Bioelectromics of a photosynthetic microalgae assisted microbial fuel cell for wastewater treatment and value added production
Issued Date
2025-12-01
Resource Type
eISSN
20452322
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105013479295
Journal Title
Scientific Reports
Volume
15
Issue
1
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Scientific Reports Vol.15 No.1 (2025)
Suggested Citation
Ahirwar A., Khan M.J., Khandelwal P., Singh G., Harish, Vinayak V., Ghangrekar M.M. Bioelectromics of a photosynthetic microalgae assisted microbial fuel cell for wastewater treatment and value added production. Scientific Reports Vol.15 No.1 (2025). doi:10.1038/s41598-025-13271-1 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/111763
Title
Bioelectromics of a photosynthetic microalgae assisted microbial fuel cell for wastewater treatment and value added production
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Power generation and recovery of value-added products using microalgae, Haematococcus lacustris is tested in a dual chamber photosynthetic microalgae-assisted microbial fuel cell (PMA-MFCt<inf>1</inf>). The microalgal cells in conical flask act as control. The performance was compared to another, test PMA-MFCt<inf>2</inf>. The control MFC in second test had electrode wires not connected (PMA-MFC<inf>nw</inf>). The PMA-MFCt<inf>1</inf> set had microalgal catholytic media replenished unlike in PMA-MFCt<inf>2</inf>. A comparative PMA<inf>0</inf>-MFC, was used without microalgae and only water as catholyte. The results demonstrated maximum power density (PDmax) of 33.76 mW m<sup>−2</sup> in PMA-MFCt<inf>1</inf>, 15.36 mW m<sup>−2</sup> in PMA-MFCt<inf>2</inf> and 8.05 mW m<sup>−2</sup> in PMA<inf>0</inf>-MFC. The non replenishment of catholytic media in PMA-MFCt<inf>2</inf> set resulted in nutrient limitations, poor photosynthesis, and disrupted redox reactions. Further lowest PDmax in PMA<inf>0</inf>-MFC proves that microalgae are excellent source of free nascent oxygen required for redox reaction. Taxonomic identity of microbes at the anode via 16 S rRNA showed the dominance of catalytic microbes mainly Proteobacteria. The different kinds of carotenoids from microalgae were estimated by UV-Vis and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. The microalgal growth, evaluated in terms of biomass dry weight (DW), was 118 mg L<sup>−1</sup>, after 40 days of PMA-MFCt<inf>1</inf> operation, which was lesser than in control (conical flask) 123 mg L<sup>−1</sup>. The pigments including total chlorophyll (a + b), and total carotenoids were 699.7 µg g<sup>−1</sup> and 224.6 µg g<sup>−1</sup>, respectively, on day 16. Microalgal performance in PMA-MFCt<inf>2</inf> and its control (PMA-MFC<inf>nw</inf>) was 10% and 32.52% inferior than in PMA-MFCt<inf>1</inf> and its control. The continuous replenishment of media in PMA-MFCt<inf>1</inf> maintained microalgal cells in continuous state of multiplication and photosynthesis resulting into higher bioelectricity generation and bioproducts than PMA-MFCt<inf>2</inf>, and PMA-MFC<inf>nw</inf>.