Nitrogen removal from wastewater through microbial electrolysis cells and cation exchange membrane

Sakineh Haddadi1, GholamReza Nabi-Bidhendi1, Nasser Mehrdadi1
1Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Tóm tắt

Vulnerability of water resources to nutrients led to progressively stricter standards for wastewater effluents. Modification of the conventional procedures to meet the new standards is inevitable. New technologies should give a priority to nitrogen removal. In this paper, ammonium chloride and urine as nitrogen sources were used to investigate the capacity of a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) configured by cation exchange membrane (CEM) for electrochemical removal of nitrogen over open-and closed-circuit potentials (OCP and CCP) during biodegradation of organic matter. Results obtained from this study indicated that CEM was permeable to both organic and ammonium nitrogen over OCP. Power substantially mediated ammonium migration from anodic wastewater to the cathode, as well. With a urine rich wastewater in the anode, the maximum rate of ammonium intake into the cathode varied from 34.2 to 40.6 mg/L.h over CCP compared to 10.5-14.9 mg/L.h over OCP. Ammonium separation over CCP was directly related to current. For 1.46-2.12 mmol electron produced, 20.5-29.7 mg-N ammonium was removed. Current also increased cathodic pH up to 12, a desirable pH for changing ammonium ion to ammonia gas. Results emphasized the potential for MEC in control of ammonium through ammonium separation and ammonia volatilization provided that membrane characteristic is considered in their development.

