The use of microbial fuel cell for efficient treatment of cauliflower waste and generation of electricity

Abstract

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is an alternative way for household organic waste treatment as it produces sustainable clean energy. Chemical parameters of the cauliflower leaf waste before treatment were 143.5 mg/g COD, 0.90 mg/g ammoniacal nitrogen, 67.8 mg/g phosphorous, 214.8 mg/g total reducing sugar and 0.53 mg/g soluble reducing sugar. After eight days of treatment in MFC at the optimised condition of multiwalled carbon nanotubules (MWCNT)’ coated graphite as anode and potassium ferricyanide added phosphate buffer as catholyte with an external resistance of 1000 Ω showed a reduction in COD, ammoniacal nitrogen, phosphorous and total reducing sugar by 24.7, 76.9, 22.5 and 53.4%, respectively, along with a maximum power density of 10.1 W/m3. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed bacterial adherence in the graphite electrode and its molecular characterisation using 16S rRNA sequencing confirmed as Bacillus sps.