References

311

aforementioned applications. The correlation between the columbic yield of MFCs

and the strength of wastewater make MFC’s possible to serve biological oxygen

demand (BOD). A number of works showed a good linear relationship between the

columbic yield and the strength of wastewater in a quite wide BOD concentration

range [28]. MFC-type of BOD sensors is advantageous over other types of BOD

sensor because they have excellent operational stability, good reproducibility, and

accuracy. An MFC-type BOD sensor constructed with microbes and enriched with

MFC can be kept operational for over five years without extra maintenance.

19.4

Conclusion and Future Perspectives

This chapter concludes that MFC is one of the cost-effective wastewater treatment

process along with electricity production, without incorporating any costly compo-

nent such as electrode and membrane. The existence of MFC technology has surfeit

of applications in the day-to-day lives as it is environmental friendly, eco-friendly,

and more importantly it is a green technology. There are more challenges left over for

the complete utilization of MFC, to find ways to make it cost effective, and to fabri-

cate the innovative MFC bioreactors for industrial effluent treatment. Identification

of new microorganisms that can directly transfer electrons to or from an electrode

is essential to treat contaminated effluent with generation of electricity. There is a

broad scope for design and development of these reactors as the power density is

too low for consumption in various industrial applications. Besides, the organism

may be genetically altered in order to form high reducing microbial strains with a

wide range of MFC applications. Future research studies are necessary to minimize

the internal resistance and corrosion-related problems in MFC. MFCs can also have

utilization in army applications in order to power up remote surveillance and com-

munication gears for use in unmanned applications. Further, potential research on

optimization of electricity production from the two chambered MFC is also neces-

sary. With further improvements and optimization, it could be possible to increase

power generation and researchers are working to enhance it for the scale up and

commercial applications. Also, MFC as a continuous reactor may also be studied.

Research toward the conditions to be maintained in the reactor, aerated condition in

order to produce more electricity may be needed. Thus, the combination of wastewa-

ter treatment along with electricity production might help in compensating the cost

of wastewater treatment. However, the MFC technology is still in initial stage and

needs special attention in future research attempts.

References

1 Potter, M.C. (1911). Electrical effects accompanying the decomposition of organic

compounds. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B 84: 260–276.

https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1911.0073.