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Microbial desalination cells for water purification and power generation: A critical review

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  • Tawalbeh, Muhammad
  • Al-Othman, Amani
  • Singh, Karnail
  • Douba, Ikram
  • Kabakebji, Dania
  • Alkasrawi, Malek

Abstract

The modern society’s sustainable development and the ever-increasing population growth are facing the serious challenge of shortage in water resources. The solution to this global problem needs collective efforts at multiple levels and one of them could be finding new methods of clean water production. In this regard, microbial desalination cells (MDCs) have emerged as a promising technology that has the potential to help address this problem. This work reviews the recent developments in MDC technologies as well as the current research work being done in this area. This paper also presents recent advances in membranes, cell design and the cells’ capability of being integrated with other desalination systems to enhance desalination capacity and power production. Attention is also paid to the various materials and components of MDC systems while highlighting the advances in each of these categories. Furthermore, economic and environmental assessments are made to show various challenges in the application and reliability of this technology. The results of this review show that the main challenge in MDC is the feasibility of its large-scale implementation. It further shows that more efforts are needed to improve its efficiency in power generation to make it a viable technology.

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  • Tawalbeh, Muhammad & Al-Othman, Amani & Singh, Karnail & Douba, Ikram & Kabakebji, Dania & Alkasrawi, Malek, 2020. "Microbial desalination cells for water purification and power generation: A critical review," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:209:y:2020:i:c:s0360544220316017
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2020.118493
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    2. Salameh, Tareq & Tawalbeh, Muhammad & Al-Shannag, Mohammad & Saidan, Motasem & Melhem, Khalid Bani & Alkasrawi, Malek, 2020. "Energy saving in the process of bioethanol production from renewable paper mill sludge," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
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    1. Tawalbeh, Muhammad & Al-Othman, Amani & Ka'ki, Ahmad & Farooq, Afifa & Alkasrawi, Malek, 2022. "Lignin/zirconium phosphate/ionic liquids-based proton conducting membranes for high-temperature PEM fuel cells applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
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    3. Tawalbeh, Muhammad & Murtaza, Sana Z.M. & Al-Othman, Amani & Alami, Abdul Hai & Singh, Karnail & Olabi, Abdul Ghani, 2022. "Ammonia: A versatile candidate for the use in energy storage systems," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 955-977.
    4. Ong, Samuel & Al-Othman, Amani & Tawalbeh, Muhammad, 2023. "Emerging technologies in prognostics for fuel cells including direct hydrocarbon fuel cells," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    5. Remston Martis & Amani Al-Othman & Muhammad Tawalbeh & Malek Alkasrawi, 2020. "Energy and Economic Analysis of Date Palm Biomass Feedstock for Biofuel Production in UAE: Pyrolysis, Gasification and Fermentation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-34, November.
    6. Yang, Xiaolin & Liu, Zhaoyang & Xia, Jianjun, 2023. "Optimization and analysis of combined heat and water production system based on a coal-fired power plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 262(PB).
    7. Hamed Farahani & Mostafa Haghighi & Mohammad Mahdi Behvand Usefi & Mostafa Ghasemi, 2024. "Overview of Sustainable Water Treatment Using Microbial Fuel Cells and Microbial Desalination Cells," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-27, November.
    8. Mohamed, Hend Omar & Talas, Sawsan Abo & Sayed, Enas T. & Park, Sung-Gwan & Eisa, Tasnim & Abdelkareem, Mohammad Ali & Fadali, Olfat A. & Chae, Kyu-Jung & Castaño, Pedro, 2021. "Enhancing power generation in microbial fuel cell using tungsten carbide on reduced graphene oxide as an efficient anode catalyst material," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    9. Nauman Javed, Rana Muhammad & Al-Othman, Amani & Tawalbeh, Muhammad & Olabi, Abdul Ghani, 2022. "Recent developments in graphene and graphene oxide materials for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    10. Sayed, Enas Taha & Abdelkareem, Mohammad Ali & Alawadhi, Hussain & Elsaid, Khaled & Wilberforce, Tabbi & Olabi, A.G., 2021. "Graphitic carbon nitride/carbon brush composite as a novel anode for yeast-based microbial fuel cells," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    11. Tawalbeh, Muhammad & Al-Othman, Amani & Abdelwahab, Noun & Alami, Abdul Hai & Olabi, Abdul Ghani, 2021. "Recent developments in pressure retarded osmosis for desalination and power generation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    12. Tawalbeh, Muhammad & Mohammed, Shima & Alnaqbi, Aaesha & Alshehhi, Shouq & Al-Othman, Amani, 2023. "Analysis for hybrid photovoltaic/solar chimney seawater desalination plant: A CFD simulation in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 667-685.

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