Microbial Participation in Water Purification & Electric Current Generation

Shaukat Khanum National Science and

Engineering Fair 2018

SYNOPSIS

Page 1 of 8
 Microbial Participation in Water Purification & Electric Current Generation

Microbial Participation in Water Purification

& Electric Current Generation

Participant: Mian Affan Anwar

Supervisor: Samreen Aruge

SIDDEEQ PUBLIC SCHOOL

6th Road, Satellite Town, Rawalpindi

Page 2 of 8
 Microbial Participation in Water Purification & Electric Current Generation

ABSTRACT:

Pakistan stands to some extent in the line of developed countries but currently it has
to face the energy crisis due to existing gap between the energy demand and supply. In order
to minimize the energy crisis the renewable resources including water, soil and air should be
restored. Soil contains different microbes specially there are certain bacteria which help us in
generating the electricity, in the light of which the current study was designed to attain the
objectives of water purification as well as generation of electric current by utilizing the
different soil samples, then by isolating, culturing and formulation of Microbial Fuel Cell in
which Shewanella oneidensis and Geobacter species pass through a designed system of
graphite anode and graphite cathode, as the bacteria eject electrons resulting in generating of
an electric voltage Later on the respective suggestion will be provided to make it effective in
different sectors.

Page 3 of 8
 Microbial Participation in Water Purification & Electric Current Generation

INTRODUCTION:

Two third of the Earth is covered with water, it surrounds us but still there is shortage
of water which is the main threat to living bodies is to meet the demands of fresh water.
Today water crisis is affecting billions of the people all around the world and the main reason
is its excessive wastage and contamination due to water pollution which is lethal for any
living organism. Natural has develop the self recycling process to remove these contaminats
by degradation and decomposition by utilizing the abiotic and biotic factors for example the
usage of microbes especially bacteria to purify water is a cheaper and easily accessible way
to purify water. These microbes can filter or purify any harmful toxins present in water just
free of cost to make it drinkable [4].

In addition to that, another crisis faced by the world today is the energy crisis. The
socio-economic growth of any country depends on engine of energy. Industrial growth and
human needs have increased the need of energy resources resulting in extinction of these
natural resources in the world thus limited amount is in human approach. The non-renewable
energy sources are depleting at a very fast rate and the renewable energy sources have less
output as compared to their price [9]. Although, they do occur naturally, it can take hundreds
or if not thousands of years to refill the stores. One more reason for energy crisis is excessive
wastage of energy without its conservation. Therefore, there is a need to develop renewable
sources of energy to provide the public unlimited, cheaper and easily accessible energy. A
way to overcome current energy crisis are to develop alternative renewable sources to get rid
of the energy problems faced by the public and the industrial sector [13]. It can be developed
by usage of organic matter present in soil by bacteria to generate electricity using a Microbial
Fuel Cell [9-10]. The electricity voltage generated can be increased by connecting several
MFCs in series or parallel [15].

The microbes especially bacteria have vast applications in genetic engineering and
other industrial processes to benefit the mankind For example E.coli is used in genetic
engineering for the production of insulin, growth hormones etc Similarly,
Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, or Streptococcus families can be extremely beneficial in butter
and cheese production by using the industrial scale fermenters. Similarly, hydrogen
production from domestic waste water using bacteria present in waste water can also generate
electricity [7] and purification of water. The electricity generated by microbes will be
unlimited and free of cost [5-6], having no harmful impact on environment but also find the

Page 4 of 8
 Microbial Participation in Water Purification & Electric Current Generation

way out in reduction of environmental pollution [1-2]. In this way the bacteria can help in
eradication of energy and water crisis in Pakistan if used in a Microbial fuel cell.

A microbial fuel cell involves the property of bacteria of ejecting electrons and
protons by intake of organic material as food. MFC consists of two electrodes separated by
polymeric electron exchange membrane (PEM) where soil containing bacteria is placed [1-2-
11-14]. The electrons and protons ejected then react at cathode to produce clean, safe,
antitoxic and drinkable water without harming the natural environment in any way. By
varying certain conditions such as pH, resistance, electrolyte or amount of oxygen around
cathode, electricity generation can be further increased [8]. Moreover, addition of glucose
oxidases increase the voltage production too[12].The fuel cell is a cheaper and harmless
device to generate electricity in most developing and progressing countries to meet their
energy needs.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

The main aim of this work is:

 Bacterial culture and isolation using agar medium

 Purification of water using microbes.
 To generate electricity from the identified bacteria present in the soil.
 Comparative analysis of intensity of electricity generation by using different
types of soil.

METHODOLOGY

Comparative Analysis
Culturing & Isolation of Adjustment of Anode- Output of Electricity
Steriliztion of Electricty Generation
Bacteria Cathode Electrode Generation setup
from Different Soils

Figure 1Graphical representation of steps follow during research

Page 5 of 8
 Microbial Participation in Water Purification & Electric Current Generation

Microbial Culturing of identified Bacterial species

For culturing of identified bacteria by using the sterilized techniques inorder to avoid
any type of contamination. The apparatus and the equipment should be autoclaved at high
temperature and pressure. For culturing agar plates will be prepared by following the
respective protocols [16]. The culturing, isolation and identification of bacteria specie will be
depend upon the mentor resources as provided by the university policy.

