MeteoRR

Microbial Electrochemical Technology for Resource Recovery

Newcastle University, and Universities of Manchester, South Wales and Surrey

The aim of this research is to achieve efficient resource recovery from wastewaters using microbial electrochemical technology, providing a more sustainable and cost-effective approach to the industrial wastewater treatment. The research develops bioelectrochemical systems (BES) which use microorganisms to harvest the chemical energy available in wastewater to drive parallel processes such as the recovery of useful metals from wastewater, including novel nanometallic structures, and the synthesis of valuable organic compounds from carbon dioxide. Full life cycle sustainability assessments, including social, environmental and economic costs and benefits will enable the comparison of BES with conventional methods of waste treatment and will be vital to inform industrialists, policy makers and regulators on the viability of microbial electrochemical systems for the treatment of wastewater as part of the circular economy.

Further information is available on the project website at www.meteorr.ac.uk

Publications

Kimber et al. (2019). Synthesis of copper catalysts for click chemistry from distillery wastewater using magnetically recoverable bionanoparticles. Green Chemistry. 21, 4020-4024. doi:10.1039/C9GC00270G, Open access
Spurr et al. (2018). Extending the dynamic range of biochemical oxygen demand sensing with multi-stage microbial fuel cells. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology. 4, 2029-2040. doi: 10.1039/C8EW00497H. Open Access from 28/09/2019.
Lim et al. (2018). Effects of Applied Potential and Reactants to Hydrogen-Producing Biocathode in a Microbial Electrolysis Cell. Frontiers in Chemistry. 6, 318. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2018.00318, Open Access.
Daghio et al. (2018). Anode potential selection for sulfide removal in contaminated marine sediments. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 360, 498-503. doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.08.016; Open Access from 16 Aug 2019.
Shemfe et al. (2018). Social Hotspot Analysis and Trade Policy Implications of the Use of Bioelectrochemical Systems for Resource Recovery from Wastewater. Sustainability, 10(9), p.3193. doi.org/10.3390/su10093193, Open Access.
Feito et al. (2018) Applicability of a PEDOT coated electrode for amperometric quantification of short chain carboxylic acids. (2018). GC. Sensors and Actuators, B-Chemical. 255 (1), 712-719. doi:10.1016/j.snb.2017.08.033; Open Access Abstract.
Shemfe et al. (2018) Life cycle, techno-economic and dynamic simulation assessment of bioelectrochemical systems: A case of formic acid synthesis. Bioresource Technology. 255, 39–49. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2018.01.071, Open Access.
Shemfe et al. (2018) Chapter 11: Bioelectrochemical Systems for Biofuel (Electricity, Hydrogen, and Methane) and Valuable Chemical Production. Green Chemistry for Sustainable Biofuel Production, Dr Veera Gnaneswar Gude (Ed.). ISBN: 9781771886390, E-Book ISBN: 9781315099354. Apple Academic Press.
Kimber et al. (2018) Biosynthesis and Characterization of Copper Nanoparticles Using Shewanella oneidensis: Application for Click Chemistry. Small. In press, published online Jan 2018. doi: 10.1002/smll.201703145, Open Access.
Sadhukhan et al. (2018). Role of bioenergy, biorefinery and bioeconomy in sustainable development: Strategic pathways for Malaysia. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 81, (Part 2), 1966-1987. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2017.06.007; Open Access.
Cruz Viggi et al. (2017). Bridging spatially segregated redox zones with a microbial electrochemical snorkel triggers biogeochemical cycles in oil-contaminated River Tyne (UK) sediments. Water Research 127, 11-21. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2017.10.002; Open Access.
Sadhukhan & Matinez-Hernandez (2017). Material Flow and Sustainability Analyses of Biorefining of Municipal Solid Waste. Bioresource Technology. 243, 135-146. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2017.06.078; Open Access from 19 May 2019.
Kim et al. (2017). Anodic electro-fermentation of 3-hydroxypropionic acid from glycerol by recombinant Klebsiella pneumoniae L17 in bioelectrochemical system. Biotechnology for Biofuels. 10, 199. doi:10.1186/s13068-017-0886-x, Open Access.
Daghio et al. (2017) Electrobioremediation of oil spills. Water Research 114, 351-370. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2017.02.030; Open Access Abstract.
Sadhukhan J. (2017). Microbial electrosynthesis. Encyclopedia of Sustainable Technologies. Elsevier. Pages 455–468. eBook ISBN: 9780128047927. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.10151-4 (Science Direct)
Boghani et al. (2017). Reducing the burden of food processing washdown wastewaters using microbial fuel cells. Biochemical Engineering Journal. 117, (Part A), 210-217. doi:10.1016/j.bej.2016.10.017; Open Access.
Sadhukhan (2017) Special Issue editorial-Sustainable availability and utilisation of wastes. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 9, 1-2. doi:10.1016/j.spc.2017.01.002.
Song et al. (2016) Maximum Power Point Tracking to Increase the Power Production and Treatment Efficiency of a Continuously Operated Flat-Plate Microbial Fuel Cell. Energy Technology. 4, (11), 1427–1434. doi:10.1002/ente.201600191
Ng et al. (2016). A multilevel sustainability analysis of zinc recovery from wastes. Resources, Conservation & Recycling. 113, 88-105. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.05.013; Open Access.
Boghani (2016) Control of microbial fuel cell voltage using a gain scheduling control strategy. Journal of Power Sources. 322, 106-115. doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.05.017; Open Access.
Sadhukhan et al. (2016) A Critical Review of Integration Analysis of Microbial Electrosynthesis (MES) Systems with Waste Biorefineries for the Production of Biofuel and Chemical from Reuse of CO2. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 56, 116-132. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2015.11.015; Open Access.
Daghio et al. (2016). Anodes Stimulate Anaerobic Toluene Degradation via Sulfur Cycling in Marine Sediments. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 82, 297-307 doi:10.1128/AEM.02250-15; Open Access Abstract.
Premier et al. (2016) Reactor design and scale-up. In Microbial electrochemical and fuel cells: Fundamentals and applications (Scott, K., and Yu, E. H., Eds.), Elsevier, Woodhead Publishing. ISBN: 978-1-78242-375-1, Open Access abstract.