Microbial electrochemical system: Principles and application

“Water and Energy” are the two most precious resources that would eventually shape the future of the future generation. In recent times, the emphasis on development technology encompassing the use of alternative energy resources and “waste to energy” concept has gained importance globally. The microbial electrochemical systems (MESs) has emerged as one of the promising wastewater treatment technologies which could provide clean water as well as green energy. The MESs are bioelectrochemical reactors which can harvest energy from the biodegradable substances present in wastewater by using microbes. In MESs, migration of ions during generation of electricity can be utilized for valuable chemical production, water desalination, and resource recovery. Unlike, any chemical fuel cell, whose application is marred with high cost maintenance, MESs could provide a low cost and low maintenance solution for energy generation. The present chapter elaborates the existing researches on different microbial fuel cell-adapted systems and identifies a few key factors involved in efficiency optimization.