RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Upscaling of Microbial Electrolysis Cell Integrating Microbial Electrosynthesis: Insights, Challenges and Perspectives
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 609909
DO 10.1101/609909
A1 Jiang-Hao Tian
A1 Rémy Lacroix
A1 Elie Desmond-Le Quéméner
A1 Chrystelle Bureau
A1 Cédric Midoux
A1 Théodore Bouchez
YR 2019
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/04/16/609909.abstract
AB Recent development of microbial electrochemical technologies has allowed microbial electrosynthesis (MES) of organic molecules with microbial electrolysis cell treating waste organic matter. An electrolytic cell with a MES cathode (ME-ME cell) can produce soluble organic molecules with higher market price than biomethane, and thus satisfy both economic and environmental interest. However, the sustainability of bioanode activity could become a major concern. In this work, a 15-liter ME-ME reactor was designed with specific electrode configurations. An electrochemical model was established to assess the feasibility and possible performance of the design, considering the “aging” effect of the bioanode. The reactor was then built and operated for performance evaluation as well as bioanode regeneration assay. Biowaste from an industrial deconditioning platform was used as substrate for bioanode. The COD removal rate in the anodic chamber reached 0.83 g day-1 L-1 of anolyte and the anodic coulombic efficiency reached 98.6%. Acetate was produced with a rate of 0.53 g day-1 L-1 of catholyte, reaching a maximum concentration of 8.3 g L-1. A potential difference was applied between the bioanode and biocathode independent of reference electrodes. The active biocathode was dominated by members of the Genus Pseudomonas, rarely reported so far for MES activity.