Application of Biologically Produced Magnetite to Anodes in Microbial Fuel Cell

Abstract

As a new wastewater treatment technology, microbial fuel cells which can degrade organic matter in wastewater and convert chemical energy to electrical energy as well are attracting more and more attention in recent years. In this study, we presented a novel MFC which is equipped with an anode modified with biologically produced magnetite (hereafter referred to as BM). We have examined performance of bio-magnetite modified anode in MFC and compared with that of bared carbon paper anode in both pure culture of strain PCA and anaerobically digested sludge as inoculum. It was demonstrated that MFC with bio-magnetite anode was a superior in columbic efficiency and diffusion coefficient to bared carbon paper. Then, T-RFLP analyses of microbial communities residing on the surface of anode showed that unique two T-RFs in BM, which were not detected in CP after RsaI treatment, might result in the difference of electrochemical performance.