Urine in Bioelectrochemical Systems: An Overall Review. Issue 6 (6th March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Santoro, Carlo; Garcia, Maria Jose Salar; Walter, Xavier Alexis; You, Jiseon; Theodosiou, Pavlina; Gajda, Iwona; Obata, Oluwatosin; Winfield, Jonathan; Greenman, John; Ieropoulos, Ioannis
• Is Part Of: ChemElectroChem. Volume 7:Issue 6(2020)
• Page Start: 1312
• Page End: 1331
• Publication Date: 2020-03-06
• Subjects: urine -- microbial fuel cell -- bioelectrochemical systems -- nitrogen -- phosphorous; Electrochemistry -- Periodicals; 541.37
• DOI: 10.1002/celc.201901995
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2196-0216

Abstract

Abstract: In recent years, human urine has been successfully used as an electrolyte and organic substrate in bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) mainly due of its unique properties. Urine contains organic compounds that can be utilised as a fuel for energy recovery in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and it has high nutrient concentrations including nitrogen and phosphorous that can be concentrated and recovered in microbial electrosynthesis cells and microbial concentration cells. Moreover, human urine has high solution conductivity, which reduces the ohmic losses of these systems, improving BES output. This review describes the most recent advances in BESs utilising urine. Properties of neat human urine used in state‐of‐the‐art MFCs are described from basic to pilot‐scale and real implementation. Utilisation of urine in other bioelectrochemical systems for nutrient recovery is also discussed including proofs of concept to scale up systems. Abstract : The power of urine : Urine has unique characteristics that allow its extensive utilization in bioelectrochemical systems such as microbial fuel cell, microbial electrolysis cell, and bioelectroconcentration cell for electricity production, wastewater treatment, and nutrients recovery.