SHORT COMMUNICATION
Effects of Mevastatin on Electricity Generation
in Microbial Fuel Cells
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1
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Uskudar University 34662 Uskudar, Istanbul, Turkey
2
Istanbul Protein Research-Application and Innovation Center (PROMER), Uskudar University 34662 Uskudar,
Istanbul, Turkey
3
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul Technical University 34467-Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey
4
Personalized Medicine Application and Research Center (KIMER), Uskudar University 34662 Uskudar,
Istanbul, Turkey
Submission date: 2020-10-29
Final revision date: 2021-02-16
Acceptance date: 2021-02-16
Online publication date: 2021-08-31
Publication date: 2021-10-01
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2021;30(6):5407-5412
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ABSTRACT
Mevastatin is one of the pollutants in wastewater that is difficult to biodegrade. In this study, the
issue of mevastatin biodegradation and simultaneous electricity generation using microbial fuel cells,
which is one of the current sustainable technologies, was investigated. Effects of mevastatin on the
performance of single-chamber air-cathode microbial fuel cells were investigated. On average,
0.2 volts of electricity was generated in microbial fuel cells in the presence of 5.6 μM mevastatin, while
mevastatin caused an important increase in coulombic efficiency, from 35±5% to 49±8. More than
90% of the mevastatin was removed in microbial fuel cells in approximately four days. In conclusion,
mevastatin that causes toxicity in wastewaters could potentially be treated using microbial fuel cells.
Meanwhile, mevastatin may enhance electricity generation either through improved electron transfer or
suppressed methanogenesis during microbial fuel cell operations.