Landfill leachate: A promising substrate for microbial fuel cells

Landfill leachate emerges as a promising feedstock for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In the present investigation, direct air-breathing cathode-based MFCs are fabricated to investigate the maximum open circuit potential from landfill leachate. Three MFCs that have different cathode areas are fabricated and studied for 17 days under open circuit conditions. The maximum open circuit voltage (OCV) of the cell is observed to be as high as 1.29 V which is the highest OCV ever reported in the literature using landfill leachate. The maximum cathode area specific power density achieved in the reactor is 1513 mW m−2. Further studies are under progress to understand the origin of high OCV obtained from landfill leachate-based MFCs.