in environmental waters, with yeast and glucose substrates acting as biocatalyst and fuel, respectively. Diverse environmental factors, such as temperature, pH and conductivity, were considered. The sensor performance was first tested with distilled water with different DO levels ranging from 0 mg/L to 8 mg/L and an external resistance of 1000 ohm. The relationship between DO and current density was non-linear (exponential). This MFC capability was further explored under different environmental conditions (pH, temperature and conductivity), and the current density produced was within the range of 0.14-34.88 mA/m2, which increased with elevated DO concentration. The resulting regression was y = 1.3051e0.3548x, with a regression coefficient (R2) = 0.71, indicating that the MFC-based DO meter was susceptible to interference. When used in environmental water samples, DO measurements using MFC resulted in errors ranging from 6.25 % to 15.15 % when compared with commercial DO meters. The simple yeast-based MFC sensors demonstrate promising prospects for future monitoring in a variety of areas, including developing countries and remote locations.

Automated summary

Yeast microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were used as biosensors for in-situ monitoring of dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in environmental waters, showing promising prospects for future monitoring in various areas.