Taking the waste out of dye wastewater using microbial fuel cells

Dye-containing wastewater (e.g. from textiles) is getting ever more challenging to treat partly due to its complexity but also due to tightening legislation regarding discharge standards. In India for example, they have a zero-water discharge policy which means the wastewater has to be treated to such a level that it can be reused. Treatment of the water for reuse is also of interest to water stressed countries. Conventional methods of treatment are however, either too costly (e.g. membrane systems) or produce sludges that create a secondary disposal problem (e.g. flocculation). I will explore the role that microbial fuel cells can play in overcoming some of the challenges of treating dye wastewater using conventional means. Case studies will include anodic vs cathodic decolourisation of dyes, integration of microbial fuel cells with activated sludge systems and scale up of reactors used