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Characteristics of Aniline Aerofloat Biodegradation in Mineral Processing Wastewater and Energy Recovery by Single-Chamber Bioelectrochemical System: Strategies for Efficiency Improvement and Microbial Mechanisms

Summary

This study demonstrates that microbial fuel cells can effectively treat mining wastewater containing aniline aerofloat, a toxic organic chemical, while simultaneously generating electricity. By optimizing conditions such as pH and electrical resistance, the system achieved over 72% removal of the contaminant. Specific bacteria enriched in the fuel cell anode proved instrumental in breaking down this complex compound, offering a promising sustainable solution for mining industry wastewater management.

Background

Aniline aerofloat (AAF) is a refractory organic flotation reagent residual commonly found in mineral processing wastewater (MPW). Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have shown effectiveness in degrading organic contaminants and recovering resources from wastewater, but AAF biodegradation potential in MFC systems remains poorly understood.

Objective

To investigate AAF degradation efficiency, electricity generation performance, and microbial mechanisms in single-chamber MFC (sMFC) systems while analyzing the effects of AAF concentration, operating resistor, and pH on system performance.

Results

Under optimal conditions (300 mg/L sodium acetate, 100 mg/L AAF, pH 7.0, 200 Ω resistance), AAF removal efficiency achieved 72.7±1.6% with output voltage of 232 mV and maximum power density of 422.1 mW/m². AAF presence enriched electroactive bacteria including Comamonas and Geobacter, with carbohydrate metabolism as the dominant functional pathway.

Conclusion

The MFC system demonstrated effective AAF biodegradation coupled with electricity generation, providing an alternative and sustainable method for treating mineral processing wastewater. The enrichment of electroactive bacteria and increased N-respiration and S-respiration pathways improved contaminant removal efficiency, offering potential for resource recovery in mining industry wastewater treatment.
  • Published in:Microorganisms,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: PMID: 41304294, DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms13112610
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