Improved petroleum refinery wastewater treatment and seawater desalination performance by combining osmotic microbial fuel cell and up-flow microbial desalination cell

Abstract

The petroleum refinery wastewater which is a product of petroleum refinery has a high organic content. This study explores the utilization of petroleum refinery wastewater collected from petroleum refinery as a resource for bioelectricity generation and using this energy for salt removal from seawater in a hydraulically connected osmotic microbial fuel cell (OsMFC) and up flow microbial desalination cell (UMDC). Anaerobic mixed sludge was used in the anodic chamber of OsMFC and UMDC. Petroleum refinery wastewater was fed first into the OsMFC and then transferred to the UMDC. The OsMFC and UMDC were connected to 1000 and 100 Ω external resistance respectively. Experimental results showed that the combined system could remove 93% of chemical oxygen demand (COD) from the petroleum refinery wastewater whilst 48% salts were removed from the seawater. Experimental results showed that this complex wastewater can be treated and produce bioelectricity, with COD removal and salt removal. The hydraulically connected OsMFC and up flow MDC provide a suitable platform for wastewater treatment and seawater desalination.

Keywords: Osmotic microbial fuel cell; microbial desalination cell; petroleum refinery wastewater; salt removal; seawater.