The synergistic effects of multiple electrodes on enhancing microbial fuel cell performance using garment dyeing wastewater

This study evaluates the synergistic potential of multipole electrode configurations to enhance bioelectricity generation in a dual-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) processing garment industry dyeing wastewater. The anode chamber integrated with a multi-metal array of four distinct coin-shaped anodes (copper, zinc, magnesium, and brass) with standardized dimensions. Three cathode configurations (a) two copper and two graphite rods, (b) four copper rods, and (c) four graphite rods were systematically evaluated under a constant 100 Ω external load, using an agar salt bridge as the proton exchange membrane and each experimental setup was run for a duration of 180 min. Results demonstrate that electrode composition and configuration are critical determinants of system performance. The configuration employing four graphite rods as the cathode achieved superior outcomes, delivering a maximum power density of 195.92 mW/m 2 , a current density of 865.78 mA/m 2 , and an energy density of 57.52 mWh/kg. This enhanced performance is directly attributable to graphite’s excellent electrical conductivity, electrochemical stability, and high effective surface area, which synergistically facilitate the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode. Consequently, this study confirms that a multipole anode system, when optimally coupled with a graphite-based multipole cathode, can significantly augment the bio-electrochemical performance of MFCs. These findings provide valuable and actionable insights for designing scalable MFC systems that concurrently recover renewable energy from industrial wastewater.