The impact of marine bacteria (from Saldanha Bay) on the performance of an air-cathode microbial fuel cell

Abstract

Investigating the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and the bacterial cultures used within them is an important part of the search for renewable, sustainable energy solutions that can tackle the Earth’s growing energy crisis. Three marine sediment samples taken from Saldanha Bay (South Africa) were combined with a glucose substrate to investigate the performance of halophilic bacteria in an air-cathode MFC. The sample taken from the Site 3 (Langebaan Beach) produced the highest maximum power density of 0.036 mW m-3 and the lowest volume-specific internal resistance of 416 Ω m3 at 40 °C. The performance of this sample was optimized at 30 °C and pH 9, where a low volume-specific internal resistance of 287 Ω m3 and a maximum power density of 0.046 mW m-3 was achieved. The results suggested the presence of both acidophilic and alkaliphilic mesophiles and established their ability to produce electrical energy. This work successfully confirmed the electrogenic behavior of halophilic bacteria from Saldanha Bay and the potential for large-scale industrial application after further in-depth study.