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RESEARCH & PROJECTS

Department of Environmental Science and Policies

Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Science

Department of Chemistry

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Microbial Recovery Cells

A new generation of Microbial Electrochemical Technologies (METs) is presented (to be called microbial recycling cells, MRCs), based on 100% recyclable materials (biomass-derived char coal, clay, terracotta, paper, ligno-cellulosic plant materials, etc.), which can act as bio-electrodes, separators and structural frames. In traditional METs architectures (based on technological materials such as carbon cloths, plastic panels, membranes, binders), inorganic salts precipitation and adsorption, as well as biofouling due to organic-matter deposition are considered as main drawbacks that clog and hinder the systems over relatively short periods. In MRCs, these mechanisms should be maximized, instead of being avoided. In this perspective, both inorganic and organic forms of the main nutrients are sequestered from wastewater and deposited on METs modules. Once the systems become saturated, they can entirely be recycled as agricultural soil conditioners or as base for organic-mineral fertilizers.

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