Biodegradation and bioelectricity generation by Microbial Desalination Cell

Abstract This study highlights the application potential of Microbial Desalination Cell in effective bioremediation of dye house effluent by biodecolourisation of industrial dyes. The study showed, for the first time, that the dye house effluent could be used as an organic substrate in MDC, achieving biodecolourisation of effluent along with considerable desalination and power production. Utilization of these wastes in MDC can protect the environment from dye-containing wastewater contamination and the treated water can be reused for other purposes. Two bacterial strains, a novel isolate Bacillus subtilis moh3 and a MTCC strain Aeromonas hydrophila subsp. hydrophila 8049 were used for decolourisation of two model dyes-Malachite Green (C.I.42,000) and Sunset Yellow (C.I.15,985). Decolourisation of dyes by these cultures was studied in batch cultures and optimized the growth conditions. The same cultures when used in Microbial Desalination Cell, achieved complete biodecolourisation along with considerable desalination (62.2 ± 0.4% and 57.6 ± 0.2%) and power production.