Alternative Energy by Bioelectrogenesis from the Bacteria Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Aeromonas Hydrophila

Abstract

Bioelectrogenesis allows the transformation of chemical energy into electrical energy by means of microbial fuel cells.The research aimed to determine the amount of energy generated by bioelectrogenesis using Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aeromonas hydrophila bacteria. Four double chamber H-type glass microbial fuel cells with a capacity of 500 mL and 2 control cells were constructed, using graphite or aluminium rod electrodes at the anode and graphite rod at the cathode for all the cells. 325 mL of anaerobic sludge and 75 mL of wastewater from a wastewater treatment plant were inoculated as substrate for the bacteria in the anode, where 50 mL of the aforementioned bacteria strain were inoculated, respectively. The experimental part was carried out in 20 days; the conditions of the cells were evaluated in terms of temperature and pH, characteristics of the bacteria and the behaviour of the voltage generated. It was established that the bacteria that generated the highest voltage was Pseudomonas aeruginosa with 0.8960V, using an aluminum electrode in the anode chamber. The results indicate that bioelectrogenesis using bacteria in anaerobic sludge and wastewater is a promising technology for obtaining clean and low-cost energy.