Microbial fuel cell (MFC) with algal biocathode: bioenergy production and wastewater treatment using sago mill effluent

Abd. Raqib, Bin Piee (2017) Microbial fuel cell (MFC) with algal biocathode: bioenergy production and wastewater treatment using sago mill effluent. [Final Year Project Report] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Sago industry has become an increasing interest of small sector in developing countries like Malaysia. Producing the product, sago starch is at cost of dealing with high strength sago mill effluent (SME), containing high amount of organic. Improper disposal of the effluent can cause high level water pollution in the surrounding environment. Hence, the effluent must be treated before disposal. With the aim of treating SME in order to comply with Act of Environment Quality (Industrial Effluents) Regulation 2009, this study shows a treatment method by using microbial fuel cell (MFC) with Chlorella vulgaris as electron acceptor. Besides, the current energy production is polluting the environment with its harmful gas emission. With bioenergy production, this study provides one of many progressive steps toward cleaner energy production. The relationship of doubling the volume of MFC and using Chlorella vulgaris as source of electron acceptor are investigated in this study. This study demonstrates the capability of MFC to not only able to improve the water quality but to produce a considerable amount of energy. The highest power generated in this study is 0.38 W/m2 which is an increase of 15.1% from MFC with half its volume. Meanwhile, highest power generated for algal assist biocathode is 0.36 W/m2 which is an increase of 9% compared to air-pump cathode chamber of same volume. The highest treatment efficiency achieved from doubling the chamber volume which are reduction of 96.8% chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 84.9% biological oxygen demand (BOD) respectively. Meanwhile the algal assist biocathode shows COD and BOD reduction of 93.0% and 78.2%, respectively. As compared to algal assist biocathode, the air-pump cathode shows the slight difference in treatment efficiency reduction with COD and BOD reduction of 92.4 and 78.6%.

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