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Integrated utilization of waste microbial fuel cells resources for enhanced performance and Cr(VI) reduction

Author

Listed:
  • Song, Bo
  • Wang, Zhibin
  • Ali, Jafar
  • Wang, Qi
  • Wang, Lei
  • Wang, Jiahe
  • Li, Jiaxin
  • Glebov, Evgeni M.
  • Zhuang, Xuliang

Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offer a sustainable solution for clean energy generation and organic wastewater treatment. However, the resource utilization of waste MFCs has received limited attention. Here, we effectively repurposed components of waste MFCs to enhance practical performance and environmental treatment. First, using the waste MFC reactors can obtain a fast start-up time and save 42 % of the time compared to new MFC reactors. Microbial community analysis revealed that the waste MFC reactor walls/residual electrolytes harbored a more evenly distributed microbial community, enriched with genera such as Pseudomonas that could secrete electron shuttles to facilitate extracellular electron transfer and might have been responsible for the rapid start-up of the MFCs using the waste reactors. The gene predictions indicated that the anode biofilms were enriched with more anaerobic bacteria, but many of the gene functions and modules were less abundant. Furthermore, the waste anolyte proved to be a valuable inoculum source for the newly built MFCs; the waste catholyte demonstrated efficacy as a reducing agent for Cr(VI), and more than 88 % of the Cr(VI) was reduced. These findings provide a paradigm for the resource utilization of waste MFCs and can be generalized to the whole microbial electrochemical system.

Suggested Citation

  • Song, Bo & Wang, Zhibin & Ali, Jafar & Wang, Qi & Wang, Lei & Wang, Jiahe & Li, Jiaxin & Glebov, Evgeni M. & Zhuang, Xuliang, 2026. "Integrated utilization of waste microbial fuel cells resources for enhanced performance and Cr(VI) reduction," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(PB).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:256:y:2026:i:pb:s0960148125016234
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.123959
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    References listed on IDEAS

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