The Application of Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells in Aquacultural Sediment Remediation

Abstract

To successfully apply sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) in remediating aquacultural sediments and water bodies on a large scale, SMFC systems with different electrode materials (carbon fiber brush, graphite felt, and carbon fiber cloth) and structural forms were constructed, and the advantages and disadvantages of various electrodes were compared in terms of electricity generation, pollutant removal, and application cost. The results revealed that (1) introducing SMFCs accelerated the removal of pollutants from the overlying water, promoted the degradation of organic matter and the fixation of phosphorus in the sediments, and inhibited water eutrophication and algal blooms; (2) SMFC systems with carbon fiber brushes and graphite felt electrodes exhibited better electricity generation, but the smooth surface of the carbon fiber cloth was not conducive to microbial attachment, leading to a relatively low electrode power density; and (3) the low external resistance accelerated electron transfer and increased the pollutant removal rate.