Exploring microbial electrochemical technology for the treatment of wastewater and removal of ampicillin

This study explores microbial electrochemical technology which leverages microbial metabolism to generate electricity or treat wastewater. In this investigation, exoelectrogenic bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (anode) and the microalga Chlorella sorokiniana (cathode) were used in a microalgae microbial fuel cell (mMFC) for power production, wastewater treatment, and Ampicillin (AMP) degradation. The effect of various AMP concentrations (10, 25, 50, 100, 150 mg/L) on algal growth was studied, and the 25 mg/L AMP concentration exhibited the best outcome. Furthermore, at this concentration, the mMFC system performance was compared to that of an MFC system without microalgae (control). The results revealed that mMFC system outperformed the control, with peak values of 555 ± 15 mV, 5.52 ± 0.30 mA, 765.9 ± 37.53 mW/m2, and 1380 ± 67.93 mA/m2 at 9th day, indicating that increased electron flow and appropriate reaction conditions resulted in increased power output and current density. The mMFC system effectively treated dairy wastewater, with Chlorella enhancing AMP photodegradation by 95.92 %. The first and second components in the metabolic profiling of microalgae accounted for 52.3 % and 14.8 % of the variability. Biochemical investigation discovered a 1.2-fold increase in lipid accumulation under AMP stress, indicating biofuel generation potential. Overall, this co-culture technique in mMFC provides a sustainable approach of energy generation, bioremediation, and value-added product synthesis. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.