Abstract
The ability of some microorganisms to accept electrons from an electrode for the reduction of terminal electron acceptors in anaerobic environments has attracted growing interest on the electric field-stimulated biological reduction technology, which may open new possibility for the sustainable wastewater treatment and bioremediation in the field of environmental engineering. Here, we reviewed the extracellular electron transfer mechanism which is thought to play a key role in determining the feasibility and efficiency for the anaerobic biotransformation of environmental pollutants. Possible mechanisms that may be involved in bioelectrochemical reactors (BERs) with biocathodes include indirect electron transfer via hydrogen generated from water electrolysis or via a soluble mediator that can be artificial or secreted from bacteria, and direct transfer from the cathode to the microorganism. Direct electron transfer has many advantages over indirect electron transfer because it avoids the loss of electrons to unused mediators and planktonic cells, and thus allows significant reduction in power requirements. In addition, potential application examples of anaerobic biotransformation of environmental pollutants, known as autotrophic denitrification, microbial reductive dechlorination, heavy-metal bioreduction, CO2 bioreduction, sulfate bioreduction stimulated by an applied electric field were also reviewed. Finally, we proposed that more efforts should be made on developing new strategies for growing cathode biofilms and further disclosing biochemical mechanisms for the cathode extracellular electron transfer, in order to achieve the promising applications of this biotechnology.
Graphical Abstract
Keywords
bioelectrochemical reactors, anaerobic bioreduction, environmental pollutants, biocathode, electric filed stimulation
Publication Date
2013-10-28
Online Available Date
2013-03-20
Revised Date
2013-03-20
Received Date
2012-12-25
Recommended Citation
Chun-hua FENG, Dao-hai XIE, Yun-meng PANG, Tao HAN, Chao-hai WEI.
Anaerobic Biotransformation of Environmental Pollutants Stimulated by Electric Field: Electron-Transfer Mechanisms and Application Examples[J]. Journal of Electrochemistry,
2013
,
19(5): 444-453.
DOI: 10.61558/2993-074X.2135
Available at:
https://jelectrochem.xmu.edu.cn/journal/vol19/iss5/8
References
[1] Angenent L T, Karim K, Al-Dahhan M H, et al. Production of bioenergy and biochemicals from industrial and agricultural wastewater[J]. Trends in Biotechnology, 2004, 22(9): 475-485.
[2] Rabaey K, Verstraete W. Microbial fuel cells: Novel biotechnology for energy generation[J]. Trends in Biotechnology, 2005, 23(6): 291-298.
[3] Geelhoed J S, Hamelers H V M, Stams A J M. Eletricity-mediated biological hydrogen production[J]. Current Opinion in Microbiology, 2010, 13(3): 307-315.
[4] Lu L, Xing D, Xie T, et al. Hydrogen production from proteins via electrohydrogenesis in microbial electrolysis cells[J]. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2010, 25(12): 2690-2695.
[5] Beschkov V, Velizarow S, Agathos S N, et al. Bacterial denitrification of waste water stimulated by constant electric field[J]. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 2004, 17(2): 141-145.
[6] Ghafari S, Hasan M, Aroua M K. Bio-eletrochemical removal of nitrate from water and wastewater-A review[J]. Bioresource Technology, 2008, 99(10): 3965-3974.
[7] Rinaldi A, Mecheri B, Garavaglia V, et al. Engineering materials and biology to boost performance of microbial fuel cells: a critical review[J]. Energy and Environmental Science, 2008, 1(4): 417-429.
[8] Lovley D R, Nevin K P. A shift in the current: New applications and concepts for microbe-electrode electron exchange[J]. Current Opinion in Microbiology, 2011, 22(3): 441-446.
[9] Sadoff H L, Halvorson H O, Finn R K. Electrolysis as a means of aerating submerged cultures of microorganisms[J]. Applied Microbiology, 1956, 4 (4): 164-170.
[10] He Z, Angenent L T. Application of bacterial biocathodes in microbial fuel cells[J]. Electroanalysis, 2006, 18(19): 2009-2015.
[11] Wang G (王刚), Huang L P(黄丽萍), Zhang Y F(张翼峰). Study and application of biological cathode in microbial fuel cells[J]. Environmental Science and Technology(环境科学与技术), 2008, 31(12): 101-103.
[12] Chen L X（陈立香）, Xiao Y（肖勇）, Zhao F（赵峰）. Biocathodes in microbial fuel cells[J]. Progress in Chemistry(化学进展), 2012, 24(1): 157-162.
[13] Thrash J C, Coates J D. Review: Direct and indirect electrical stimulation of microbial metabolism[J]. Environmental Science and Technology, 2008, 42(11): 3921-3931.
