IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v209y2020ics0360544220316017.html

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

Author

Listed:
  • 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.

Suggested Citation

  • 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
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544220316017
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2020.118493?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. 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).
    2. Ragab, Mostafa & Elawwad, Abdelsalam & Abdel-Halim, Hisham, 2019. "Simultaneous power generation and pollutant removals using microbial desalination cell at variable operation modes," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 939-949.
    3. Soudan, Bassel, 2019. "Community-scale baseload generation from marine energy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    4. Mahmoud Shatat & Saffa B. Riffat, 2014. "Water desalination technologies utilizing conventional and renewable energy sources," International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, Oxford University Press, vol. 9(1), pages 1-19.
    5. Kokabian, Bahareh & Ghimire, Umesh & Gude, Veera Gnaneswar, 2018. "Water deionization with renewable energy production in microalgae - microbial desalination process," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 354-361.
    6. Meng, Fanxin & Liu, Gengyuan & Liang, Sai & Su, Meirong & Yang, Zhifeng, 2019. "Critical review of the energy-water-carbon nexus in cities," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 1017-1032.
    7. Ghasemi, Mostafa & Wan Daud, Wan Ramli & Alam, Javed & Ilbeygi, Hamid & Sedighi, Mehdi & Ismail, Ahmad Fauzi & Yazdi, Mohammad H. & Aljlil, Saad A., 2016. "Treatment of two different water resources in desalination and microbial fuel cell processes by poly sulfone/Sulfonated poly ether ether ketone hybrid membrane," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 303-313.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    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).
    2. 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.
    3. Alkasrawi, Malek & Al-Othman, Amani & Tawalbeh, Muhammad & Doncan, Shona & Gurram, Raghu & Singsaas, Eric & Almomani, Fares & Al-Asheh, Sameer, 2021. "A novel technique of paper mill sludge conversion to bioethanol toward sustainable energy production: Effect of fiber recovery on the saccharification hydrolysis and fermentation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    4. Atin K Pathak & VV Tyagi & Sanjeev Anand & Richa Kothari, 2022. "Experimental investigation of designed solar parabolic concentrator based desalination system for textile industry wastewater treatment," Energy & Environment, , vol. 33(5), pages 870-896, August.
    5. 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).
    6. 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.
    7. 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).
    8. 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).
    9. 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).
    10. 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).
    11. 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.
    12. 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.
    13. 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).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sadeq, Ahmed M. & Ismail, Zainab Z., 2024. "Improved bioenergy recovery and desalination efficiency using innovative configuration of an upflow triple enclosed cuboid compartments -photosynthesis microbial desalination cell: Experimental and modeling study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    2. Alkasrawi, Malek & Al-Othman, Amani & Tawalbeh, Muhammad & Doncan, Shona & Gurram, Raghu & Singsaas, Eric & Almomani, Fares & Al-Asheh, Sameer, 2021. "A novel technique of paper mill sludge conversion to bioethanol toward sustainable energy production: Effect of fiber recovery on the saccharification hydrolysis and fermentation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    3. Xinxin Liu & Nan Li & Feng Liu & Hailin Mu & Longxi Li & Xiaoyu Liu, 2021. "Optimal Design on Fossil-to-Renewable Energy Transition of Regional Integrated Energy Systems under CO 2 Emission Abatement Control: A Case Study in Dalian, China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-25, May.
    4. Parnian, Mohammad Javad & Rowshanzamir, Soosan & Gashoul, Fatemeh, 2017. "Comprehensive investigation of physicochemical and electrochemical properties of sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) membranes with different degrees of sulfonation for proton exchange membrane fuel cell applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 614-628.
    5. Fuadiyah Anissatul Dinana & Siswanto Puspitarini Anggun, 2022. "A novel fermentation substrate in bioethanol production by saccharomyces cerevisiae," HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE - ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY, vol. 12(1), pages 42-54.
    6. Yajing Gu & He Ren & Hongwei Liu & Yonggang Lin & Weifei Hu & Tian Zou & Liyuan Zhang & Luoyang Huang, 2024. "Simulation of a Tidal Current-Powered Freshwater and Energy Supply System for Sustainable Island Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-24, October.
    7. Zigao He, 2023. "The Water–Energy–Carbon Coupling Coordination Level in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-15, December.
    8. Liang Li & Ying Xiang & Xinyue Fan & Qinxiang Wang & Yang Wei, 2023. "Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Agricultural Production Efficiency in Sichuan Province from the Perspective of “Water–Land–Energy–Carbon” Coupling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-21, October.
    9. Meng, Fanxin & Wang, Dongfang & Meng, Xiaoyan & Li, Hui & Liu, Gengyuan & Yuan, Qiuling & Hu, Yuanchao & Zhang, Yi, 2022. "Mapping urban energy–water–land nexus within a multiscale economy: A case study of four megacities in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PB).
    10. Lei Han & Jinling Li & Chengtun Qu & Zhiguo Shao & Tao Yu & Bo Yang, 2022. "Recent Progress in Sludge Co-Pyrolysis Technology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-12, June.
    11. D’Adamo, Idiano & Falcone, Pasquale Marcello & Gastaldi, Massimo & Morone, Piergiuseppe, 2020. "The economic viability of photovoltaic systems in public buildings: Evidence from Italy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    12. Ismail, Mohamed M. & Dincer, Ibrahim, 2023. "A new renewable energy based integrated gasification system for hydrogen production from plastic wastes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    13. Olabi, A.G. & Wilberforce, Tabbi & Abdelkareem, Mohammad Ali, 2021. "Fuel cell application in the automotive industry and future perspective," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    14. Mostafa Ghasemi & Mehdi Sedighi & Yie Hua Tan, 2021. "Carbon Nanotube/Pt Cathode Nanocomposite Electrode in Microbial Fuel Cells for Wastewater Treatment and Bioenergy Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-13, July.
    15. Ahmad, Shakeel & Jia, Haifeng & Chen, Zhengxia & Li, Qian & Xu, Changqing, 2020. "Water-energy nexus and energy efficiency: A systematic analysis of urban water systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    16. Akdemir, Kerem Ziya & Robertson, Bryson & Oikonomou, Konstantinos & Kern, Jordan & Voisin, Nathalie & Hanif, Sarmad & Bhattacharya, Saptarshi, 2023. "Opportunities for wave energy in bulk power system operations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 352(C).
    17. Chen, Wenwen & Liu, Zhongliang & Li, Yanxia & Liao, Qiang & Zhu, Xun, 2021. "High electricity generation achieved by depositing rGO@MnO2 composite catalysts on three-dimensional stainless steel fiber felt for preparing the energy-efficient air cathode in microbial fuel cells," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    18. Shadman, Pegah & Shakeri, Alireza & Zinadini, Sirus, 2025. "Incorporating GO-CS-2-aminothiazole-SO3H nanoparticles into sulfonated PES for improved MFC performance in power generation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).
    19. Boris Abeli Pekarou Pemi & Donatien Njomo & René Tchinda & Jean Calvin Seutche & Armel Zambou Kenfack & Mahamat Hassane Babikir & Venant Sorel Chara-Dackou, 2024. "Sectoral Assessment of the Energy, Water, Waste and Land Nexus in the Sustainability of Agricultural Products in Cameroon," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-29, January.
    20. D'Adamo, Idiano & Gastaldi, Massimo & Morone, Piergiuseppe, 2020. "The post COVID-19 green recovery in practice: Assessing the profitability of a policy proposal on residential photovoltaic plants," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:209:y:2020:i:c:s0360544220316017. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.