Bioelectrochemical Systems (BES) for Wastewater Treatment

Bioelectrochemical Systems (BESs) exhibit substantial potential for addressing wastewater treatment challenges, emphasizing sustainability and resource management in contemporary contexts. Utilizing microbial activities to mediate electrochemical reactions, BESs offer a spectrum of benefits, including efficient wastewater treatment, electricity recovery, bioresource recovery, and carbon dioxide sequestration. The research in this context started with Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) and subsequently, next-generation BES technologies, such as Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MEC), Microbial Desalination Cells (MDC), Microbial Carbon Capture Cells (MCC), Microbial Electrosynthesis (MES), Plant and Wetland-MFC, and bioelectro-Fenton (BEF) evolved. The versatility of BES architectures, including single-chambered and multi-chambered designs are explored, offering personalized advantages for wastewater treatment. Thorough investigations into the operational principles of MFCs and advancements in various technologies, like MEC, MDC, MCC, and MES, emphasize their potential applications in wastewater treatment, energy recovery, and environmental sustainability. Despite over 3000 research articles available as per Scopus, BES technologies are facing challenges during field-scale implementation and successful commercialization as viable alternatives to conventional technological options. This chapter elucidates the wastewater treatment processes of different BES technologies and the suitability of specific BES technologies for specific treatment requirements.