The Dual Role of Algae-Based Microbial Fuel Cells in Wastewater Treatment and Bioenergy Generation

In recent times, industrialization and globalization have driven the global economy, but they have also led to significant environmental harm. The environmental degradation caused by human energy consumption and the inevitable depletion of fossil fuels is driving the demand for a new, sustainable, eco-friendly, and reliable energy source. Recently, novel bio-based strategies with intriguing potential for generating bioenergy and treating wastewater have garnered widespread attention from researchers. Specifically, algae-based microbial fuel cells (A-MFCs) offer several advantages, which include carbon dioxide (CO2) fixation, bioenergy generation, and photosynthetic oxygenation for power recovery and wastewater treatment. A-MFCs possess the ability to produce bioelectricity due to their sustainable long-term power generation and the ability to generate more value-added products from microalgal biomass. These systems are efficient in removing nitrogen, phosphorus, and CO2 from wastewater, and they have been utilized to remove pollutants from both industrial and domestic wastewater sources. Despite their potential, fuel cells face several challenges, including low power output, electrode fouling, and high material costs. This chapter comprises four sections: wastewater treatment at the cathode of A-MFCs, a promising approach to bioelectricity production using A-MFCs, the role of microalgae in the anodic compartment, and the interplay between the compartments that affects bioelectricity production. With the ongoing developments, A-MFCs open the door and pave the way for a cleaner and greener future.