Journal of Green Energy Research and Innovation
Quarterly

Green Energy Generation and Sustainable Chromium Remediation in MSRC by Focusing on the Role of Microbial Bio-Supports

Document Type : Research article

Author

Marzie Razavi

Department of Civil Engineering, Tafresh University, Tafresh, 39518-79611,Iran.

10.61186/jgeri.2025.2067569.1066
Abstract
In this study, a hybrid microbial fuel cell–electrokinetic remediation system (MSRC) was developed to remediate soil contaminated with hexavalent chromium while simultaneously generating bioelectricity. Two configurations were compared: MSRC-1 with plain graphite electrodes and MSRC-2 with graphite electrodes modified using activated carbon granules. The results demonstrated that electrode modification significantly enhanced biofilm development and electron transfer, leading to higher system efficiency. MSRC-2 achieved an open-circuit voltage of 641 mV, a maximum power density of 4.21 W/m³, and 83.5% COD removal, compared to 406 mV, 1.23 W/m³, and 62.3% in MSRC-1. Chromium migration toward the cathode was also more effective in MSRC-2, reducing soil concentrations to 68–99 µg/g. These findings highlight the novelty of integrating activated-carbon-modified electrodes into a microbial fuel cell–electrokinetic system, offering an efficient and environmentally friendly approach for simultaneous energy recovery and in-situ remediation of Cr(VI)-polluted soils.

Keywords

Microbial fuel cell
Electrokinetic remediation
Chromium
Soil remediation
Biofilm
Journal of Green Energy Research and Innovation
Volume 3, Issue 1
Winter 2026

  • Receive Date 02 August 2025
  • Revise Date 26 August 2025
  • Accept Date 23 October 2025
  • Publish Date 01 March 2026

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