Efficiently “pumping out” value-added resources from wastewater by bioelectrochemical systems: A review from energy perspectives

Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) can accomplish simultaneous wastewater treatment and resource recovery via interactions between microbes and electrodes. Often deemed as “energy efficient” technologies, BES have not been well evaluated for their energy performance, such as energy production and consumption. In this work, we have conducted a review and analysis of energy balance in BES with parameters like normalized energy recovery, specific energy consumption, and net energy production. Several BES representatives based on their functions were selected for analysis, including direct electricity generation in microbial fuel cells, hydrogen production in microbial electrolysis cells, nitrogen recovery in BES, chemical production in microbial electrosynthesis cells, and desalination in microbial desalination cells. Energy performance was normalized to water volume (kWh m⁻³), organic removal (kWh kg COD⁻¹), nitrogen recovery (kWh kg N⁻¹), chemical production (kWh kg⁻¹), or removed salt during desalination (kWh kg⁻¹). The key operating factors such as pumping system (recirculation/feeding pumps) and external power supply were discussed for their effects on energy performance. This is an in-depth analysis of energy performance of various BES and expected to encourage more thinking, analysis, and presentation of energy data towards appropriate research and development of BES technology for resource recovery from wastewater.