Waste gas removal by bioelectrochemical systems: a review

Abstract:

Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) couple energy generation with biodegradation and bioconversion of a wide range of contaminants. BESs have increasingly attracted research attentions and would have a broad application prospect in the treatment of environmental pollutants. Recently, BESs are used to treat waste gases. Due to the combined electrochemical and biological processes, BESs generally show higher efficiency and promising application in the treatment of waste gases. Here, we summarize gas types, treatment efficiencies and reactor structures of BESs for waste gas treatment. Moreover, the functional microorganisms and the possible bioelectrochemical mechanisms in those systems are summarized. The main problems needing to be solved in the future are also proposed, with the aim to promote BESs in waste gas treatment.