Bio-electrochemical Remediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons

Bioelectrochemistry and, more specifically, microbial electrochemistry are research fields that establish their fundaments on the molecular and electrochemical link between microbes (also known as exoelectrogens or, focusing only on bacteria, electrochemically active bacteria) and electrodes. Bioelectrochemistry can be used as a strategy in bioremediation when traditional bioremediation is not an option due to the lack of suitable electron acceptors, and in which bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) are used for the removal of pollutants from the environment. For example, in subsurface hydrocarbon-polluted water, the absence of final electron acceptors may limit the biodegradation rate. Therefore, bioelectrochemical systems can be used as a sustainable remediation technology. Moreover, microbial metabolism can be stimulated in a BES when overpotential is applied, increasing the rate of pollutant degradation. BES has been studied for the remediation at laboratory and pilot scale of water, soil, and sediments affected by organic pollutants, such as hydrocarbons (aliphatic, aromatic) and chlorinated compounds. In addition, BES can be exploited as biosensors to detect organic pollutants in environmental matrices and remote sites. One of the main challenges in this field is to scale up the technology towards the commercial BES remediation applications.