TY - JOUR
T1 - Enrichment of extremophilic exoelectrogens in microbial electrolysis cells using Red Sea brine pools as inocula
AU - Chehab, Noura A.
AU - Ortiz Medina, Juan F.
AU - Katuri, Krishna
AU - Rao, Hari Ananda
AU - Amy, Gary L.
AU - Logan, Bruce E.
AU - Saikaly, Pascal
N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01
Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): FCC/1/1971-05-01
Acknowledgements: This work was sponsored Center Competitive Funding Program (FCC/1/1971-05-01) to P.E.S. from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
PY - 2017/5/3
Y1 - 2017/5/3
N2 - Applying microbial electrochemical technologies for the treatment of highly saline or thermophilic solutions is challenging due to the lack of proper inocula to enrich for efficient exoelectrogens. Brine pools from three different locations (Valdivia, Atlantis II and Kebrit) in the Red Sea were investigated as potential inocula sources for enriching exoelectrogens in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) under thermophilic (70°C) and hypersaline (25% salinity) conditions. Of these, only the Valdivia brine pool produced high and consistent current 6.8 ± 2.1 A/m2-anode in MECs operated at a set anode potential of +0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl (+0.405 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode). These results show that exoelectrogens are present in these extreme environments and can be used to startup MEC under thermophilic and hypersaline conditions. Bacteroides was enriched on the anode of the Valdivia MEC, but it was not detected in the open circuit voltage reactor seeded with the Valdivia brine pool.
AB - Applying microbial electrochemical technologies for the treatment of highly saline or thermophilic solutions is challenging due to the lack of proper inocula to enrich for efficient exoelectrogens. Brine pools from three different locations (Valdivia, Atlantis II and Kebrit) in the Red Sea were investigated as potential inocula sources for enriching exoelectrogens in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) under thermophilic (70°C) and hypersaline (25% salinity) conditions. Of these, only the Valdivia brine pool produced high and consistent current 6.8 ± 2.1 A/m2-anode in MECs operated at a set anode potential of +0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl (+0.405 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode). These results show that exoelectrogens are present in these extreme environments and can be used to startup MEC under thermophilic and hypersaline conditions. Bacteroides was enriched on the anode of the Valdivia MEC, but it was not detected in the open circuit voltage reactor seeded with the Valdivia brine pool.
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/623408
UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960852417306302
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85019096270&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.04.122
DO - 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.04.122
M3 - Article
C2 - 28500892
SN - 0960-8524
VL - 239
SP - 82
EP - 86
JO - Bioresource Technology
JF - Bioresource Technology
ER -