[14] Aulenta F, Catervi A, Majone M, et al. Electron transfer from a solid-state electrode assisted by methyl viologen sustains ef?cient microbial reductive dechlorination of TCE[J]. Environmental Science and Technology. 2007, 41 (7): 2554-2559.
[15] Thrash J C, Trump J I V, Weber K A, et al. Electrochemical stimulation of microbial perchlorate reduction[J]. Environmental Science and Technology, 2007, 41 (5): 1740-1746.
[16] Park D H, Zeikus J G. Utilization of electrically reduced neutral red by Actinobacillus succinogenes: Physiological function of neutral red inmembrane-driven fumarate reduction and energy conservation[J]. Journal of Bacteriology, 1999, 181 (8), 2403-2410.
[17] Lovley D R. Powering microbes with electricity: Direct electron transfer from electrodes to microbes[J]. Environmental Microbiology Reports, 2011, 3(1): 27-35.
[18] Rabaey K, Boon N, Verstraete W, et al. Microbial phenazine production enhances electron transfer in biofuel cells[J]. Environmental Science and Technology, 2005, 39(9): 3401-3408.
[19] Marsili E, Baron D B, Shikhare I D, et al. Shewanella secretes ?avins that mediate extracellular electron transfer[J]. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2008, 105(10): 3968-3973.
[20] Freguia S, Tsujimura S, Kano K. Electron transfer pathways in microbial oxygen biocathodes[J]. Electrochimica Acta , 2010, 55(3): 813-818.
[21] Aulenta F, Canosa A, Reale P, et al. Microbial reductive dechlorination of trichloroethene to ethene with electrodes serving as electron donors without the external addition of redox mediators[J]. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 2009, 103(1): 85-91.
[22] Gregory K B, Bond D R, Lovley D R. Graphite electrodes as electron donors for anaerobic respiration[J]. Environmental Microbiology, 2004, 6(6): 596-604.
[23] Rosenbauma M, Aulenta F, Villano M, et al. Cathodes as electron donors for microbial metabolism: Which extracellular electron transfer mechanisms are involved?[J]. Bioresource Technology, 2011, 102(1): 324-333.
[24] Sakakibara Y, Kuroda M. Electric prompting and control of denitrification[J]. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 1993, 42(4): 535-537.
[25] Sakakibara Y, Flora J R V, Suidan M T, et al. Modeling of electrochemically-activated denitrifying biofilms[J]. Water Research, 1994, 28(5): 1077-1086.
[26] Sakakibara Y, Araki K, Watanabe T, et al. The denitrification and neutralization performance of an electrochemically activated biofilm reactor used to treat nitrate-contaminated groundwater[J]. Water Science and Technology, 1997, 36(1): 61-68.
[27] Kuroda M, Watanabe T, Umedu Y. Simultaneous COD removal and denitrification of wastewater by bio-electro reactors[J]. Water Science and Technology, 1997, 35(8): 161-168.
[28] Islam S, Suidan M T. Electrolytic denitrification: Long term performance and effects of current intensity[J]. Water Research, 1998, 32(2): 528-536.
[29] Sakakibara Y, Kusaka J. In situ autotrophic denitrification using electrode under oligotrophic conditions[C]. Proceedings of 5th International In Situ and On-site Bioremediation Symposium, San Diego, CA, 1999, 4: 73-78.
[30] Kim Y H, Park Y J, Song S H, et al. Nitrate removal without carbon source feeding by permeabilized Ochrobactrum anthropi SY509 using an electrochemical reactor[J]. Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 2007, 41(5): 663-668.
[31] Clauwaert P, Rabaey K, Aelterman P, et al. Biological denitri?cation in microbial fuel cells[J]. Environmental Science and Technology, 2007, 41(9): 3354-3360.
[32] Virdis B, Rabaey K, Yuan Z G, et al. Electron ?uxes in a microbial fuel cell performing carbon and nitrogen removal[J]. Environmental Science and Technology, 43(13): 5144-5149.
[33] Virdis B, Rabaey K, Yuan Z, et al. Microbial fuel cells for simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal[J]. Water Research, 2008, 42(12): 3013-3024.
[34] Puig S, Coma M, Desloover J, et al. Autotrophic Denitrification in microbial fuel cells treating low ionic strength waters[J]. Environmental Science and Technology, 2012, 46(4): 2309-2315.
[35] Loffler F E, Edwards E A. Harnessing microbial activities for environmental cleanup[J]. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 2006, 17(3): 274-284.
[36] Aulenta F, Catervi A, Majone M, et al. Electron transfer from a solid-state electrode assisted by methyl viologen sustains efficient microbial reductive dechlorination of TCE[J]. Environmental Science Technology, 2007, 41(7): 2554-2559.
[37] Aulenta F，Canosa A, Majone M, et al. Trichloroethene dechlorination and H2 evolution are alternative biological pathways of electric charge utilization by a dechlorinating culture in a bioelectrochemical system[J]. Environmental Science Technology, 2008, 42(16): 6185-6190.
