HYDROLYSIS OF FOOD WASTE AND PRODUCTION OF BIOELECTRICITY USING SINGLE CHAMBER MICROBIAL FUEL CELL FOR THE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

The complex organic-rich nature and nutrients of food waste (FW) can be converted into bioelectricity. This research investigated the hydrolysis of FW by 3 types of microorganisms, the produced electricity and the removed pollutants using a single chamber microbial fuel cell (SC-MFC). FW was first diluted with water at different ratios (ᴡ/ν) of 2:1,1:1 and 1:2 and blended, then hydrolysed by Aspergillus aculeatus, Aspergillus oryzae and Candida rugosa. DNS reagent was used to analyse glucose production. The hydrolysate was mixed with Sidoarjo mud since it contains electricigen bacteria and fed to SC-MFC for direct electricity generation. In addition, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was used in this study as it is one of the electrogenic bacteria with high productivity. Experiments revealed that the highest glucose reading obtained was 11.36 g/L by mixing all the fungi with a concentration ratio of (ᴡ/ν) 2:1. The highest power density of 8515.35 mW/m², 78.38% of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD₅) removal and 84.87% of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal was also obtained by mixing all the fungi with a concentration ratio (ᴡ/ν) of 2:1. Therefore, this study indicates that fungal hydrolysis may be used as an alternative pretreatment to conventional FW utilisation in MFC for bioelectricity production.