Originally published April 7 2004
Microbial fuel cell turns residential sewer water into electricity
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Next time you're sitting on the toilet, consider this: you could be
helping power the entire city. A new microbial fuel cell developed with
the help of funds from the National Science Foundation (NSF) turns
residential waste (the kind that goes down the toilet) into electricity
(the kind that powers cities). How? Bacteria are attached to anodes and
create a stream of electrons when digesting the organic matter in the
waste water. The cathode pulls oxygen from the air to complete the
circuit. The result? Electric current. This is the sort of research
we really need on this planet, because it solves two problems at once:
human waste disposal and energy creation. If wastewater treatment
facilities used an array of large scale devices based on this design,
they could not only clean up the water through more natural processes,
they could also generate excess electricity that could be pumped back
into the power grid. It's not enough electricity to actually run the
city, of course, but it could probably run the wastewater treatment
facilities.
Think about the possibilities. Humans are great at
consuming energy... now we could produce a little for a change. And if
more people would eat at McDonalds, we could generate even more power.
ARLINGTON, Va.- Something big may be brewing on the sewage treatment
circuit thanks to a new design that puts bacteria on
double-duty-treating wastewater and generating electricity at the same
time.
A fuel cell operates akin to a battery, generating electricity from a
chemical reaction.
In a microbial fuel cell, bacteria metabolize their food-in this case,
organic matter in wastewater-to release electrons that yield a steady
electrical current.
In their paper, the researchers suggest that the improved design could
usher in a "completely new approach" to wastewater treatment: "If power
generation in these systems can be increased, microbial fuel cell
technology may provide a new method to offset wastewater treatment plant
operating costs, making advanced wastewater treatment more affordable
for both developing and industrialized nations."
Inside are eight graphite anodes (or negative electrodes), upon which
the bacteria attach, and a hollow central cathode (or positive
electrode).
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