Abstract

PLANT MICROBIAL FUEL CELL AND RENEWABLE ENERGY FROM PADDY FIELD

Dr. Arvind Patil*, Dnyaneshwar Pawar and Suvarna Gaikwad

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Abstract

Plant microbial fuel cells (PMFCs) and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a new technology in renewable energy that generate bioelectricity by converting organic matter and biomass, facilitated by bacteria in anaerobic or microaerophilic conditions. PMFCs have garnered significant attention. In a laboratory setup, a prototype PMFC system was arranged with 11 buckets, each containing marshy soil from paddy fields, with a plant growing in each bucket. Bioelectricity generation was measured using a multimeter (in mV), along with temperature and pH, over a period of 66 days. The soil adhering to the electrodes was used for the isolation and characterization of bioelectricity-generating bacteria, which could be further harnessed for electricity production. Five bacterial isolates (D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5) were selected for their electricity-producing capabilities. These isolates were identified through morphological and biochemical analysis as Pseudomonas spp- 1, Pseudomonas spp-2, Pseudomonas spp-3, Klebsiella spp., and Pseudomonas spp-4. The electricity-generating potential of these five isolates was studied in MFCs, using two different growth media: nutrient medium and succinate medium. Among them, Pseudomonas spp-4 demonstrated the highest electricity generation in the nutrient medium.

Keywords: MFC, bioelectricity production, plant MFC.