Is it time to start moving soil microbial fuel cell research out of the lab and into the field?

Stephen Taylor*, Laura Jaliff, George Wells, Colleen Josephson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debatepeer-review

Abstract

Soil microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) function as bioelectrochemical energy harvesters that convert electrons stored in soil organic matter into useful electrical energy. Broadly, an SMFC comprises three essential components: an anode buried in the soil (the negative terminal), a colony of exoelectrogenic microorganisms residing on this anode, and a cathode (the positive terminal). As the exoelectrogens respire, they release electrons to the anode, which acts as an external receptor. These released electrons then flow through a load (e.g. a resistor), connecting the anode and cathode. Though minuscule, the electrical power produced by SMFCs has a number of potential applications such as sustaining low-power embedded electronics, pollutant remediation, or as a bio-sensing proxy for soil qualities and microbial activity. This discussion aims to emphasize the potential of SMFCs in addressing real-world environmental issues and to generate interest in the larger scientific community for broad interdisciplinary research efforts, particularly in field deployments.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number175229
JournalScience of the Total Environment
Volume949
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1 2024

Funding

This work is supported by Agricultural and Food Research Initiative grant no. 2023-6702140628 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture . The authors also acknowledge valuable manuscript feedback from Pat Pannuto, Bill Yen and Neal Blair.

Keywords

  • Microbial fuel cell
  • Soil
  • Soil microbial fuel cell

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Waste Management and Disposal
  • Pollution

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