Enhancing Microbial Activity with Rotten Rice Flour to Facilitate Heavy Metal Remediation and Bioenergy Generation via Microbial Fuel Cell

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have emerged as an innovative approach to addressing environmental pollutants while producing renewable energy. The selection of appropriate substrates plays a pivotal role in fostering microorganism growth and enhancing bioremediation. This study explores the incorporation of rotten rice flour (RRF) as a substrate in MFCs, evaluating its impact on microbial metabolism, bioenergy generation, and bioremediation of toxic metals. The MFC process, lasting 37 days, produced a peak voltage output of 200 mV on day 21 demonstrating the potential of RRF as a sustainable and effective substrate for microbial growth and bioenergy generation. The MFC cycle generates final bioremediation efficiencies of 83.78%, 85.44%, 87.10% for Al³⁺; 85.54 %, 87.54, 88.90 for Cu²⁺ and 87.00%, 90.92%, 93.34% for Pb²⁺respectively indicating its potential in ameliorating toxic metal levels. The organic substrate, rotten rice flour was applied to the anodic region daily throughout the experiment. Furthermore, bacteria analysis was investigated on the anode electrode after MFC operation which revealed the presence of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Serratia sp. and Bacillus sp. respectively. The findings suggested that rotten rice flour could serve as an effective organic substrate for applications involving MFC. Furthermore, this research sheds light on the existing prospects of MFC technology and proposes insightful recommendations for its future development.