הנדסת מים

36 141 | מגזין המים הישראלי הנדסת מים | plants yield, will save infrastructure, land, and energy, thus, reduce the impact of water industry on global warming effect. The use of MEC-SBPs as pretreatment for DWWTP׳s is expected to increase treatment capacity, while gaining some energy for operational activities (pumps, diffusers ect.). TheChallenge: Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MECs) is an emerging technology capable of harvesting part of the potential chemical energy in organic compounds while producing hydrogen (waste to energy paradigm). One of themainobstacles in MECs is the bacterial anode, which usually containsmixed cultures. Non exo-electrogenic microorganisms can act as a physical barrier and settle on the anode surface, pressing the exo-electrogenicmicroorganisms. These non- exo-electrogens also compete with the exo- electrogenicmicroorganisms for nutrients and therefore, reduced hydrogen production. In addition, thebacterial anodeneeds towithstand the shear and friction forces existing indomestic wastewater plants (anerobicandanoxicponds). Technology: Inour study, a bacterial anodewas encapsulated by a microfiltration membrane. Thenovel encapsulation technology isbasedon a Small Bioreactor Platform (SBP) technology, recently developed for achieving successful bioaugmentation in wastewater treatment plants. The 3D capsule (2.5 cm in length, 0.8 cm in diameter) physically separates the exo- electrogenic biofilmon the carbon cloth anode material from the natural microorganisms in thewastewater, while enabling the diffusion of nutrients through the capsulemembrane. Our intention is the encapsulated bacterial anode using the SBP technology will help overcome the technological gapof contaminationby non- exo-electrogenic bacteria, as well as protecting the culture by eliminating the shear and friction forces that acts against the exo-electrogenic culture in DWWTP׳s, making anodes much more effective and bio-competitive. Results & Discussion: MECs based on the SBP anode (MEC-SBPs) and the MECs based on a non- encapsulatedanode (MECcontrol)were fedwith suspendedGeobacter, suppliedwithacetate for 32 days, and thenwith artificial wastewater for another 46 days. The electrochemical activity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), bacterial anode viability and relative distribution on the MEC-SBP anode were compared with the MEC control (suspended bacterial that been settled on the anode). MECs that were fed with artificial wastewater (MEC-SBP) produced (at −0.6 V) 1.70 ± 0.22 A m−2, twice that of the MECcontrol. Thehydrogenevolution rateswere 0.017and0.005m3m−3day−1, respectively. The COD consumption rate for both was about the same at 650 ± 70mg L−1. The MEC-SBP-anode approach can provide a long-term protective growth platform for exo-electrogenic cultures such as Geobacter. MEC-SBPs could be operate as a pretreatment for DWWTP׳s to increase treatment capacity, thus reducing treating facilitieswhile, providing some energy for self-operational activities. Thus, reducing the environmental footprint of wastewater treatment industry. 1. Water Industry Engineering Department, The Engineering Faculty, Kinneret Academic College on the Sea of Galilee, Israel. 2. Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Ariel University, Israel 3. Department of Chemistry, Ariel University, Israel 4. Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India 5. BioCastle Water Technologies Ltd. ofirmn@kinneret.ac.il מגזי המי הישראלי ע מפל הקוראי , הכותבי והמפר מי הגבוה ביותר ל פרטי :