Microbial Electrochemical Cell: An Emerging Technology for Waste Water Treatment and Carbon Sequestration

Recently, treatment of waste water using biofuel technology has gained more attention because of its bio-sustainable resource by generating powering microbes (electrical energy) which exponentially reducing dependence of fossil fuels. In the last one decade, one of the bioelectro-chemical approach; microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) has been developed to treat waste water and energy production. It is considered as a potential green technology to tackle the issues of energy shortage and global warming. This technique employs conversion of waste water (which contain organic matter) into hydrogen or a variety of value-added products (acetate, hydrogen peroxide, methane, ethanol) via electrochemically active bacteria (electrogenes). Significant outcomes of MECs offers a new solution to emerging environmental issues related to waste water treatment, energy and resource recovery as well. In future, it is expected that treatment of industrial waste water using MECs has become a promising renewable green technology to manage waste water and biofuels production. The present chapter mainly reviews utilization of various polymer-based electrode materials in MECs for treatment of waste water along with their future potential substrates.