PRODUCTION OF BIOELECTRICITY THROUGH MICROBIAL FUEL CELL

Abstract

Waste generated by both agro based industries and domestic units have high nutrient contents to support microbial\ngrowth, these wastes are indiscriminately dumped and constitutes environmental and health hazards. Some of these\nwastes can be used to grow some bacterial species in microbial fuel cell to generate bioelectricity. The Microbial fuel\ncell is a device where the bacteria can grow on one electrode, they breakdown organic matter and release electrons from\nit. The bacteria can do this by keeping them separate from the oxygen, and when they release those electrons it creates a\npotential between the electrodes of about half a volt and voltage times current is power, and that is how power is\ngenerated from it. The waste materials used in this work are banana peels. Bacterial isolates that are used from the\nsewage and hay soil all within Gandhigram institute, Gandhigram. Microscopic characterization of the isolates by Gram\nreaction revealed the Gram negative and Gram positive and Biochemical test showed that the three isolated organisms\nwere Escherichia sp., Pseudomonas sp, Bacillus sp. Microbial fuel cell were fabricated with a two plastic bottles as anode\nand cathode chamber. The electrode used were Aluminium mesh. A 3.75% sodium chloride, 2.2% agar salt bridge\nconnected the chambers. The organism and banana peel as biocatalyst. Result that was monitored showed the maximum\nof 86mV at 24 hours reading respectively