Bin Abu Sofian Abu Danish Aiman, Lee Vincent, Leong Henry Marn Jhun, Lee Yeong Shenq, Pan Guan-Ting, Chan Yi Jing
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Broga Road, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
Food Technol Biotechnol. 2025 Jun;63(2):206-219. doi: 10.17113/ftb.63.02.25.9020.
The increasing environmental concerns due to fossil fuel consumption and industrial wastewater pollution necessitate sustainable solutions for bioenergy production and wastewater treatment. Palm oil mill effluent (POME), a high-strength industrial wastewater, poses significant environmental challenges. Microbial electrolysis cells (MEC) and microbial fuel cells (MFC) offer promising avenues for bioenergy recovery from such wastewaters.
Dual-chamber H-type reactors equipped with proton exchange membranes were used to separately evaluate the performance of MEC and MFC in the production of bioenergy from POME. Hydrogen production and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal in MECs were evaluated at different applied voltages and influent COD expressed as oxygen concentrations, while in MFCs the effect of external resistance on power output and COD reduction was investigated. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimise these operational parameters for maximum bioenergy recovery and efficient wastewater treatment.
The results showed that the efficiency of hydrogen production and COD removal in MECs were maximised at low influent COD value and low voltage supply. The MEC effectively produced hydrogen and treated industrial wastewater, while the MFC successfully produced electricity and reduced COD. Field emission scanning electron microscopy confirmed the formation of biofilms on the electrodes, indicating active microbial communities involved in the production of bioenergy. A trade-off between power density and COD removal efficiency in MFCs was observed, with medium resistance values yielding maximum power output. The integration of MEC and MFC showed potential for treating high-strength industrial wastewater like POME, offering a greener and more energy-efficient approach.
This study demonstrates the potential feasibility of integrating MEC and MFC technologies for simultaneous bioenergy production and wastewater treatment from POME. It extends the knowledge in biochemical engineering by optimising operational conditions for improved bioenergy recovery and highlights the role of microbial communities in bioelectrochemical systems. The results form a basis for future research on sustainable bioenergy production and contribute to efforts towards environmental sustainability.
由于化石燃料消耗和工业废水污染引发的环境问题日益严重，因此需要可持续的生物能源生产和废水处理解决方案。棕榈油厂废水（POME）是一种高强度工业废水，带来了重大的环境挑战。微生物电解池（MEC）和微生物燃料电池（MFC）为从此类废水中回收生物能源提供了有前景的途径。
使用配备质子交换膜的双室H型反应器分别评估MEC和MFC从POME生产生物能源的性能。在不同施加电压和以氧浓度表示的进水化学需氧量（COD）条件下评估MEC中的产氢量和COD去除情况，而在MFC中研究外部电阻对功率输出和COD降低的影响。采用响应面方法（RSM）优化这些操作参数，以实现最大生物能源回收和高效废水处理。
结果表明，MEC中产氢效率和COD去除率在低进水COD值和低电压供应条件下达到最大值。MEC有效地产生了氢气并处理了工业废水，而MFC成功地产生了电力并降低了COD。场发射扫描电子显微镜证实电极上形成了生物膜，表明参与生物能源生产的活跃微生物群落。观察到MFC中功率密度和COD去除效率之间存在权衡，中等电阻值产生最大功率输出。MEC和MFC的集成显示出处理像POME这样的高强度工业废水的潜力，提供了一种更绿色、更节能的方法。
本研究证明了整合MEC和MFC技术同时从POME生产生物能源和处理废水的潜在可行性。通过优化操作条件以提高生物能源回收扩展了生化工程方面的知识，并突出了微生物群落在生物电化学系统中的作用。研究结果为未来可持续生物能源生产研究奠定了基础，并有助于实现环境可持续性的努力。
