Sustainable treatment of urban wastewater using a constructed wetland coupled with a microbial fuel cell | Tratamiento sustentable de agua residual urbana mediante un humedal construido acoplado con una celda de combustible microbiana

English. The efficiency of a constructed wetland coupled with a microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC), at a micropilot scale, was evaluated to treat real urban wastewater (UWW) and generate electricity by action of electroactive bacteria that oxidize organic matter. For this purpose, a vertical up-flow wetland was constructed and 2 graphite electrodes connected to an external 1000-ohm resistor were attached to it. CW-MFC was continuously fed with settled UWW for 4 months. The hydraulic residence time was 1.2 d. The quality of the influent UWW and the treated effluent was evaluated weekly. The voltage produced was recorded every 10 min. The average removal efficiencies achieved were 95.8 % turbidity, 77.5 % COD, 75.7 % total suspended solids, and 96.1 % E. coli, 5.7 % total reactive phosphorus and 18.3 % ammonium. CW-MFC produced electricity continuously, with yields of up to 30.5 W·h/kg COD removed.

Spanish; Castilian. Se evaluó la eficiencia de un humedal construido acoplado con una celda de combustible microbiana (HC-CCM), a escala micropiloto, para tratar agua residual urbana real (ARU) y generar electricidad por acción de bacterias electroactivas que oxidan la materia orgánica. Para ello se construyó un humedal vertical de flujo ascendente al que se integraron 2 electrodos de grafito conectados a una resistencia externa de 1000 ohm. HC-CCM se alimentó continuamente con ARU sedimentada durante 4 meses. El tiempo de residencia hidráulico fue de 1.2 d. Semanalmente, se evaluó la calidad del ARU influente y del efluente tratado. El voltaje producido se registró cada 10 min. Las eficiencias de remoción medias logradas fueron: 95.8% turbiedad, 77.5% DQO, 75.7% sólidos suspendidos totales, 96.1% E. coli, 5.7% fósforo reactivo total y 18.3% amonio. HC-CCM produjo electricidad de forma continua, con rendimientos de hasta 30.5 W·h/kg DQO removida.