3. Microbial Fuel Cells for Wastewater Treatment

Disposal of untreated wastewater directly into the water is obnoxious to the environment and human health. Current methods commonly used to treat wastewater include activated sludge process and anaerobic treatment which are energy and cost-intensive processes. These processes are energy as well as cost-intensive and generate pollutants including greenhouse gases and other harmful byproducts that need further disposal. Thus, intensive efforts are being made to find sustainable and efficient treatment systems. Direct transformation of the waste substrate into clean power or high-worth energy is perceived as a superior choice to dispose of the issues in ordinary wastewater management frameworks. Natural processes that convert the chemical energy of wastewater into bioelectrical energy are known as bioelectro-substance frameworks. This energy can be separated as bioelectricity through Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) or as important biofuels like ethanol, methane, H_2, and H₂O₂ if there is the presence of microbial electrolysis cells. The present chapter discusses different aspects of MFCs that are important for wastewater treatment.