Pluggable microbial fuel cell stacks for septic wastewater treatment and electricity production

• A pluggable microbial fuel cell stack with easy installation, operation, and low cost.
• The scale-up MFC can be easily implemented in septic systems.
• Detailed electrochemical characterization reveals system improvement potential.

Septic tanks and other decentralized wastewater treatment systems play an important role in protecting public health and water resource for remote or developing communities. Current septic systems do not have energy production capability, yet such feature can be very valuable for areas lack access to electricity. Here we present an easy-to-operate microbial fuel cell (MFC) stack that consists a common base and multiple pluggable units, which can be connected in either series or parallel for electricity generation during waste treatment in septic tanks. Lab studies showed such easy configuration obtained a power density of 142 ± 6.71 mW m−2 when 3 units are connected in parallel, and preliminary calculation indicates that a system that costs approximately US $25 can power a 6-watt LED light for 4 h per day with great improvement potential. Detailed electrochemical characterizations provide insights on system internal loss and technology advancement needed.