Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) based sensor for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) test has been widely used as the standard method for determining the concentration of biodegradable organics in wastewater. However, this conventional method is time-consuming (5 days of incubation) and usually requires experience and skill to achieve reproducible results. As such, studies have already been conducted to develop alternative methods for real-time or on-line BOD monitoring.

As one of new approaches, a fuel cell-type electrochemical cell can be used to enrich an electrochemically active microbial consortium using wastewater as the fuel and activated sludge as the microbial source. This principle allows for a fuel cell type BOD sensor setup: bio-degradable material is converted into carbon dioxide, protons and electrons in the anodic compartment. In the cathodic compartment, electrons are transferred to oxygen and combined with protons. An electrical circuit, through which the electrons are transported, connects the electrodes. The protons migrate through a proton permeable membrane, which separates the compartments. The overall reaction is combustion of the bio-degradable material to carbon dioxide and water, with electricity generation being directly proportional to the strength of the wastewater.

The goal of this master thesis work is to setup a lab-scale MFC-based BOD sensor and identify the critical parameters for operating the sensor in order to develop an on-line monitoring system for wastewater. The duration of this thesis work is about 20 weeks which is corresponding to 20 p.

The successful candidate should be studying chemistry/chemical engineering or similar at the university level.

Start: 2005