Deciphering optimal strategy of microbial fuel cell-assisted natural bioremediation of textile dyes

Abstract

Prior study provided a novel evaluation scheme to quantitatively reveal “synergistic“ stimulation of microbial fuel cell (MFC)-assisted dye decolorization for industrial practicability. This follow-up work tended to optimize electron transfer (ET) characteristics for maximal performance of dye decolorization via simultaneous bioelectricity generation and dye decolorization (SBG& DD) in MFCs. Supplementation of decolorized metabolites of textile dyes apparently facilitated both rates of BG and DD. However, higher dye concentration seemed to be more favourable to electron distribution dominated for colour removal. Moreover, whether DM-supplementation was synergistic or antagonistic to DD and BG strongly depended upon interactive characteristics of DMs and mother dye species with salts for practical operation. This plausible analysis suggested that the most desirable mode of MFC-aided pollutant degradation should be batch or plug flow reactor modes of operation at low conversions for optimal bioremediation.