A comprehensive review of microbial desalination cells for present and future challenges

• Main Authors: Jatoi, Abdul Sattar, Hashmi, Zubair, Mazari, Shaukat Ali, Mubarak, Nabisab Mujawar, Karri, Rama Rao, Ramesh, Singh, Rezakazemi, Mashallah
• Format: Article
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: QR Microbiology; TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/41994/
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

Microbial desalination cell (MDC) is an emerging bio-electrochemical system technology used for wastewater decontamination, seawater desalination, and co-energy production. MDCs can be used alone in combination with various water treatment technologies, which may synergize the process of water purification. Efforts are being made for the scale-up of the technology. However, several challenges need to be answered before the upgradation of the technology to a large scale. This manuscript provides a thorough chronological-founded assessment that encompasses technological challenges for the scale-up of the MDCs. Furthermore, a detailed analysis has been provided on how various technologies help MDCs in efficient and economical wastewater treatment. Some integrated technologies include traditional anaerobic digestion, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, etc. Various MDC arrangements for their parametric evaluation, such as process conditions, bacteriological impacts, and possible power generation outputs with different anodic materials, have been discussed. Suggestions have also been put forward that can help large-scale MDC development.