Green Energy Generated in Single-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells Using Tomato Waste

• Autores: Rojas-Flores, Segundo, De La Cruz-Noriega, Magaly, Cabanillas-Chirinos, Luis, Benites, Santiago M., Nazario-Naveda, Renny, Delfín-Narciso, Daniel, Gallozzo-Cardenas, Moisés, Díaz, Félix, Murga-Torres, Emzon, Rojas-Villacorta, Walter
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2023
• Institución: Universidad Autónoma del Perú
• Repositorio: AUTONOMA-Institucional
• Lenguaje: inglés
• OAI Identifier: oai:repositorio.autonoma.edu.pe:20.500.13067/2912
• Enlace del recurso: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13067/2912; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310461
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: Organic waste; Tomato; Microbial fuel cells; Electric power; Biomass; Metal electrodes; Bioenergy extraction; https://purl.org/pe-repo/ocde/ford#2.11.04

This research used tomato waste as a substrate (fuel) in Single Chamber-Microbial Fuel Cells (scMFC) on a small scale. The electrochemical properties were monitored, the functional groups of the substrate were analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometry (FTIR) and a microbiological analysis was performed on the electrodes in order to identify the microorganisms responsible for the electrochemical process. The results show voltage peaks and an electrical current of 3.647 ± 0.157 mA and 0.957 ± 0.246 V. A pH of 5.32 ± 0.26 was measured in the substrate with an electrical current conductivity of 148,701 ± 5849 mS/cm and an internal resistance (Rint) of 77. 517 ± 8.541 Ω. The maximum power density (PD) displayed was 264.72 ± 3.54 mW/cm2 at a current density (CD) of 4.388 A/cm2. On the other hand, the FTIR spectrum showed a more intense decrease in its peaks, with the compound belonging to the phenolic groups being the most affected at 3361 cm−1. The micrographs show the formation of a porous biofilm where molecular identification allowed the identification of two bacteria (Proteus vulgaris and Proteus vulgaris) and a yeast (Yarrowia lipolytica) with 100% identity. The data found show the potential of this waste as a source of fuel for the generation of an electric current in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way, generating in the near future a mechanism for the reuse of waste in a beneficial way for farmers, communities and agro-industrial companies.