Electricity generation from an inorganic sulfur compound containing mining wastewater by acidophilic microorganisms

Ni, GaofengLinnéuniversitetet,Institutionen för biologi och miljö (BOM),Ctr Ecol & Evolut Microbial Model Syst EEMiS (author)

Sulfide mineral processing often produces large quantities of wastewaters containing acid-generating inorganic sulfur compounds. If released untreated, these wastewaters can cause catastrophic environmental damage. In this study, microbial fuel cells were inoculated with acidophilic microorganisms to investigate whether inorganic sulfur compound oxidation can generate an electrical current. Cyclic voltammetry suggested that acidophilic microorganisms mediated electron transfer to the anode, and that electricity generation was catalyzed by microorganisms. A cation exchange membrane microbial fuel cell, fed with artificial wastewater containing tetrathionate as electron donor, reached a maximum whole cell voltage of 72 +/- 9 mV. Stepwise replacement of the artificial anolyte with real mining process wastewater had no adverse effect on bioelectrochemical performance and generated a maximum voltage of 105 +/- 42 mV. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the microbial consortia resulted in sequences that aligned within the genera Thermoplasma, Ferroplasma, Leptospirillum, Sulfobacillus and Acidithiobacillus. This study opens up possibilities to bioremediate mining wastewater using microbial fuel cell technology. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS on behalf of Institut Pasteur.

Christel, StephanLinnéuniversitetet,Institutionen för biologi och miljö (BOM),Ctr Ecol & Evolut Microbial Model Syst EEMiS(Swepub:lnu)stchab (author)
Roman, PawelWageningen Univ, Netherlands ; Wetsus, Netherlands (author)
Wong, Zhen LimLinnéuniversitetet,Institutionen för biologi och miljö (BOM),Ctr Ecol & Evolut Microbial Model Syst EEMiS(Swepub:lnu)zhwoaa (author)
Bijmans, Martijn F. M.Wetsus, Netherlands (author)
Dopson, MarkLinnéuniversitetet,Institutionen för biologi och miljö (BOM),Ctr Ecol & Evolut Microbial Model Syst EEMiS(Swepub:lnu)madoaa (author)
LinnéuniversitetetInstitutionen för biologi och miljö (BOM) (creator_code:org_t)

By the author/editor: Ni, Gaofeng; Christel, Stepha ...; Roman, Pawel; Wong, Zhen Lim; Bijmans, Martijn ...; Dopson, Mark

About the subject

NATURAL SCIENCES: NATURAL SCIENCES; and Earth and Relate ...; and Environmental Sc ...

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