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Organic Waste Substrates for Bioenergy Production via Microbial Fuel Cells: A Key Point Review

Author

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  • Maria G. Savvidou

    (Biotechnology Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 9 Iroon Polytechniou Str., 15780 Athens, Greece
    Current address: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.)

  • Pavlos K. Pandis

    (Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Technology, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 9 Iroon Polytechniou Str., 15780 Athens, Greece)

  • Diomi Mamma

    (Biotechnology Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 9 Iroon Polytechniou Str., 15780 Athens, Greece)

  • Georgia Sourkouni

    (TU Clausthal, Clausthal Centre of Materials Technology, Leibniz Str. 9, 38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany)

  • Christos Argirusis

    (Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Technology, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 9 Iroon Polytechniou Str., 15780 Athens, Greece
    TU Clausthal, Clausthal Centre of Materials Technology, Leibniz Str. 9, 38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany)

Abstract

High-energy consumption globally has raised questions about the low environmentally friendly and high-cost processes used until now for energy production. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) may support alternative more economically and environmentally favorable ways of bioenergy production based on their advantage of using waste. MFCs work as bio-electrochemical devices that consume organic substrates in order for the electrogenic bacteria and/or enzyme cultures to produce electricity and simultaneously lower the environmental hazardous value of waste such as COD. The utilization of organic waste as fuels in MFCs has opened a new research path for testing a variety of by-products from several industry sectors. This review presents several organic waste substrates that can be employed as fuels in MFCs for bioenergy generation and the effect of their usage on power density, COD (chemical oxygen demand) removal, and Coulombic efficiency enhancement. Moreover, a demonstration and comparison of the different types of mixed waste regarding their efficiency for energy generation via MFCs are presented. Future perspectives for manufacturing and cost analysis plans can support scale-up processes fulfilling waste-treatment efficiency and energy-output densities.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria G. Savvidou & Pavlos K. Pandis & Diomi Mamma & Georgia Sourkouni & Christos Argirusis, 2022. "Organic Waste Substrates for Bioenergy Production via Microbial Fuel Cells: A Key Point Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-53, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:15:p:5616-:d:878757
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gayathri Priya Iragavarapu & Syed Shahed Imam & Omprakash Sarkar & Srinivasula Venkata Mohan & Young-Cheol Chang & Motakatla Venkateswar Reddy & Sang-Hyoun Kim & Naresh Kumar Amradi, 2023. "Bioprocessing of Waste for Renewable Chemicals and Fuels to Promote Bioeconomy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-24, May.
    2. Wilgince Apollon & Iryna Rusyn & Noris Evelin Paucar & Monte Hibbert & Sathish-Kumar Kamaraj & Chikashi Sato, 2025. "Energy Recovery from Organic Wastes Using Microbial Fuel Cells: Traditional and Nonconventional Organic Substrates," Resources, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-38, March.

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