Anode air exposure during microbial fuel cell operation inoculated with marine sediment

Microbial fuel cells (MFC) have been a viable alternative for wastewater treatment and power generation with low environmental impact. Different architectures, materials and operational modes have been extensively studied to reduce operational constraints and improve energy efficiency. The goal of this study is to establish the biological process of electricity generation from natural marine sediment that can tolerate oxygen in the anode chamber. For this study, an MFC with a total volume of 2.5 L was operated continuously for 280 days in both sequential fed-batch and continuous modes over 24 runs. During operation, a maximum voltage of 562.67 V/m3 was achieved. When 20% of the total area of the anode electrodes was exposed to air, there was a maximum voltage decrease of 35% in the first run. This value decreased to below 10% at the end of operation. During Run 19, the percentage of the anode electrodes exposed to air was increased to 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of the total area and a linear relationship between the exposed area and the inhibition phenomenon was observed.