Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Division of Biotechnological Science, Graduate School of Biology-Oriented Science and Technology, Kindai University, Wakayama, Japan

Abstract

Soil microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) are expected as an application to produce sustainable energy. Here, we focused on soil ecosystems, specifically the earthworms which are known to improve soil-fertility by degrading fallen leaves or plant litter. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of earthworm on power generation of the SMFC. The maximum power density and the internal resistance were compared to the SMFC with and without earthworms. The power density increased by about 800% and the internal resistance decreased by about 90%. The soil structure of each SMFC was different and the clear soil aggregate structure was found in the SMFC with earthworms, which had been made with the passage of soil through the earthworm gut. The results indicated that adding earthworms had a significant effect on the SMFC performance, especially the power and soil structure. It is considered that the soil environments were changed biologically and physicochemically by adding earthworms into SMFC and these changes had a positive influence on SMFC. There is no report of hybrid type SMFC combined with earthworm. This is a very novel approach to use earthworms as enhanced power generation through the SMFC.

Keywords

1.     Key World Energy Statistics, International Energy Agency, (2016).
2.     Ieropoulos, I., Greenman, J. and Melhuish, C., "Urine utilization by microbial fuel cell; energy fuel for the future", Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, Vol. 14, (2012), 94-98.
3.     Logan, B.E. and Regan, J.M., "Electricity-producing bacterial communities in microbial fuel cell", Review, Trends in Microbiology, Vol. 14, (2006), 512-518.
4.     Mostafa, R., Arash, A., Soheil, D., Alieza, Z. and Sang-Eun, O., "Microbial fuel cell as new technology for bioelectricity generation: A review", Alexandria Engineering Journal, Vol. 55, (2015), 745-756.
5.     Rabaey, K. and Verstraete, W., "Microbial fuel cells: novel biotechnology for energy generation", Trends in Biotechnology, Vol. 23, No. 6, (2005), 291-298.
6.     Parot, S., Marie-Line, D. and Alain, B., "Forming electrochemically active biofilms from garden compost under chronoamperometry", Bioresource Technology, Vol. 99, (2008), 4809-4816.
7.     Hong, S.W., Chang, I.S., Yong, S.C. and Tai, H.C., "Experimental evaluation of influential factors for electricity harvesting from sediment using microbial fuel cell", Bioresource Technology, Vol. 100, (2009), 3029-3035.
8.     Roesch, F.W., Luiz, Fulthorpe, R.R., Alberto, R., George, C., Alison, K.M.H., Angela, D.K., Samira, H.D., Flavio, A.O.C., William, G.F. and Eric, W.T., "Pyrosequensing enumerates and contrasts soil microbial diversity", The ISME Journal, Vol. 1, (2007), 283-290.
9.     Kouzuma, A., Kasai, T., Nakagawa, G., Yamamuro, A., Abe, T. and Watanabe, K., "Comparative metagenomics of anode-associated microbiomes developed in rice paddy-field microbial fuel cells", PLOS One, Vol. 8, No. 11, (2013), 1-10.
10.   Yamamuro, A., Kouzuma, A., Abe, T. and Watanabe, K., "Metagenomic analyses reveal the involvement of syntrophic consortia in methanol/electricity conversion in microbial fuel cells", PLOS One, Vol. 9, No. 5, (2014), 1-8.
11.   Quan, X., Quan, Y., Kun, T. and Xiao-man, J., "Comparative investigation on microbial community and electricity generation in aerobic and anaerobic enriched MFCs", Bioresource Technology, Vol. 128, (2013), 259-265.
12.   Reimers, E.C., Leonard, M.T., Stephanie, F. and Wei W., "Harvesting energy from the marine sediment-water interface", Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 35, (2001), 192-195.
13.   Simeon, M., Imologie, R.O.A., Agidi, G. and Okoro-Shekwaga, C.A., "Performance of a single chamber soil microbial fuel cell at varied external resistances for electric power generation", Journal of Research in Rural Education, Vol. 3, No. 3, (2016), 53-58.
14.   Mostafa, R., Gholamreza, B., Mostafa, G. and Alieza, Z., "A review on the role of proton exchange membrane on the performance of microbial fuel cell", Polymers for Advanced Technologies, Vol. 25, (2014), 1426-1432.
15.   Mostafa, R., Gholamreza, B., Ghasem, N., Mostafa, G., Alieza, Z. and Sang-Eun, O., "A review on the effect of proton exchange membranes in microbial fuel cells", Biofuel Research Journal, Vol. 1, (2014), 7-15.
16.   Li, Z., Qian, C., Ding, Y., Shaoyuan, B. and Xiaojun, L., "A review of microbial fuel cells coupled with constructed wetland", Advances in Engineering Research, Vol. 63, (2016), 1-4.
17.   Fujinaga, A., Tei, K., Ozaki, H., Takanami, R. and Taniguchi, S., "Evaluation of the effect of graphite powder in decreasing the internal resistance for microbial fuel cell using soil", Journal of water and Environment Technology, Vol. 14, No. 3, (2016), 141-148.
18.   Ainara, D.G., Antonio, B., Irene, O.B. and Abraham, E.N., "Silica colloid formation enhances performance of sediment microbial fuel cells in a low conductivity soil", Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 47, (2013), 2117-2122.
