Nutrient salt removal by steel-making slag in sediment microbial fuel cells

Abstract

Applying sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) into sediment can remediate the sediment; however, nutrient salts cannot be removed by SMFCs effectively. In this study, sediment mixed with steel-making slag is used a fuel in SMFCs for understanding the potential of steel-making slag in nutrient salt removal in SMFCs. To the best of our knowledge, no report related to the use of steel-making slag in SMFCs is found in the literature. The combination of SMFCs with steel-making slag is expected to make the individual efficiency of SMFCs and steel-making slag more reactive, and is another way to increase the benefit of using steel-making slag. Experimental results showed that steel-making slag was more effective for adsorbing nutrient salts in SMFCs. Interestingly, the combination of SMFCs with steel-making slag can increase the individual efficiency of SMFCs and steel-making slag.