MICROBIAL FUEL CELL SENSOR FOR CONTINUOUS MONITORING OF TOXIC METALS IN WASTEWATER

Abstract

Toxic metals are known to be toxic and carcinogenic, and adversely affect the performance of wastewater treatment facilities as the toxic metals inhibit the activity of microorganisms used in the biological treatment processes. Microbial fuel cell (MFC) sensors have become a promising technology for real-time monitoring of toxic metals in the wastewater, but the critical issue of low selectivity of the sensor needs to be addressed. In this study, the factors causing interferences to the operation of a MFC toxic metal sensors are investigated, and mitigative measures have been proposed and investigated to increase the robustness of the sensor against these interferences. The result of the study is a more robust sensor which can be installed to monitor streams with high diurnal fluctuations, such as the industrial discharge outlets upstream in the sewerage network where accidental and illegal discharges could occur.