Electrical performance of MFC-MEC coupling system and treatment of heavy metal wastewater containing cadmium

doi:10.11949/j.issn.0438-1157.20180663

Abstract

Abstract:

The MFC-MEC coupling system was constructed by using anaerobic activated sludge as the anode species, sodium acetate simulated wastewater as the anode substrate, copper sulfate and potassium dichromate solutions as the microbial fuel cell (MFC) catholyte, artificially simulate heavy metal wastewater containing cadmium as microbial electrolytic cell (MEC) catholyte. The MFC was used to drive the MEC to realize the removal of Cd²⁺ in heavy metal wastewater containing cadmium. The effects of the MFC reactor volume, MFC stack, MEC electrode material, MEC catholyte pH on the electrical properties of the MFC-MEC coupled system and the treatment of heavy metal wastewater containing cadmium were investigated. The results show that the enlargement of MFC reaction volume could improve the electricity production performance, but at the same time it would also increase the internal resistance of MFC. With the increase of MFC volume, the removal rate of Cd²⁺ in MEC increased gradually, but at the same time, the removal rate of Cr⁶⁺ in MFC cathode decreased gradually; MFC stack could increase the voltage, the maximum output voltage was 1509 mV in series, and the removal rate of Cd²⁺ was 69.3%; when the titanium plate was used as the MEC electrode, the microorganism could effectively adhere to the anode surface, the removal rate of COD of the MFC anode was 85%, the removal rate of Cd²⁺ in the MEC was 51.5%; when the pH of MEC catholyte was 3—5, it was beneficial to the treatment of heavy metal wastewater containing cadmium, and the removal rate of Cd²⁺ was over 80%. By XRD analysis, the cathode reduction product of MEC is CdCO_3.

Key words: bioreactors, coupling system, electrical performance, waste water, reduction, deposition

摘要：

以厌氧活性污泥为阳极菌种，乙酸钠为阳极底物，硫酸铜和重铬酸钾溶液为微生物燃料电池（MFC）阴极液，人工模拟含镉重金属废水为微生物电解池（MEC）阴极液，构建MFC-MEC耦合系统，利用MFC的产电驱动MEC运行，在不消耗外部能源的情况下，实现含镉重金属废水中Cd²⁺的去除。实验研究了MFC反应器容积、MFC堆栈、MEC电极材料、MEC阴极液pH对MFC-MEC耦合系统电性能及含镉重金属废水处理效果的影响。结果表明：MFC反应容积的扩大可以提高其产电性能，但与此同时会造成MFC的内阻升高，随着MFC容积的增加，MEC中Cd²⁺去除率逐渐增加，但同时MFC阴极Cr⁶⁺去除率逐渐下降；MFC堆栈可以提高工作组两端电压，串联时最大输出电压为1509 mV，Cd²⁺去除率为69.3%；以钛板作为MEC电极时，微生物能有效附着在阳极表面，MFC阳极COD去除率为85%，MEC中Cd²⁺去除率为51.5%；MEC阴极液pH在3~5时，有利于含镉重金属废水的处理，Cd²⁺去除率80%以上。经XRD分析，MEC阴极还原产物为CdCO₃。

关键词: 生物反应器, 耦合系统, 电性能, 废水, 还原, 沉积物

CLC Number:

X 703.1

Lulu PAN, Danjing WU, Weiping LIU. Electrical performance of MFC-MEC coupling system and treatment of heavy metal wastewater containing cadmium[J]. CIESC Journal, 2019, 70(1): 242-250.

潘璐璐, 吴丹菁, 刘维平. MFC-MEC耦合系统产电性能及处理含镉重金属废水的研究[J]. 化工学报, 2019, 70(1): 242-250.

Figures/Tables 13

Fig.1 MFC-MEC coupling system

Fig.2 Open circuit voltage of MFC

Fig.3 Polarization curve of MFC

Fig.4 Power density of MFC

Table 1 Electrical performance of MFC and effect of MEC on wastewater treatment under different reactor volumes

Volume/ml	U/mV	R_in/Ω	P_An/(mW·m^-2)	η_Cr/%	η_Cd/%
300	841	1789	547.6	91.3	40.6
500	934	4878	1815	83.7	58.0
700	1121	5168	2809	69.8	66.3

Fig.5 Schematic of MFC tandem stack drive MEC

Table 2 Influence of MFC stack on electrical performance and wastewatert reatment in MFC-MEC coupling system

MFC devices	U/mV	P_An/(mW·m^-2)	R_in/Ω	η_Cr/%	η_Cu/%	η_Cd/%
MFC_Cr	934	1815	4878	83.6	—	58.0
MFC_Cu	607	1081.6	2547	—	98.3	89.5
MFC_Cr(stack)	554	2381.4	4323	86.5	—	69.3
MFC_Cu(stack)	955	1248.2	1956	—	98.4	69.3

Table 3 Influence of cathode materials on coupling system

Cathode materials

U/mV

E_R/%

P_An/

(mW·m^-2)

Fig.6 Microorganism attachment on MFC anode surface

Table 4 Effect of MEC cathodic solution pH on electrical properties of coupling system and removal of cadmium ions

pH	U/mV	E_R/%	R_in/Ω	η_Cd/%
1	535	65.0	672	45.2
3	562	65.0	1263	82.4
5	607	84.7	1291	89.5

Fig.7 Comparison of MEC cathode plates before and after experiment

Fig.8 SEM of MEC cathode surface reduction product

Fig.9 XRD pattern of MEC cathode product

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