Abstract

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) are potential sources to generate electricity directly by using bacteria and their mechanism of breakdown of organic matter. MFCs can also be used in wastewater treatment facilities to breakdown organic matters. They have also been studied for applications as biosensors such as sensors for biological oxygen demand monitoring. A prototype of MFC using marine sediment making up the anaerobic anode compartment with overlying cathode chamber containing continuously aerated water. The anodic chamber was fed with 200 mM sodium acetate as substrate for the microbial consortium in the sea sediment. Graphite electrodes were used in both the chambers to study the generation of power. A maximum of 0.574V was observed in MFC1 & 2 with distilled water in the cathode chamber and 0.3V was detected in MFC filled with seawater in the cathode compartment. The DNA extracted from the bio films on the electrodes was studied using agarose gel electrophoresis and UV spectroscopy to study the purity and quantity respectively. The amount of DNA obtained from the anode was quantified as 0.510 mg/mL and no bio film was observed on the cathode. Therefore, the commercialization of marine MFC with a complete understanding of microbial community involved in power generation can pave the way for a potential power source in India, a country with vast coastlines.

Keywords

Microbial fuel, Pilot scale, Bioreactor