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Amulya Singh*,
Mohd. Kaif,
Arpit Maurya,
Priyanshu Kumar,
Haider Abbas,
Sumit kumar Pandey,
- Student, Department of Biotechnology Bansal Institute of Engineering and Technology Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Student, Department of Biotechnology Bansal Institute of Engineering and Technology Lucknow,, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Student, Department of Biotechnology Bansal Institute of Engineering and Technology Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Student, Department of Biotechnology Bansal Institute of Engineering and Technology Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Student, Department of Biotechnology Bansal Institute of Engineering and Technology Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Assistant Professor, Department of Biotechnology Bansal Institute of Engineering and Technology Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Abstract
Increasing wastewater treatment mechanisms has resulted in an equal increase in the amount of global sewage sludge produced. This has created operational and environmental issues. Landfilling and land application are two common ways to get rid of waste that cause greenhouse gas emissions and heavy metals to get into the soil and groundwater. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) electrochemically treat wastewater and make bioelectricity by transferring electrons from electroactive microorganisms. This bioelectrochemical approach can lead to a decrease in the chemical oxygen demand of treated wastewater. This study covers global and Indian patterns of sludge production and the principles of operation, design, electron transfer (ET), and performance of MFCs. Moreover, it covers the sludge pretreatment (physical, thermal chemical, and biological) and discusses its impacts on the performance of the system. Despite advancements in electrode materials, reactor design, and biofilm engineering, power density, internal resistance, membrane fouling, and scale-up remain major problems. Research on MFCs is focused on the development of cheap materials, industrial pretreatment systems to optimize microbial consortia, and demonstrating how to integrate MFCs to wastewater treatment plants, provide sustainable solutions to sludge management, and close the loop on a low-carbon circular bioeconomy.
Keywords: Microbial Fuel Cells, Extracellular Electron Transfer, Electroactive Microorganisms, COD, Sludge Pretreatment, Energy Recovery, Coulombic Efficiency.
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Research and Reviews : A Journal of Biotechnology
| Volume | 16 | |
| 02 | ||
| Received | 14/09/2026 | |
| Accepted | 06/10/2026 | |
| Published | 16/10/2026 | |
| Publication Time | 32 Days |