The Future of Wastewater Treatment is Living Batteries ⚡🦠

Into the Planet-Verse #1: Microbial Fuel Cells

Over 80% of the world’s wastewater is released untreated.

Image Source: Into the Planet-Verse

It is estimated more than 80% of the world’s wastewater is released into the environment untreated. (UN, 2017).

Untreated wastewater poses risks to human health and the environment it is released into.

The cost of wastewater treatment can make it inaccessible.

In the poorest countries, the UN estimates 95% of wastewater is untreated.

To make wastewater treatment more accessible we need to reduce its associated costs.

Wastewater treatment consumes electricity.

One cost of traditional wastewater treatment is the electricity required to power the processing of wastewater.

What if wastewater treatment produced electricity?

This could be possible with the help of microbial fuel cells.

MFCs for short.

Microbial fuel cells are living batteries.

Batteries store energy electrochemically until it is used.