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Electroactive Bacteria in Natural Ecosystems and Their Applications in Microbial Fuel Cells for Bioremediation: A Review

Summary

Electroactive bacteria are special microorganisms found in soil, water, and sediment that can generate electrical current. Scientists are harnessing these bacteria in microbial fuel cells to simultaneously clean contaminated water and produce electricity. These systems can remove pollution including heavy metals and antibiotics while generating renewable energy, offering a green solution for environmental cleanup and power generation.

Background

Electroactive bacteria (EAB) are microorganisms capable of generating electrical current through metabolic processes and interacting electrically with their environments. These bacteria have been found in various habitats including water, soil, sediment, and extreme environments. Recent interest in EAB has increased due to their potential applications in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for renewable energy generation and environmental remediation.

Objective

This review examines electroactive bacteria in natural ecosystems and their applications in microbial fuel cells for bioremediation of water, wastewater, soil, and sediment. The review discusses extracellular electron transfer mechanisms, MFC performance metrics, and applications for heavy metal and organic contaminant removal.

Results

The review identified over 100 electroactive bacterial species from diverse phylogenetic groups found in natural and anthropic environments. MFCs demonstrated significant performance in wastewater treatment with COD removal rates of 50-95%, heavy metal removal efficiencies of 42-84%, and antibiotic degradation rates of 84-96%. Plant-MFCs and constructed wetland-MFCs showed promising results for soil and sediment remediation.

Conclusion

Electroactive bacteria represent a promising green technology for simultaneous bioelectricity generation and environmental bioremediation. Future research should focus on ecological characterization of EAB, optimization of MFC configurations through biostimulation and bioaugmentation strategies, and scaling up to full-scale applications while maintaining efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
  • Published in:Microorganisms,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: PMC10263229; PMID: 37317229; doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11051255
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