[38] Aulenta F, Canosa A, Roma L D, et al. Influence of mediator immobilization on the electrochemically assisted microbial dechlorination of trichloroethene (TCE) and cis-diechloroethene (cis-DCE)[J]. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 2009, 84(6): 864-870.
[39] Aulenta F，Maio V D, Ferri T, et al. The humic acid analogue antraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) serves as an electron shuttle in the electricity-driven microbial dechlorination of trichloroethene to cis-dichloroethene[J]. Bioresource Technology, 2010, 101(24): 9728-9733.
[40] Strycharz S M, Woodard T L, Johnson J P, et al. Graphite electrode as a sole electron donor for reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethene by Geobacter lovleyi[J]. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2008, 74(19): 5943-5947.
[41] Strycharz S M, Gannon S M, Boles A R, et al. Reductive dechlorination of 2-chlorophenol by?Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans with an electrode serving as the electron donor[J]. Environmental Microbiology Reports, 2010, 2(2): 289-294.
[42] Trump J I V, Coates J D. Thermodynamic targeting of microbial perchlorate reduction by selective electron donors[J]. The ISME Journal, 2009, 3: 466-476.
[43] Butler C, Clauwaert P, Green S J, et al. Bioelectrochemical perchlorate reduction in a microbial fuel cell[J]. Environmental Science and Technology, 2010, 44(12): 4685-4691.
[44] Gregory K B, Lovley D R. Remediation and recovery of uranium from contaminated subsurface environments with electrodes[J]. Environmental Science and Technology, 2005, 39(22): 8943-8947.
[45] Wang G, Huang L P, Zhang Y F. Cathodic reduction of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] coupled with electricity generation in microbial fuel cells[J]. Biotechnology Letters, 2008, 30:1959-1966.
[46] Tandukar M, Huber S J, Onodera T, et al. Biological chromium(VI) reduction in the cathode of a microbial fuel cell[J]. Environmental Science and Technology, 2009, 43(21): 8159-8165.
[47] Huang L P, Chai X L, Chen G H, et al. Effect of set potential on hexavalent chromium reduction and electricity generation from biocathode microbial fuel cells[J]. Environmental Science and Technology, 2011, 45(11):5025-5031.
[48] Huang L P, Chen J, Quan X, et al. Enhancement of hexavalent chromium reduction and electricity production from a biocathode microbial fuel cell[J]. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, 2010, 33(8): 937-945.
[49] Huang L P, Chai X L, Cheng S A, et al. Evaluation of carbon-based materials in tubular biocathode microbial fuel cells in terms of hexavalent chromium reduction and electricity generation[J] . Chemical Engineering Journal, 2011, 166(2): 652-661.
[50] Park D H, Laivenieks M, Guettler M V, et al. Microbial utilization of electrically reduced neutral red as the sole electron donor for growth and metabolite production[J]. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 1999, 65(7): 2912-2917.
[51] Cheng S A, Xing D F, Call D F, et al. Direct biological conversion of electrical current into methane by electromethanogenesis[J]. Environmental Science and Technology, 2009, 43(10): 3953-3958.
[52] Villano M, Aulenta F, Ciucci C, et al. Bioelectrochemical reduction of CO2 to CH4 via direct and indirect extracellular electron transfer by a hydrogenophilic methanogenic culture[J]. Bioresouce Technology, 2010, 101(9): 3085-3090.
[53] Cao X X, Huang X, Liang P, et al. A completely anoxic microbial fuel cell using a photo-biocathode for cathodic carbon dioxide reduction[J]. Energy and Environmental Science, 2009, 2(5): 441-548.
[54] Nevin K P, Woodard T L, Franks A E, et al. Microbial electrosynthesis: Feeding microbes electricity to convert carbon dioxide and water to multicarbon extracellular organic compounds[J]. mBio, 2010, 1(2): 3-10.
[55] Nevin K P, Hensley S A, Franks A E, et al. Electrosynthesis of organic compounds from carbon dioxide is catalyzed by a diversity of acetogenic microorganisms[J]. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2011, 77(9): 2882-2886.
[56] Cordas C M, Guerra L T, Xavier C, et al. Electroactive biofilms of sulphate reducing bacteria[J] . Electrochimica Acta, 2008, 54(1): 29-34.
[57] Yu L, Duan J, Zhao W, et al. Characteristics of hydrogen evolution and oxidation catalyzed by Desulfovibrio caledoniensis biofilm on pyrolytic graphite electrode[J]. Electrochimica Acta, 2011, 56(25): 9041-9047.
[58] Su W T, Zhang L X, Tao Y, et al. Sulfate reduction with electrons directly derived from electrodes in bioelectrochemical systems[J]. Electrochemistry Communications, 2012, 22: 37-40.
