Dawei Zhu1,2, De-Bin Wang1,2, Tian-Shun Song3,4,5, Ting Guo2,6,7,8, Ping Wei1,2,8, Pingkai Ouyang1,2,8, Jingjing Xie9,10,11,12,13. 1. State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing, People's Republic of China. 2. College of Life Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China. 3. State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing, People's Republic of China. tshsong@njtech.edu.cn. 4. College of Life Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China. tshsong@njtech.edu.cn. 5. Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Science & Technology Development, Nanjing, People's Republic of China. tshsong@njtech.edu.cn. 6. Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Science & Technology Development, Nanjing, People's Republic of China. 7. Guangdong Key Lab of Sugarcane Improvement & Biorefinery, Guangzhou Sugarcane Industry Research Institute, Guangzhou, China. 8. National Engineering Technique Research Center for Biotechnology, Nanjing, People's Republic of China. 9. State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing, People's Republic of China. xiej@njtech.edu.cn. 10. College of Life Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China. xiej@njtech.edu.cn. 11. Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Science & Technology Development, Nanjing, People's Republic of China. xiej@njtech.edu.cn. 12. National Engineering Technique Research Center for Biotechnology, Nanjing, People's Republic of China. xiej@njtech.edu.cn. 13. College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, South Puzhu Road 30, Nanjing, 211816, People's Republic of China. xiej@njtech.edu.cn.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that an enhanced sediment microbial fuel cell (SMFC) system can accelerate the degradation of cellulose in fresh water sediments as the accumulation of cellulose in lake sediments may aggravate the lake marsh, increase organic matter content and result in rapid deterioration of water quality and damage the ecosystem. RESULTS: After 330 days the highest cellulose removal efficiency (72.7 ± 2.1 %) was achieved in the presence of a SMFC with a carbon nanotube decorated cathode, followed by a SMFC without the cathode decoration (64.4 ± 2.8 %). The lowest cellulose removal efficiency (47.9 ± 2.1 %) was in the absence of SMFC. The sediment characterization analysis confirmed that the carbon nanotube decorated cathode enhances the electron transfer rate in the SMFC and improves the dissolved organic matter oxidation rate. CONCLUSION: This study offers a relatively simple and promising new method for cellulose degradation in sediment.
OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that an enhanced sediment microbial fuel cell (SMFC) system can accelerate the degradation of cellulose in fresh water sediments as the accumulation of cellulose in lake sediments may aggravate the lake marsh, increase organic matter content and result in rapid deterioration of water quality and damage the ecosystem. RESULTS: After 330 days the highest cellulose removal efficiency (72.7 ± 2.1 %) was achieved in the presence of a SMFC with a carbon nanotube decorated cathode, followed by a SMFC without the cathode decoration (64.4 ± 2.8 %). The lowest cellulose removal efficiency (47.9 ± 2.1 %) was in the absence of SMFC. The sediment characterization analysis confirmed that the carbon nanotube decorated cathode enhances the electron transfer rate in the SMFC and improves the dissolved organic matter oxidation rate. CONCLUSION: This study offers a relatively simple and promising new method for cellulose degradation in sediment.