Gizmag reports that engineers from Oregon State University have developed new technology that enhances the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) that can be used to produce electricity directly from wastewater.
“With the promise of producing 10 to 50 times the electricity per volume than comparable approaches, the researchers say the technology could see waste treatment plants not only powering themselves, but also feeding excess electricity back to the grid,” the magazine reported.
MFC use bacteria to oxidize organic matter – such as wastewater and byproducts from winemaking, brewing and dairying – producing electrons that run from an anode to a cathode
