Authors:

Nachiket Magesh

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About Paper:

As the global population grows at a rapid rate, the need for effective wastewater management and food production has become increasingly urgent. Conventional treatment processes are energy-intensive, increasing the demand for fossil fuels that produce greenhouse gases (GHGs). Mainstream agriculture is contingent on seasonal weather patterns and also strains water-scarce regions. Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) offer promising advantages by simultaneously treating wastewater and producing renewable electricity. In this study, a combined MFC - hydroponic system treats municipal wastewater from the Portage Treatment Plant (Indiana) in the anode chamber via an energy-positive process while supporting lettuce growth in the cathode chamber. This is compared to a standard MFC with an air cathode. Both employ 1000-ohm resistors, cation exchange membranes (CEMs), and distilled water and wastewater as catholyte and anolyte, respectively. Plant growth in the integrated design is monitored and compared to a traditional hydroponic setup. Coulombic efficiency, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen removal efficiency, and power generation of both configurations are evaluated. Additionally, nutrient transport pathways across the membrane are analyzed. The findings of this study provide insights into the potential of MFCs for both wastewater treatment plants and agricultural settings in a circular economy framework. Keywords: Microbial Fuel Cell; Wastewater Treatment; Hydroponics; Renewable Energy; Nutrient Removal

Source:

Purdue University / 2025

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Co-authors:

Nachiket Magesh