Evaluation of treatment and resource recovery potential of bioelectrochemical systems to DC Water process streams by bench and pilot system

Abstract

Microbial fuel cell and microbial electrolysis cell systems were developed and tested with different wastewater process streams from DC Water Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. These biofilm-based systems provide an alternative to the conventional activated sludge system by oxidizing wastewater organics without the need for mechanical aeration. In bench-scale systems, the application of high-strength solids-dewatering wastewater as a feedstock was shown to increase both treatment energy savings and energy recovery. Current densities in meso-scale microbial electrolysis cells were 3.3 and 3.6 times higher when fed dewatering-filtrate or a blend of filtrate and primary effluent as compared to reactors operating with primary effluent. An integrated 800L pilot biocathode microbial fuel cell system was designed and constructed, and initial results are reported. Over the first 43 days of operation, the system averaged 15% removal of chemical oxygen demand and a load removal of 110 g_tCOD/(m^3*day).