Chapter 6
Microbial Fuel Cells: A Green
and Alternative Source for Bioenergy
Production
Adel Ali Saeed Al-Gheethi, Efaq Ali Noman, Balkis A. Talip,
and Radin Maya Saphira Radin Mohamed
Abstract Microbial fuel cell (MFC) represents one of the green technologies for the
production of bioenergy. MFCs using microalgae produce bioenergy by converting
solar energy into electrical energy as a function of metabolic and anabolic pathways
of the cells. In the MFCs with bacteria, bioenergy is generated as a result of the organic
substrate oxidation. MFCs have received high attention from researchers in the last
years due to the simplicity of the process, the absence in toxic by-products, and low
requirements for the algae growth. Many studies have been conducted on MFC and
investigated the factors affecting the MFC performance. In the current chapter, the
performance of MFC in producing bioenergy as well as the factors which influence
the efficacy of MFCs is discussed. It appears that the main factors affecting MFC’s
performance include bacterial and algae species, pH, temperature, salinity, substrate,
mechanism of electron transfer in an anodic chamber, electrodes materials, surface
area, and electron acceptor in a cathodic chamber. These factors are becoming more
influential and might lead to overproduction of bioenergy when they are optimized
using response surface methodology (RSM).
Keywords Bioenergy · Factors · Optimization · Anode · Cathode
A. A. S. Al-Gheethi (B) · R. M. S. Radin Mohamed (B)
Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, Micropollutant Research Centre (MPRC), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
(UTHM), 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia
e-mail: adel@uthm.edu.my; adelalghithi@gmail.com
R. M. S. Radin Mohamed
e-mail: maya@uthm.edu.my
E. A. Noman
Department of Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Taiz University, Habil
Salman, PO Box 6803, Taiz, Yemen
E. A. Noman · B. A. Talip
Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM),
KM11 Jalan Panchor, 86400 Parit Raja, Johor, Malaysia
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
A. A. S. Al-Gheethi et al. (eds.), Prospects of Fresh Market Wastes Management
in Developing Countries, Water Science and Technology Library 92,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42641-5_6
89
Microbial Fuel Cells: A Green
and Alternative Source for Bioenergy
Production
Adel Ali Saeed Al-Gheethi, Efaq Ali Noman, Balkis A. Talip,
and Radin Maya Saphira Radin Mohamed
Abstract Microbial fuel cell (MFC) represents one of the green technologies for the
production of bioenergy. MFCs using microalgae produce bioenergy by converting
solar energy into electrical energy as a function of metabolic and anabolic pathways
of the cells. In the MFCs with bacteria, bioenergy is generated as a result of the organic
substrate oxidation. MFCs have received high attention from researchers in the last
years due to the simplicity of the process, the absence in toxic by-products, and low
requirements for the algae growth. Many studies have been conducted on MFC and
investigated the factors affecting the MFC performance. In the current chapter, the
performance of MFC in producing bioenergy as well as the factors which influence
the efficacy of MFCs is discussed. It appears that the main factors affecting MFC’s
performance include bacterial and algae species, pH, temperature, salinity, substrate,
mechanism of electron transfer in an anodic chamber, electrodes materials, surface
area, and electron acceptor in a cathodic chamber. These factors are becoming more
influential and might lead to overproduction of bioenergy when they are optimized
using response surface methodology (RSM).
Keywords Bioenergy · Factors · Optimization · Anode · Cathode
A. A. S. Al-Gheethi (B) · R. M. S. Radin Mohamed (B)
Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, Micropollutant Research Centre (MPRC), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
(UTHM), 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia
e-mail: adel@uthm.edu.my; adelalghithi@gmail.com
R. M. S. Radin Mohamed
e-mail: maya@uthm.edu.my
E. A. Noman
Department of Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Taiz University, Habil
Salman, PO Box 6803, Taiz, Yemen
E. A. Noman · B. A. Talip
Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM),
KM11 Jalan Panchor, 86400 Parit Raja, Johor, Malaysia
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
A. A. S. Al-Gheethi et al. (eds.), Prospects of Fresh Market Wastes Management
in Developing Countries, Water Science and Technology Library 92,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42641-5_6
89