Electricity generation and microbial community Analysis of microbial fuel cells with different substrates

Five two-chamber microbial fuel cells with five different substrates as fuel were constructed. And the anode chambers of MFC were inoculated with the same seed sludge. All the MFC can generate continuous electricity. The Simpler substrate is, the higher electricity MFC will obtain. The MFC with sodium acetate or glucose as fuel obtained higher power output comparing MFC using other substrates. The highest power density within five MFC was 3.7W/m³. Community analysis of the anode biofilm and suspension from MFCs with different substrates has been conducted by using 16S rDNA-based techniques. The results showed that: there exist different electrochemically active bacteria in anaerobic sludge and electricity-generating bacteria was enriched under the special substrate conditions, 19 bacteria species were separated and identified in the anode biofilm.