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Simultaneous Pollutant Removal and Electricity Generation in a Combined ABR-MFC-MEC System Treating Fecal Wastewater

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Abstract

Simultaneous power generation and fecal wastewater treatment were investigated using a combined ABR-MFC-MEC system (anaerobic baffled reactor-microbial fuel cell-microbial electrolysis cell). The installation of multi-stage baffles can benefit retaining the suspended solids in the system and help separate the hydrolysis-acidification and the methanogen processes. The efficiencies of the nitrification-denitrification process were improved because of the weak current generation by coupling the microbial electrochemical device (MFC-MEC) with the ABR unit. Maximum removal rates for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4 +-N) were 1.35 ± 0.05 kg COD/m3/day and 85.0 ± 0.4 g NH4 +-N/m3/day, respectively, while 45% of methane (CH4), 9% of carbon dioxide (CO2), and 45% of nitrogen gas (N2) contents in volume ratio were found in the collected gas phase. An average surplus output voltage of 452.5 ± 10.5 mV could be achieved from the combined system, when the initial COD concentration was 1500.0 ± 20.0 mg/L and the initial NH4 +-N concentration was 110.0 ± 5.0 mg/L, while the effluent COD could reach 50.0 mg/L with an HRT of 48 h. The combined process has the potential to treat fecal wastewater efficiently with nearly zero energy input and a fair bio-fuel production.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially co-supported by the RTTC-China 2014 project and the Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21206092).

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, 516 Jungong Road, Shanghai, 200093, China

    Hongbo Liu, Feng Leng, Yangyang Yao, Yanhua Li & Suyun Xu

  2. Qingyuan-HongKong&China Water Co.LTD, Suzhou, 215000, China

    Yonglian Guan

Authors
  1. Hongbo Liu
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  2. Feng Leng
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  3. Yonglian Guan
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  4. Yangyang Yao
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  5. Yanhua Li
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  6. Suyun Xu
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Hongbo Liu or Suyun Xu.

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Fig. S1

Schematic diagram of the experimental set-up(double-chamber MEC), where1, ABR reactor with four cells;2, MFC cathode;3, MFC anode, PEM was sated between NO.2 and NO.3; 4, MEC anode;5, MEC cathode, PEM was sated between NO.4 and NO.5; electrodes are set in the center of the cells and diode is used to control the direction of current. (JPEG 358 kb)

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Liu, H., Leng, F., Guan, Y. et al. Simultaneous Pollutant Removal and Electricity Generation in a Combined ABR-MFC-MEC System Treating Fecal Wastewater. Water Air Soil Pollut 228, 179 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3342-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3342-4

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