Generation of Bioelectricity in Microbial Fuel Cell using Kitchen Waste Obtained from Dutse Urban, Nigeria

Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have shown promise as a sustainable technology for wastewater treatment and energy recovery. In this study, cattle dung was used as an inoculum and kitchen waste (KW) from Dutse urban, Nigeria was used as a substrate for bioelectricity generation in MFC. The MFC was operated in a fed-batch mode over 37 days, spanning three cycles. During characterization, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the KW was found to be 30421 ± 124 mg/L, indicating a high concentration of organic pollutants. The MFC's performance was evaluated based on the voltage generated, with the first cycle reaching a peak of 254 mV, the second cycle 247 mV, and the third cycle 242 mV. Current and power densities during the three cycles decreased gradually from 66.84 mA/m² and 16.84 mW/m² in the first cycle to 63.68 mA/m² and 15.41 mW/m² in the third cycle respectively. Furthermore, there was a notable reduction in COD from the influent diluted from initial measured COD, from 1120 ± 63 mg/L to an effluent level of 226 ± 49 mg/L, indicating approximately 80% removal rate. The pH of the anolyte progressively dropped with each cycle, reflecting the metabolic activities of bacteria in the anode chamber. The findings underscore MFC's potential for organic waste management and electricity generation, with results outperforming some contemporary studies.