Abstract

Journal of Biotechnology & Bioresearch

Bioremediation of Agro-Wastewater of Poultry in a Microbial Fuel Cell

  • Open or CloseLivinus A Obasi1* and Okechukwu D Onukwuli2

    1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal Polytechnic Ekowe, Nigeria

    2 Department of Chemical Engineering, Nigeria

    *Corresponding author: Livinus A Obasi, Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal Polytechnic Ekowe, Bayelsa state, Nigeria

Submission: July 29, 2019; Published: August 22, 2019

Abstract

The study shows the possibility of degrading pollution physico-chemical parameters present in agro wastewater (poultry) in a microbial fuel cell with microorganisms operating in an anaerobic condition. Three similar cells designed and operated with different Proton Exchange Membranes (PEM) makeups: clay-based (CBP) whose strength and stability were modified with sodium alginate (C6NaH7O6) n and subjected to varying degrees of temperatures ranging from 200 °C to 600 °C and applied in (MFC-1, MFC-2 and MFC-3. The cells were operated for 20 days at influent BOD and COD of 493mg/l and 2052mg/l respectively. The study showed a reduction in the turbidity, pH, Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), Total Suspended Solid (TSS) and salinity of the wastewater. After twenty days of operation, the BOD removal efficiencies of the three reactors were 72%, 82% and 84% respectively, whereas the COD removal efficiencies were 38%, 57% and 60% respectively. The study also shows that the MFC-3 at 6000C PEM preparation condition gave the optimum performance giving the lowest values of the various wastewater pollution parameters. This clearly suggests that within the conditions of the experimentation process, clay performs optimally in proton transfer from the anode chamber to the cathode chamber of a microbial fuel cell at higher temperatures due to increase in cation exchange capacity.

Keywords: Microbial fuel cell; BOD; Poultry wastewater; Clay-PEM; Bioremediation

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