Paracetamol degradation in a dual-chamber rectangular membrane bioreactor using microbial fuel cell system with a microbial consortium from sewage sludge

The public widely uses Paracetamol (PCT) as an analgesic drug to reduce pain and fever symptoms in the human body. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in PCT consumption, resulting in its presence in water bodies and establishing it as a common aquatic environmental pollutant. Conventional methods for PCT removal rely on chemical treatments, which necessitate harsh reaction conditions and incur high operational costs. This study aims to investigate the potential for PCT degradation within the anode environment of the Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) system, using a consortium of bacteria isolated from sewage sludge. The initial PCT concentration and the pH of the anode environment were varied. The results showed that PCT degradation occurred within 72 hours. The highest PCT removal rate was achieved at elevated concentrations, specifically 28.54 ± 18.84% for an initial PCT concentration of 31.45 mg/L. Furthermore, the pH levels of the anode environment were observed to influence PCT degradation, with the highest degradation rate recorded at 48.69 ± 0.86% at a pH of 8.2. In this study, the highest average power density reached was 1174.42 mW/m² with an external resistance of 1000 Ω at an initial PCT concentration of 31.45 mg/L. Microbial community analysis was conducted, revealing that Burkholderia sp. dominated the reactor containing PCT. These findings offer valuable insights for the development of more efficient technologies for the removal of PCT from pharmaceutical wastewater using natural microbial communities.