Hydrogen Production from Winery Wastewater Through a Dual-Chamber Microbial Electrolysis Cell

Hydrogen Production from Winery Wastewater Through a Dual-Chamber Microbial Electrolysis Cell

This study explores the feasibility of producing biohydrogen from winery wastewater using a dual-chamber microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). A mixed microbial consortium pre-adapted to heavy-metal environments and enriched with <i>Geobacter sulfurreducens</i> was anaerobically cultivated...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ana Baía, Alonso I. Arroyo-Escoto, Nuno Ramos, Bilel Abdelkarim, Marta Pereira, Maria C. Fernandes, Yifeng Zhang, Annabel Fernandes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Energies
Subjects:
bioelectrochemical systems
cathodic hydrogen recovery
agro-industrial effluents
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
electroactive biofilm
mixed microbial consortium
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3043
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Summary:This study explores the feasibility of producing biohydrogen from winery wastewater using a dual-chamber microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). A mixed microbial consortium pre-adapted to heavy-metal environments and enriched with <i>Geobacter sulfurreducens</i> was anaerobically cultivated from diverse waste streams. Over 5000 h of development, the MEC system was progressively adapted to winery wastewater, enabling long-term electrochemical stability and high organic matter degradation. Upon winery wastewater addition (5% <i>v</i>/<i>v</i>), the system achieved a sustained hydrogen production rate of (0.7 ± 0.3) L H<sub>2</sub> L<sup>−1</sup> d<sup>−1</sup>, with an average current density of (60 ± 4) A m<sup>−3</sup>, and COD removal efficiency exceeding 55%, highlighting the system’s resilience despite the presence of inhibitory compounds. Coulombic efficiency and cathodic hydrogen recovery reached (75 ± 4)% and (87 ± 5)%, respectively. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy provided mechanistic insight into charge transfer and biofilm development, correlating resistive parameters with biological adaptation. These findings demonstrate the potential of MECs to simultaneously treat agro-industrial wastewaters and recover energy in the form of hydrogen, supporting circular resource management strategies.
ISSN:1996-1073

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