Abstract

Abstract: Rapid increase in the world population and economicdevelopment has resulted in sudden rise in the quantities of municipal solidwaste generated in most developing countries. Such wastes often get disposedunscientifically in landfills and sometimes in dump-yards, with the percolatingwater producing undesirable waste soup generally called leachate. This leachatehas several adverse impacts on environment and human health, and needs to becarefully managed and disposed. A potent use of this waste leachate is toemploy it as a substrate in a microbial fuel cell. In the present work, a dualchambered microbial fuel cell was fabricated and its potential for electricitygeneration was explored under varying environmental conditions. The fuel cellcomprised two chambers, one each for leachate and for salt solution. Theenvironmental conditions were varied by varying either the salt concentrationsor by diluting the leachate (as per dilutions expected in rainy seasons), andthe electricity generation was then determined under two conditions whereinexternal aeration of the salt solution was carried out in one case, and was notcarried out in another case.  8% NaCl wasfound to be the best salt option both technically and economically, with typicalorganic leachate generating electricity to an extent of 180 mV per 2000 ml ofthe leachate. In view of the extra energy requirement the aeration of saltsolution was not preferred, although aeration was observed to marginally(0.1-5%) increase power generation potential of the microbial cell. Thegeneration of electricity through the microbial fuel cell route provides apotent opportunity to use an environmentally undesirable waste product as aresource by upscaling the laboratory technology in the real world.

Keywords – Leachate, Electricity generation,Dual Chambered Microbial Fuel Cell, Fuel Cell Performance.