The present study aims to optimize the application of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) in the treatment of slaughterhouse wastewater and the production of electricity. The methodology included the response surface analysis (RSA) to evaluate the effect of three factors: the standard reduction potential, SRP (copper, zinc, and graphite; electrode surface area (ESA), and the doses of ruminal liquor (DOSE). The power density (PD) and the removal of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) were determined as the main response variables. The results indicated that the generation of electrical energy depended significantly on the SRP applied, highlighting the copper-graphite arrangement that generated a maximum PD (0.5685 W/m3) and the graphite-graphite that produced the highest removal of COD (81.33%). Consequently, the RSA produced significant predictive models for the generation of PD (R2 = 0.9485, p = 0...

Microbial biomass is considered a renewable and environmentally friendly resource. Thus, the research conducted a kinetic study and thermodynamic equilibrium modeling of the cobalt (Co) and manganese (Mn) bioadsorption process using the Rhodococcus opacus (RO) strain as a biosorbent. The inactive biomass subjected to 0.1 M NaOH pretreatment was brought into contact with synthetic solutions of Co and Mn. The experimental data for the Co(II) and Mn(II) bioadsorption process were fit to the Langmuir model with kads of 0.65 and 0.11 L.mg-1, respectively. A better statistical fit was also obtained for the pseudo-second order kinetic model (R2Co(II) = 0.994 and R2Mn(II) = 0.995), with 72.3% Co(II) and 80% Mn(II) removals during the first 10 min. In addition, a higher affinity of RO for the Co(II) ion was observed, with maximum uptake values of 13.42 mg.g-1; however, a higher adsorption rate wa...