Placing of Soil in MFC:

The sterilized soils will be mixed with water to form a paste like structure called silt.
This silt will be placed in a Microbial Fuel Cell by forming a thin layer of it at the bottom of
MFC. It will be followed by placing an anode on top of silt layer and again silt will be used to
cover anode from top. A cathode will be placed on top such that one of its sides is in the
contact with silt and other is in contact with atmospheric air.

Setting up an external circuit:

The wires emerging from each of the electrode will be connected to an external circuit
containing the terminals as the Anode and Cathode are negatively and Positively charged
respectively, therefore the wire emerging from anode will be connected to the negative
terminal of circuit and wire emerging from cathode will be connected to the positive terminal
of the circuit. The external circuit will be connected to any device resulting in voltage
generation to produce current.

Testing electricity generation of different soils:

A Microbial Fuel Cell with each of the soils collected from various regions of
Pakistan will be made. A galvanometer will be connected with the MFC and voltage
generation from each of the Microbial Fuel Cell will be measured to determine the soil most
suitable for the electricity generation in Pakistan.

CONCLUSION

In order to generate the cheapest source of energy by the using the bacteria which
helps to compensate the energy crisis faced by the common man. It will also help in reduction
of water pollution to save the natural resource of water.

Page 6 of 8
 Microbial Participation in Water Purification & Electric Current Generation

REFERENCES:

(1) K.Rabaey, N.Boon, S.D.Siciliano, M.Verhaege, W.Verstraete. “Biofuel cells select for
microbial consortia that self-mediate electron
transfer”.Appl.Environ.Microbiol.vol.70,pp.5373-5389,2004

(2) D.R.Bond, D.R.Lovley. “Electricity production by Geobacter Sulfur reducens attached to

electrodes”.Appl.Environ.Microbiol.vol.69,pp.1548-1555,2011.

(3) D.R.Bond, D.E.Holmes, L.M.Tender, D.R.Lovley. “Electrode-reducing microorganisms

that harvest energy from marine sediments”. Science,vol.295,pp.483-485,2002.

(4) B.E.Logan. “Extracting hydrogen and electricity from renewable Resources”.

Environ.Sci.Technol.vol.38,pp.160a-167a,2004.

(5) B.Min, B.E.Logan. “Continuous electricity generation from domestic wastewater and
organic substrates in a flat plate microbial fuel cell”.Environ.Sci.Technol.vol.38,pp.5809-
5814,2004.

(6) K.Rabaey, W.Verstraete. “Microbial fuel cells: novel biotechnology for energy
generation”.Trends.Biotechnol.vol.23,pp.291-298,2003.

(7) J.Heilmann. “Microbial fuel cells: proteinaceous substrates and hydrogen production
using domestic wastewater”. Department Civil and Environmental Engineering, Penn State
University,

University Park, PA.

(8) G.C.Gil, I.S.Chang, B.H.Kim, M.Kim, J.K.Jang, H.S.Park, H.J.Kim. “Operational

parameters affecting the performance of a mediator-less microbial fuel
cell”.Biosens.Bioelectron.vol.18,pp.327-334,2003.

(9) N.Kim, Y.Choi, S.Jung, S.Kim. “Development of microbial fuel cell using Proteus
vulgaris”. Bull. Korean Chem. Soc.vol.21,pp.44-49,2007

(10) D.Sell, P.Kramer, G.Kreysa. “Use of an oxygen gas diffusion cathode and a three-
dimensional packed bed anode in a bioelectrochemical fuel cell”.
Appl.Microbiol.Biotechnol.vol.31,pp.211-213,1989.

Page 7 of 8
 Microbial Participation in Water Purification & Electric Current Generation

(11) D.A.Lowy, L.M.Tender, J.G.Zeikus, D.H.Park, D.R.Lovley. “Harvesting energy from

the marine sediment-water interface II -Kinetic activity of anode materials”.
Biosens.Bioelectron.vol.21,pp.2058-2063,2006.

(12) J.B.Davis, H.F.Yarbrough. “Preliminary experiments on a microbial fuel

cell”.Science,vol.137,pp.615-616,1962

(13) B.Cohen. “The bacterial culture as an electrical half-cell”. J.Bacteriol.vol,21,pp.18-

19,1931.

(14) H.Liu, B.E.Logan. “Electricity generation using an air-cathode single chamber

microbial fuel cell in the presence and absence of a proton exchange membrane”.
Environ.Sci.Technol. vol.38, pp.4040-4046,2004

(15) P.Aelterman, K.Rabaey, T.H.Pham, N.Boon, W.Verstraete. “Continuous electricity

generation at high voltages and currents using stacked microbial fuel
cells”.Environ.Sci.Technol. vol.40,pp. 3388-3394,2004.

(16). C.Perez. “Antibiotic Assay by agar well diffusion method”. Acta.Biol.Med.Exp.,

vol.13,pp.320-354,1990

Page 8 of 8