Tài liệu tham khảo

Oh ST, Kim JR, Premier GC, Lee TH, Kim C, Sloan WT: Sustainable wastewater treatment: how might microbial fuel cells contribute. Biotechnol Adv 2010, 28(6):871–881. 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2010.07.008 Larsen TA, Gujer W: Separate management of anthropogenic nutrient solutions (human urine). Water Sci Technol 1996, 34(3–4):87–94. Khin T, Annachhatre AP: Novel microbial nitrogen removal processes. Biotechnol Adv 2004, 22(7):519–532. 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2004.04.003 Escher BI, Pronk W, Suter MJF, Maurer M: Monitoring the removal efficiency of pharmaceuticals and hormones in different treatment processes of source-separated urine with bioassays. Environ Sci Technol 2006, 40(16):5095–5101. 10.1021/es060598w Fornero JJ, Rosenbaum M, Cotta MA, Angenent LT: Carbon Dioxide addition to microbial fuel cell cathodes maintains sustainable catholyte pH and improves anolyte pH, alkalinity, and conductivity. Environ Sci Technol 2010, 44(7):2728–2734. 10.1021/es9031985 Nam J-Y, Tokash JC, Logan BE: Comparison of microbial electrolysis cells operated with added voltage or by setting the anode potential. Int J Hydrog Energy 2011, 36(17):10550–10556. 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.05.148 Logan BE, Hamelers B, Rozendal R, Schroder U, Keller J, Freguia S, Aelterman P, Verstraete W, Rabaey K: Microbial fuel cells: methodology and technology. Environ Sci Technol 2006, 40(17):5181–5192. 10.1021/es0605016 Heilmann J, Logan BE: Production of electricity from proteins using a microbial fuel cell. Water environment research : a research publication of the Water Environment Federation 2006, 78(5):531–537. 10.2175/106143005X73046 Liu G, Yates MD, Cheng S, Call DF, Sun D, Logan BE: Examination of microbial fuel cell start-up times with domestic wastewater and additional amendments. Bioresour Technol 2011, 102(15):7301–7306. 10.1016/j.biortech.2011.04.087 Oh S, Logan BE: Hydrogen and electricity production from a food processing wastewater using fermentation and microbial fuel cell technologies. Water Res 2005, 39(19):4673–4682. 10.1016/j.watres.2005.09.019 Greenman J, Galvez A, Giusti L, Ieropoulos I: Electricity from landfill leachate using microbial fuel cells: comparison with a biological aerated filter. Enzym Microb Technol 2009, 44(2):112–119. 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2008.09.012 Rismani-Yazdi H, Christy AD, Dehority BA, Morrison M, Yu Z, Tuovinen OH: Electricity generation from cellulose by rumen microorganisms in microbial fuel cells. Biotechnol Bioeng 2007, 97(6):1398–1407. 10.1002/bit.21366 Kim JR, Jung SH, Regan JM, Logan BE: Electricity generation and microbial community analysis of alcohol powered microbial fuel cells. Bioresour Technol 2007, 98(13):2568–2577. 10.1016/j.biortech.2006.09.036 Luo H, Liu G, Zhang R, Jin S: Phenol degradation in microbial fuel cells. Chem Eng J 2009, 147(2–3):259–264. Park HI, Kim D, Choi Y-J, Pak D: Nitrate reduction using an electrode as direct electron donor in a biofilm-electrode reactor. Process Biochem 2005, 40(10):3383–3388. 10.1016/j.procbio.2005.03.017 Gregory KB, Bond DR, Lovley DR: Graphite electrodes as electron donors for anaerobic respiration. Environ Microbiol 2004, 6(6):596–604. 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2004.00593.x Schroder U: Anodic electron transfer mechanisms in microbial fuel cells and their energy efficiency. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2007, 9(21):2619–2629. 10.1039/b703627m He Z, Angenent LT: Application of bacterial biocathodes in microbial fuel cells. Electroanalysis 2006, 18(19–20):2009–2015. Kargi F, Eker S: Electricity generation with simultaneous wastewater treatment by a microbial fuel cell MFC with Cu and CuAu electrodes. Journal of Chemical Technology 38; Biotechnology 2007, 82(7):658–662. 10.1002/jctb.1723 Logan BE, Call D, Cheng S, Hamelers HVM, Sleutels THJA, Jeremiasse AW, Rozendal RA: Microbial Electrolysis Cells for High Yield Hydrogen Gas Production from Organic Matter. Environ Sci Technol 2008, 42(23):8630–8640. 10.1021/es801553z Kim JR, Zuo Y, Regan JM, Logan BE: Analysis of ammonia loss mechanisms in microbial fuel cells treating animal wastewater. Biotechnol Bioeng 2008, 99(5):1120–1127. 10.1002/bit.21687 Rozendal RA, Hamelers HVM, Buisman CJN: Effects of membrane cation transport on pH and microbial fuel cell performance. Environ Sci Technol 2006, 40(17):5206–5211. 10.1021/es060387r Harnisch F, Schröder U: Selectivity versus mobility: separation of anode and cathode in microbial bioelectrochemical systems. Chem Sus Chem 2009, 2(10):921–926. 10.1002/cssc.200900111 Wilsenach JA, Schuurbiers CAH, van Loosdrecht MCM: Phosphate and potassium recovery from source separated urine through struvite precipitation. Water Res 2007, 41(2):458–466. 10.1016/j.watres.2006.10.014 Rozendal RA, Hamelers HVM, Molenkamp RJ, Buisman CJN: Performance of single chamber biocatalyzed electrolysis with different types of ion exchange membranes. Water Res 2007, 41(9):1984–1994. 10.1016/j.watres.2007.01.019 Chae KJ, Choi M, Ajayi FF, Park W, Chang IS, Kim IS: Mass Transport through a proton exchange membrane (nafion) in microbial fuel cells. Energy Fuel 2007, 22(1):169–176. Kim JR, Cheng S, Oh S-E, Logan BE: Power generation using different cation, anion, and ultrafiltration membranes in microbial fuel cells. Environ Sci Technol 2007, 41(3):1004–1009. 10.1021/es062202m Thurston RV, Russo RC, Emerson K: Aquenous Ammonia Equilibrium-Tabulation of Percent Un-Ionizied Ammonia. United States: Environ Protection Agency; 1979.