Bioelectricity generation in microbial fuel cell using natural microflora and isolated pure culture bacteria from anaerobic palm oil mill effluent sludge

• The isolation of electro-active bacteria from biofilm grown on the anode of MFC.
• Electricity generation in MFC using sterilized final POME without nutrient addition.
• Higher power density using pure culture bacteria in MFC than anaerobic POME sludge.
• Significant color removal of POME in MFC using anaerobic POME sludge.

A double-chambered membrane microbial fuel cell (MFC) was constructed to investigate the potential use of natural microflora anaerobic palm oil mill effluent (POME) sludge and pure culture bacteria isolated from anaerobic POME sludge as inoculum for electricity generation. Sterilized final discharge POME was used as the substrate with no addition of nutrients. MFC operation using natural microflora anaerobic POME sludge showed a maximum power density and current density of 85.11 mW/m2 and 91.12 mA/m2 respectively. Bacterial identification using 16S rRNA analysis of the pure culture isolated from the biofilm on the anode MFC was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain ZH1. The electricity generated in MFC using P. aeruginosa strain ZH1 showed maximum power density and current density of 451.26 mW/m2 and 654.90 mA/m2 respectively which were five times higher in power density and seven times higher in current density compared to that of MFC using anaerobic POME sludge.