Understanding the Niche of Bioelectrochemical Systems for Water and Energy Sustainability

1235848（任）。 同时废水处理和能源生成一直是生物电化学系统（BES）研究的主要焦点，但与精炼化学底物相比，使用废水作为底物时系统性能显着降低。 BES利用微生物催化阳极室中有机和无机电子供体的氧化，并将电子传递到阳极。电子可以直接捕获用于发电（微生物燃料电池，MFC），也可以通过外部电源输入补充用于生产氢气、甲烷或增值化学品（微生物电解电池，MEC）。 这些电子还可以在阴极室中用于修复污染物，例如铀、氯化溶剂和高氯酸盐。电极上的电势也可以驱动海水淡化（微生物海水淡化细胞，MDC）。 该项目将使用系统方法来获得对各种 BES 功能所涉及的独特功能和机制的基本了解。项目团队还将表征、评估和开发反应堆系统，以提高该技术的适用性。具体来说，该团队将： 1）系统地表征系统中不同但互补的特征之间的相互作用，例如海水淡化和废水发电（处理效率、电化学性能、离子转移行为和微生物活性）； 2) 采用基本原则和研究结果来指导 BES 配置的开发，这些配置可以与现场废水处理、能源生产和海水淡化的现有基础设施集成； 3）建立生命周期评估框架，与现有技术相比，对BES技术的环境影响和能源足迹进行定量分析，并直接进行系统优化和集成。这项研究的成果不仅应该提供定量指导，以促进 BES 转变为废水基础设施的可行技术，而且还可以促进对该技术在生物修复和生物传感等其他应用中的理解和开发。 这项工作的目标是解决我们社会面临的两个关键挑战——水和能源。除了促进科学理解和生物电化学系统的发展之外，拟议的工作还提供了一个有吸引力的平台，教育学生和社会了解水与能源的关系，并教他们可用于科学和技术探索的跨学科工具。该项目将为专注于代表性不足群体参与的研究生提供学术和经济上的支持。与当地电视台和丹佛动物园的合作伙伴关系已经建立并将继续发展，以向公众教育和展示环境可持续性技术。 该团队还将利用研究成果和系统开发作为教育工具，以激发 K-12 学生对能源和环境问题的兴趣，并鼓励他们在 STEM 领域追求职业生涯。

1235848 (Ren). Simultaneous wastewater treatment and energy generation has been a primary focus in bioelectrochemical systems (BES) research, but system performance is significantly reduced when using wastewater as the substrate compared to refined chemical substrates. BESs use microorganisms to catalyze the oxidization of organic and inorganic electron donors in the anode chamber and deliver electrons to the anode. The electrons can be captured directly for electricity generation (microbial fuel cells, MFCs) or supplemented by external power input for producing hydrogen, methane, or value-added chemicals (microbial electrolysis cells, MECs). The electrons can also be used in the cathode chamber to remediate contaminants such as uranium, chlorinated solvents, and perchlorate. The potential across the electrodes can also drive desalination (microbial desalination cells, MDCs). This project will use a systems approach to gain fundamental understanding of the unique features and mechanisms involved in various BES functions. The project team will also characterize, assess, and develop reactor systems to improve the applicability of the technology. Specifically, the team will: 1) Systematically characterize the interactions of different but complementary features for systems such as desalination and energy production from wastewater (treatment efficiency, electrochemical performance, ion transfer behavior, and microbial activity); 2) employ fundamental principles and findings to guide the development of BES configurations that can be integrated with current infrastructures for on-site wastewater treatment, energy production, and desalination; and 3) establish a life cycle assessment framework to provide quantitative analysis of the environmental impacts and energy footprint of BES technology as compared to existing technologies and direct system optimization and integration. Outcomes of this research should not only provide quantitative guidelines to facilitate the transformation of BES into a viable technology for wastewater infrastructure, but also advance the understanding and development of this technology for other applications such as bioremediation and biosensing. The work is targeted to address two crucial challenges facing our society - water and energy. In addition to the advancement of scientific understanding and development of bioelectrochemical systems, the proposed work provides an attractive platform for educating students and society to understand the Water-Energy Nexus and teaching them about interdisciplinary tools available for science and technology exploration. The project will academically and financially support graduate students focusing on the engagement of underrepresented groups. Partnerships with local TV stations and Denver Zoo have been established and will continue to be developed to educate and demonstrate environmental sustainability technology to the general public. The team will also use the research findings and system developments as education tools to capture K-12 students' interests in energy and environmental issues and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM areas.