Microbial electrochemical technologies (METs) utilize electrochemically active microorganisms to catalyze various reactions, such as in microbial fuel cells, microbial electrolysis cells, and microbial desalination cells. These have been widely applied in wastewater treatment, energy and resource recovery, and water quality monitoring. Initially, converting chemical energy from wastewater directly into electrical energy was a key research goal, but practical engineering applications have been limited by low Coulomb efficiency. In recent years, research has shifted towards the treatment of recalcitrant pollutants (such as antibiotics, dyeing wastewater, cosmetics), resource recovery (like methane, hydrogen, high-value compounds), and water quality monitoring (biotoxicity and biochemical oxygen demand).
Resource Recovery: In microbial electrochemical systems, resource recovery efficiency is mainly limited by mass transfer and microbial extracellular electron transfer. Additionally, recovering dissolved high-value products faces challenges in separation and purification.
Recalcitrant Pollutants Biodegradation: The migration and transformation mechanisms of various recalcitrant pollutants in microbial electrochemical systems need further elucidation using molecular biological methods. Developing directed control techniques is essential for efficient biodegradation of these pollutants, while also preventing secondary pollution from the degradation process (such as intermediate by-products and resistant genes).
Water Quality Monitoring: The electrical signal output of the electrochemically active biofilm (EAB) biosensor depends on intracellular electron generation (IEG) and extracellular electron transfer (EET) processes. However, their roles in responding to analytes are still unclear. Currently, the detection limit of EAB sensors is at the ppm level, which falls short of meeting international or national standards for surface water (ppb). Most EAB sensors remain in the experimental research phase, with few practical applications.
The scope of this research topic includes the following:
•Resource Recovery:
1.Improving bioelectrosynthesis efficiency based on mass transfer and microbial extracellular electron-uptake capabilities.
2.Developing separation and purification technologies for dissolved high-value products.
•Recalcitrant Pollutants Biodegradation:
3.Analyzing the migration and transformation mechanisms of various recalcitrant pollutants in microbial electrochemical systems.
4.Providing directed biodegradation techniques for recalcitrant pollutants.
•Water Quality Monitoring:
5. Fully understanding the response mechanism of how analytes affect the output electrical signal.
6. Lowering the detection limit of toxicants from ppm to ppb.
7. Conducting on-site monitoring research in sewage treatment plants or river water.
Keywords: microbial electrochemical technologies, extracellular electron transfer, pollutants degradation, resource recovery, water quality monitoring
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
