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Research Paper | Biology | India | Volume 3 Issue 6, June 2014

Microbial Fuel Cell: Harnessing Bioenergy from Yamuna Water

Darshn Malik | Sunita Singh ^[4] | Jayita Thakur ^[2] | Raj Kishore ^[4] | Anita Kapoor | Shashi Nijhawan ^[3]

Abstract: Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) hold a great potential in generation of electricity and has proved as an alternative source of renewable energy. In the present research work; a mediator-less MFC with an anaerobic anode & aerobic cathode chamber linked with a salt bridge for the exchange of generated protons is constructed. Yamuna water from four different locations in Delhi viz. ; Palla; ITO; Nizamuddin Bridge and Okhla Barrage were collected to study the generation of electricity and pure culture of Escherichia coli & Bacillus subtilis were taken as controls. Glucose is used as substrate; which is considered as an instantaneous source of energy for biological systems. The pure cultures of E. coli and B. subtilis generated electric current varying from 326 - 522 mV and 260 - 580 mV respectively at different cellular concentrations. An increasing trend is observed when the cell counts were doubled. A variable increase in generation of electricity is obtained ie. ; 80 - 360 mV (Palla) ; 400 - 620 mV (ITO) ; 280 - 360 mV (Nizamuddin Bridge) and 320-480 mV (Okhla Barrage) respectively. This is higher as compared to the pure cultures used. The Yamuna water samples are deemed to contain a consortium of bacteria namely E. coli; Bacillus subtilis; Lactobacillus plantarum; L. casei; Streptococcus lactis; Rhodopseudomonas palustris; Rhodobacter sphaeroides; S. cerevisiae; Candida utilis; Streptomyces albus; S. griseus; Aspergillus and Mucor hiemalis. Thus implying that; in consortium the other microbes enhance the performance of the MFC. Secondly; chemical compounds (Fe+++; NO2--; SO4 --) present in the Yamuna water may act as mediators of the electrons transporter to the anode and hence increasing the potential difference.

Keywords: Microbial Fuel Cells MFCs, Yamuna river, Microbial consortium, Electrical energy, Mediators

Edition: Volume 3 Issue 6, June 2014,

Pages: 1076 - 1081

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