Bioelectrochemical Reduction of Fe(II)EDTA-NO in a Biofilm Electrode Reactor: Performance, Mechanism, and Kinetics

Environ Sci Technol. 2016 Apr 5;50(7):3846-51. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.5b05861. Epub 2016 Mar 8.

Abstract

A biofilm electrode reactor (BER) is proposed to effectively regenerate Fe(II)EDTA, a solvent for NOx removal from flue gas, from Fe(II)EDTA-NO, a spent solution. In this study, the performance, mechanism, and kinetics of the bioelectrochemical reduction of Fe(II)EDTA-NO were investigated. The pathways of Fe(II)EDTA-NO reduction were investigated via determination of nitrogen element balance in the BER and an abiotic electrode reactor. The experimental results indicate that the chelated NO (Fe(II)EDTA-NO) is reduced to N2 with N2O as an intermediate. However, the oxidation of NO occurred in the absence of Fe(II)EDTA in abiotic reactors. Furthermore, the accumulation of N2O was suppressed with the help of electricity. The preponderant electron donor for reduction of Fe(II)EDTA-NO was also confirmed via analysis of the electron conservation. About 87% of Fe(II)EDTA-NO was reduced using Fe(II)EDTA as the electron donor in the presence of both glucose and cathode electrons while the cathode electrons were utilized for the reduction of Fe(III)EDTA to Fe(II)EDTA. Michaelis-Menten kinetic constants of bioelectrochemical reduction of Fe(II)EDTA-NO were also calculated. The maximum reduction rate of Fe(II)EDTA-NO was 13.04 mol m(-3) h(-1), which is 50% higher than that in a conventional biofilter.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants / chemistry
  • Air Pollutants / metabolism
  • Biofilms
  • Bioreactors* / microbiology
  • Chelating Agents / chemistry
  • Edetic Acid / chemistry
  • Edetic Acid / metabolism*
  • Electrochemical Techniques / instrumentation
  • Electrochemical Techniques / methods
  • Electrodes
  • Equipment Design
  • Ferrous Compounds / chemistry
  • Ferrous Compounds / metabolism*
  • Kinetics
  • Nitric Oxide / chemistry
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism*
  • Oxidation-Reduction

Substances

  • Air Pollutants
  • Chelating Agents
  • Ferrous Compounds
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Edetic Acid