Evaluating the Effect of Constructed Wetland and Microbial Fuel Cell (CW-MFC) in Wastewater Treatment with Floating and Emergent Plant-Based Systems

Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil, Planning, and Geo-Engineering, Institute of Technology Sepuluh Nopember Surabaya, Surabaya 60111 / East Java, Indonesia

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Abstract

Constructed Wetlands and Microbial Fuel Cells represent two promising low-energy technologies for domestic wastewater treatment. Their integration has the potential to enhance both pollutant removal and bioelectricity generation through combined microbial, plant-based, and electrochemical processes. This study evaluated the performance of an integrated CWMFC system operated with two plant configurations, namely the emergent species Equisetum hyemale and the floating species Pistia stratiotes. Five reactor configurations were examined: CW MFC with aeration and bacterial augmentation (CWMFC AB), CW MFC with bacterial augmentation (CWMFC B), CW MFC without augmentation (CWMFC), MFC only system, and CW only system. Each reactor with a volume of 9 liters was operated in batch mode for 18 d using domestic greywater, with monitoring conducted every three days. The CWMFC AB configuration consistently produced the greatest reductions in BOD, COD, and TAN. Emergent plant systems demonstrated stronger TAN removal than floating plant systems. Bioelectricity generation reached a maximum of 794.7 milliwatts per square meter in the emergent CWMFC AB reactor, whereas floating systems produced up to 196.5 milliwatts per square meter. These results indicate that the combined CW MFC approach supported by aeration and Lactobacillus plantarum augmentation, offers an effective strategy for decentralized wastewater treatment and energy recovery.