Microbial community in CW-MFCs filled with different substrates

In this study, integrated vertical-flow CW-MFCs consisting of an up-flow and a down-flow chamber were constructed to treat synthetic sewage wastewater under various hydraulic retention times (HRTs). Moreover, the performance of CW-MFCs filled with different substrates (i.e., ceramsite, quartz, and zeolite granules) was compared. Combined with 16S rRNA gene sequencing, it aims to reveal the potential nutrient removal processes in this type of CW-MFC, and to explore the possible effects of the cathodic bacterial community on nutrient removal, which could encourage the development of novel CW-MFCs for practical application.