Microbial electrochemical system for obtaining value-added products using a halotolerant bioanode

Microbial electrochemical systems (MES) cathodic reaction have stood out in the last decade, due to their versatility for the production of several chemical products of commercial interest using renewable energy. This work addresses the use of halotolerant microorganisms as bio-anodes with saline electrolytes (50 gL^-1 NaCl), with a lower resistance and energy loss compared to freshwater systems. Likewise, it was demonstrated that it is possible to recover lanthanide in the form of oxides from a highly saline electrolyte. Being the first work in the literature to report the recovery of this metal from an aqueous solution in MES, opening a door for the development of MES specialized in the recovery of rare earth elements.

Keywords: Microbial electrochemical systems, material recovery, halotolerant bioanodes.