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Essay about Microbial Desalination Cells

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Microbial Desalination Cells

Desalination is the removal of salt from seawater to provide freshwater especially in developing countries. Currently, MFCs (Microbial Fuel Cells) have generated electricity from biomass using bacteria. These microbes cause an electric current where electrons flow from the anode to the cathode where the reduction of oxygen occurs. A revolutionary new method called MDCs (Microbial Desalination Cells) could potentially desalinate water and produce energy depending on the design or set up of the cell. This process is similar to water electrodialysis but uses bacteria as the source of energy rather than an external source. If the set up of the MDC is altered to desalinate water, then the highest amount …show more content…

Consequently, sodium chloride salt (NaCI) in the middle chamber will be removed desalinating the water.
Set Up
First, I will use sandpaper to roughen the end caps of PVC pipes. I will then use the sandpaper to roughen the two opposing sides of three plastic containers by roughening two 1-inch by 1-inch patches across each other. Using permanent markers, a mark will be made in the center of the roughened side of one of the plastic containers. I will use a ruler to measure the location of the mark and then make a mark at exactly the same location on one of the roughened sides of each of the other two plastic containers. The ruler will be used to measure the outer diameter of the aquarium pump tubing. I will then drill a hole 2 millimeters (mm) in diameter on top of three of the plastic container lids. In one of the lids, I will dill another hole the same diameter as the plastic tubing of the aquarium air pump next to the first hole. A hole will be drilled on the permanent marker marks on the sides of the plastic containers using a 3/4 –inch spade drill bits.
I will then squeeze acrylic cement around two of the 3/4 –inch spade drill bit holes. Then, acrylic cement will be squeezed around the flat part of one compression fitting end cap. The end cap will be centered over the hole on one of the plastic containers that the cement will just have been squeezed around. The two pieces will be

fit together and repeated for the other PVC pipe. I will let the

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