Table 1.
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater.
| Metal | MFC Fabrication | Maximum Removal Efficiency |
Maximum Power Generation |
References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cu(II) | Single-chamber MFC, Carbon brush for anode, Carbon cloth/Pt coated for cathode |
98.3% | 10.2 W/m3 | [40,58] |
| Cu(II) | Two-chamber MFC, Graphite plate for anode, Graphite foil for cathode |
99.88% (Anaerobic) 99.95% (Aerobic) |
0.43 W/m2 (Anaerobic) 0.80 W/m2 (Aerobic) |
[39] |
| Cr(VI) | Two-chamber MFC, Carbon felt for anode, Carbon cloth(a)/Carbon brush(b)/ Carbon felt(c) for cathode |
100%(a) 33.45%(b) 12.72%(c) |
1221.91 mW/m2 | [50] |
| Cr(VI) and V(V) | Two-chamber MFC, Carbon fiber felt for anode; Carbon fiber felt for cathode |
75.4% ± 1.9% Cr(VI) 67.9% ± 3.1% V(V) |
970.2 ± 20.6 mW/m2 | [60] |
| Cd(II) | Single-chamber MFC; Carbon cloth for anode; Carbon cloth/Pt coated for cathode |
90% | 3.6 W/m2 | [55] |
| Cr(VI) and Cd(II) | Two double-chambers MFC–MEC (microbial electrolysis cell), carbon brush and carbon cloth for anode and cathode of both Cr(VI)-MFC and Cd(II)-MEC |
13.95% ± 0.73% (for 200 ppm Cr(VI)) 93.43% ± 0.17% (for 50ppm for Cd(II)) |
22.5 W/m2 | [62] |
| Hg(II) | Two-chamber MFC, Graphite felt for anode, Carbon paper for cathode |
i.3.08 ± 0.07 mg/L (pH = 2) ii. 99.54% (for 100 mg/L Hg(II)) |
i. 318.7 mW/m2 (pH = 2) ii. 433.1 mW/m2 (For 100 mg/L Hg (II)) |
[41] |
| Ag(I) | Two-chamber MFC, Carbon brush for anode, Carbon cloth for cathode |
99.91% ± 0.00% (for 50 ppm Ag(I)) |
4.25 W/m2 (For Ag+ ppm, pH = 7) |
[65] |
| Ag(I) | Two-chamber MFC, Graphite plates for anode, Graphite plate for cathode |
i. 0.109 ± 0017 mM ii. 0.025 ± 0.008 mM |
109 mW/m2 (For acetate COD 500 mg/L) |
[63] |
| Au(III) | Two-chamber MFC Carbon brush for anode, Carbon cloth for cathode |
99.88% (for 200 mg/L Au(III)) |
6.58 W/m2 (For 2000 ppm Au(III)) |
[45] |
| V(V) | Two-chamber MFC, Carbon fiber felt for anode, Carbon fiber felt for cathode |
100% | 529 ± 12 mW/m2 | [66] |
| Tl(I) | Single-chamber MFC, Carbon felt for anode, Carbon paper/Pt coated for cathode |
67.2% | 457.8 ± 15.2 mW/m2 | [64] |
| Cr(VI) and Pb(II) | Two double-chamber MFC–MEC, Carbon felt anode and carbon cloth cathode for Cr(VI)-MFC; Carbon felt anode and carbon cloth (CC)/ stainless steel mesh (SSM)/ nickel foam (NF) cathode for Pb(II)-MEC |
Pb(II) reduction efficiency 100%; Cr(VI) reduction rate 1.72 g/(m3·h) |
702.86 mW/m2 (For NF cathode) |
[42] |