Microbial electrochemical technology (MET) shows great potential to recover renewable energy from wastewater. However, it has been insufficient to be a stand-along treatment process because its poor effluent quality cannot meet the direct discharge standards. In this study, a new wood-based membrane anode microbial fuel cell (MFC) was presented to improve the removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (95-97%), total nitrogen (85-91%), and total phosphorus (89-93%) from wastewater compared with a traditional carbon cloth anode. The effluent quality from wood-anode MFC was in compliance with the wastewater effluent discharge standards. Similar power outputs (248-295 mW/m<sup>2</sup>) were obtained from MFCs equipped with different anodes, and no significant fouling was observed on the membrane anode. Surface characterization showed that the new wood anode had long and well-aligned channels, which had high surface area to allow cell acclimation without blocking water flow. The new wood filtration anode enables MFCs to become a stand-alone technology for energy efficient wastewater treatment.<br/>

Conductive wood membrane electrode for energy recovery from wastewater treatment

255th National Meeting (2018)

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