19.   Zahra, N., Mostfa, R. and Ghasem, N., "Effect of electrolyte conductivity and aeration on performance of sediment microbial fuel cell", Journal of Research in Rural Education,  Vol. 2, No. 1, (2015), 43-48.
20.   An, J., Bongkyu, K., Jonghyeon, N., How, Y.N. and In, S.C., "Comparison in performance of sediment microbial fuel cells according to depth of embedded anode", Bioresource Technology, Vol. 127, (2013), 138-142.
21.   Gurung, A. and Oh, S.E., "Rice straw as a potential biomass for generation of bioelectrical energy using microbial fuel cells (MFCs)", Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization and Environmental Effects, Vol. 37, (2015), 2625-2631.
22.   Doherty, L., Yaqian, Z., Xiaohong, Z., Yuansheng, H., Xiaodi, H., Lei, X. and Ranbin, L., "A reviw of a recently emerged technology: Constructed wetland-Microbial fuel cells", Water Research, Vol. 85, (2015), 38-45.
23.   Zahra, N. and Mostafa, R., "Improvement of sediment microbial fuel cell performance by application of sun light and biocathode", Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 33, (2016), 154-158.
24.   Kouzuma, A., Kaku, N. and Watanabe, K., "Microbial electricity generation in rice paddy fields: recent advances and perspectives in rhizosphere microbial fuel cells", Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Vol. 98, (2014), 9521-9526.
25.   Kaku, N., Yonezawa, N., Kodama, Y. and Watanabe, K., "Plant/microbe cooperation for electricity generation in a rice paddy field", Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Vol. 79, (2008), 43-49.
26.   Bunemann, E.K., Schwenke, G.D. and Zwieten, L.V., "Impact of agricultural inputs on soil organisms - a review", Australian Journal of Soil Research, Vol. 44, (2006), 379-406.
27.   Plavsin, I., Mirna, V., Sandra, E., Karolina, V. and Jasenka, C., "Inhibitory effect of earthworm coelomic fluid on growth of the plant parasitic fungus Fusarium oxysporum", European Journal of Soil Biology, Vol. 78, (2017), 1-6.
28.   Laossi, K.R., Amandine, G., Diana, C.N., Manuel, B. and Sebastien, B., "Erthworm effects on plant growth do not necessarily decrease with soil fertility", Plant Soil, Vol. 328, (2010), 109-118.
29.   Sinha, K.R., Dalsukh, V., Krunal, C. and Sunita, A., "Embarking on a second green revolution for sustainable agriculture by vermiculture biotechnology using earthworms: Reviving the dreams of Sir Charles Darwin", Journal of Agricultural Biotechnology and Sustainable Development, Vol. 2, No. 7, (2010), 113-128.
30.   Nandy, A., Vikash, K., Moumita, K. and Patit, P.K., "MFC with vermicompost soil: power generation with additional importance of waste management", The Royal Society of Chemistry, Vol. 5, (2015), 41300-41306.
31.   Ammaraphitaka, P., Piyachon, K. and Rattapoom, P., "Electricity production from vermicompost liquid using microbial fuel cell", International Journal of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Vol. 12, (2018).
32.   Liu, j., Cumaraswamy, V. and Yang, M., "Biosurfactant production from used vegetable oil in the anode chamber of a microbial electrosynthesizing fuel cell", Waste and Biomass Valorization, Vol. 9, (2018), 1-7.
33.   Wang, A., Cheng, H., Nanqi, R., Dan, C., Na, L. and Weimin, W., "Sediment microbial fuel cell with floating biocathode for organic removal and energy recovery", Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, Vol. 6, (2012), 569-574.
34.   Agnieszka, W., Zofia, S., Arletta, B. and Jakub, C., "Bioelectricity production from soil using microbial fuel cells", Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, Vol. 173, (2014), 2287-2296.
35.   "Basic Practical Microbiology", Society for General Microbiology, (2006).
36.   Li, X., Wang, X., Zhao, Q., Lili, W., Yongtao, L. and Qixing, Z., "Carbon fiber enhanced bioelectricity generation in soil microbial fuel cells", Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Vol. 85, (2016), 135-141.
37.   Sinha, K.R., Sunil, H., Dalsukh, V. and Krunal, C., "Vermiculture and sustainable agriculture", American-Eurasian Journal Of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, Vol. 5, (2009), 42-55.
38.   Zirbes, L., Mark, M., Veronique, V., Jean, P.W., Francois, J.V., Philippe, T. and Eric, H., "Earthworms use order cues to locate and feed on microorganisms in soil", PLOS ONE, Vol. 6, Issue 7, (2011), 1-7.
39.   Chaoui, I.H., Larry, M.Z. and Tsutomu, O., "Effects of earthworm casts and compost on soil microbial activity and plant nutrient availability", Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 35, (2003), 295-302.
40.   Suor, D., Ma, J., Wang, Z., Li, Y., Tang, J. and Wu, Z., "Enhanced power production from waste activated sludge in rotating-cathode microbial fuel cells: The effects of aquatic worm predation", Chemical Engineering Journal, Vol. 248, (2014), 415-421.
41.   Oyedele, D.J., Schjonning, P. and Amusan, A.A., "Physicochemical properties of earthworm casts and uningested parent soil from selected sites in southwestern Nigeria", Ecological Engineering, Vol. 28, (2006), 106-113.