A weak infrared light strengthens anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria activated sludge for the anaerobic biodegradation of polylactic acid in microbial fuel cell systems

This study explored that a weak infrared (IR) (850 nm) light emitting diode (LED) strengthened anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria (APB) activated sludge for the anaerobic biodegradation of PLA in MFC systems. The results showed that MFC system with IR and PLA could generate a sustained bioelectricity and achieve the anaerobic biodegradation of PLA textiles based on bioelectrochemistry, FT-IR and SEM analysis. The microbial community structure analysis suggested that an APB consortium can be enriched using the MFC with IR illumination. Moreover, the existence of IR light could not only prevent algae growth in MFC system but also provide a feasibility for the practical engineering application.Graphical abstract

Source: Polymer Degradation and Stability - October 5, 2018 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research