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Bioelectrochemical treatment of real-field bagasse-based paper mill wastewater in dual-chambered microbial fuel cell

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Abstract

The present study is aimed at analysing the feasibility of bioelectrochemical treatment of bagasse-based paper mill wastewater. Bioelectrochemical treatment was carried out in dual-chambered microbial fuel cell with plain graphite plates as electrodes. Wastewater from sugarcane bagasse storage and washing units of paper mill was used as anolyte. High power density and current density of 53 mW m−2 and 173 mA m−2 at 470 Ω, respectively, could be produced with wastewater treatment efficiency of 85% and coulumbic efficiency of 6%. Whereas, wastewater from pulping and bleaching units of bagasse-based paper mill was not suitable for bioelectrochemical treatment, yielding low power density and current density of 4 mW m−2 and 16 mA m−2 respectively at 10,000 Ω. Later, treating blended wastewater containing bagasse wash water and pulping wastewater in the ratio of 9:1 v/v generated higher power density and current density of 73 mW m−2/202 mA m−2, respectively, at 470 Ω, with wastewater treatment efficiency and coulumbic efficiency of 82% and 18%, respectively. Lignin and its derivatives present in pulping wastewater mediated electron transfer leading to high power density. Further, compounds in pulping wastewater were also toxic to methanogens growth in anode chamber of MFC, resulting in improved coulumbic efficiency of the blended wastewater treatment.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Department of Science and Technology, India under KIRAN division, Women Scientist Scheme A [DST/SR/WOS-A/ET-175/2016].

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SN and EE devised the project and the main outline of the work. EE further expanded the work, performed experiments, collected and analysed data. SN verified the analysed data and supervised the findings of the work. EE wrote the manuscript under the guidance of SN.

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Correspondence to Subramaniapillai Niju.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest in the publication.

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Elakkiya, E., Niju, S. Bioelectrochemical treatment of real-field bagasse-based paper mill wastewater in dual-chambered microbial fuel cell. 3 Biotech 11, 42 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-020-02606-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-020-02606-6

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