Method for advanced bioelectrochemical treatment of pollutants
AssigneeAdvanced Environmental Technologies, LLC
InventorsSong Jin, Paul H. Fallgren, Kylan S. Jin
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Abstract
The aspects of embodiments of the invention relate to advanced bioelectrochemical systems. More specifically, the invention relates to the utilization of a power source such as, but not limited to, photo-active, semiconducting materials, batteries, or the like integrated with bioelectrochemical systems perhaps to increase oxidation and/or reduction reactions, which can be applied to the treatment of pollutants environmental media such as but not limited to water, wastewater, soil, and other water-containing environment.
Claims17
A method for enhancing biodegradation of contaminants comprising the steps of:
- providing a bioelectrochemical contaminant biodegradation system comprising:
- an anode within an environmental media having a contaminant;
- a microbial population near said anode in said environmental media;
- a cathode;
- system generated electrons and protons near said anode from oxidation reactions and metabolism reactions of said microbial population with said contaminant;
- and
- a circuit providing a flow of system generated electrons collected from said environmental media near said anode to said cathode;
- connecting a photocatalytic device between said anode and said cathode, wherein said photocatalytic device comprises a semi-conducting material;
- creating photochemical-reactions in said semi-conducting material by exposing said semi-conducting material to a light source which creates electron-hole pairs by releasing photoelectrons from said semi-conducting material;
- directing said photoelectrons released from said semi-conducting material to said cathode;
- utilizing said photoelectrons at said cathode by combining said photoelectrons with said protons and oxygen to form water;
- filling said electron-hole pairs in said semi-conducting material of said photocatalytic device with said system generated electrons from said anode;
- speeding up an electron transfer between said anode to said cathode with said second flow of system generated electrons;
- increasing biodegradation of at least some of said contaminant with said sped up electron transfer;
- increasing oxidation near said anode;
- and
- generating more of said system generated electrons and protons near said anode to continue said electron transfer between said anode and said cathode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.