Effect of pre-acclimation of granular activated carbon on microbial electrolysis cell startup and performance
Type
ArticleKAUST Department
Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) DivisionEnvironmental Science and Engineering Program
Water Desalination and Reuse Research Center (WDRC)
Date
2016-09-09Online Publication Date
2016-09-09Print Publication Date
2017-02Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/622190
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can generate methane by fixing carbon dioxide without using expensive catalysts, but the impact of acclimation procedures on subsequent performance has not been investigated. Granular activated carbon (GAC) was used to pre-enrich electrotrophic methanogenic communities, as GAC has been shown to stimulate direct transfer of electrons between different microbial species. MEC startup times using pre-acclimated GAC were improved compared to controls (without pre-acclimation or without GAC), and after three fed batch cycles methane generation rates were similar (P > 0.4) for GAC acclimated to hydrogen (22 ± 9.3 nmol cm− 3 d− 1), methanol (25 ± 9.7 nmol cm− 3 d− 1), and a volatile fatty acid (VFA) mix (22 ± 11 nmol cm− 3 d− 1). However, MECs started with GAC but no pre-acclimation had lower methane generation rates (13 ± 4.1 nmol cm− 3 d− 1), and MECs without GAC had the lowest rates (0.7 ± 0.8 nmol cm− 3 d− 1 after cycle 2). Microbes previously found in methanogenic MECs, or previously shown to be capable of exocellular electron transfer, were enriched on the GAC. Pre-acclimation using GAC is therefore a simple approach to enrich electroactive communities, improve methane generation rates, and decrease startup times in MECs. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.Citation
LaBarge N, Yilmazel YD, Hong P-Y, Logan BE (2017) Effect of pre-acclimation of granular activated carbon on microbial electrolysis cell startup and performance. Bioelectrochemistry 113: 20–25. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2016.08.003.Publisher
Elsevier BVJournal
BioelectrochemistryPubMed ID
27622557Additional Links
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1567539416301062ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/j.bioelechem.2016.08.003
Scopus Count
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