Bacterial Fuel Cell Also Purifies Water

Feb-02-15 A new fuel cell powered by bacteria that use waste water as fuel could eventually be used to simplify the process of purifying water.

Developed by a team from SINTEF, the fuel cell is based on bacteria that consume the waste in polluted water. The bacteria produce electrons and protons as they eat, and the voltage between the particles generates energy that can be harvested and used to power small devices. At the same time, the organic material in the water is removed by the bacteria, resulting in purified water.

Although the energy generated by the process is not very large, the team is intrigued by the possibility of applying the technology to water purification, which is currently a lengthy and energy-demanding process.

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