Hydrogen peroxide production in a pilot-scale microbial electrolysis cell.

ABSTRACT: A pilot-scale dual-chamber microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) equipped with a carbon gas-diffusion cathode was evaluated for H₂O₂ production using acetate medium as the electron donor. To assess the effect of cathodic pH on H₂O₂ yield, the MEC was tested with an anion exchange membrane (AEM) and a cation exchange membrane (CEM), respectively. The maximum current density reached 0.94-0.96?A/m² in the MEC at applied voltage of 0.35-1.9?V, regardless of membranes. The highest H₂O₂ conversion efficiency was only 7.2?±?0.09% for the CEM-MEC. This low conversion would be due to further H₂O₂ reduction to H₂O on the cathode or H₂O₂ decomposition in bulk liquid. This low H₂O₂ conversion indicates that large-scale MECs are not ideal for production of concentrated H₂O₂ but could be useful for a sustainable in-situ oxidation process in wastewater treatment.

SUBMITTER: Sim J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6127372 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature