Differences in contaminants removal efficiency and electricity production in disposing leachate with chemical-cathode and aerobic bio-cathode MFC

The effect of cathode type on contaminant removal efficiency and electricity production in disposing leachate was investigated in a self-assembled microbial fuel cell (MFC). When the landfill leachate was treated with the chemical-cathode MFC (CMFC) and aerobic bio-cathode MFC (ABMFC), the maximum output voltages were 699.0 mV and 459.4 mV, the maximum output powers were 197.7 mWm-3 and 147.6 mWm-3, and the inter-nal resistances were 900Ω and 700Ω, respectively. After running the MFCs for 45 days, the COD removal ratios of CMFC and ABMFC were 56.5% and 64.3%, the Coulombic efficiencies were 14.3% and 17.1%, and the ammonia nitrogen removal ratios were 53.8% and 58.1%, respectively.