Abstract:
Co-substrates have been known to influence bioelectricity output during dye degradation. This preliminary research is focused on understanding the variations of bioelectricity output when co-substrates glucose and nitrogen sources were added along with congo red azo dye in a double-chambered microbial fuel cell (mfc). A novel bacterial consortium capable of azo dye degradation was added as the inoculant to the double-chambered mfc. Differences in bioelectricity output were noted when glucose alone, ammonium nitrate and ammonium phosphate alone were added as co-substrates with congo red dye. Mfc with 25 mg l−1 ammonium nitrate peaked 0.032v and 0.003a open circuit (oc) output after 8 h hydraulic retention time (hrt). This was followed by observing effects of glucose alone and glucose combined with nitrogen sources over 8 h. Peak voltage and current of 0.11v and 0.012a, respectively were achieved at 3 h hrt by experimental model with glucose alone as co-substrate. © 2022 elsevier ltd