Temporal dynamics of microbial communities in microbial electrolysis cell fed with acetate and propionate. Temporal dynamics of microbial communities

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are widely considered as a next generation wastewater treatment system; however, fundamental insights on its performance and the temporal dynamics of the associated microbial communities under different organic loadings is still unknown, but it is essential for optimizing this technology for real-scale applications. Here, the temporal dynamics of the anodic microbial communities associated to the performance of MECs was examined at low (0.5 g COD/L) and high (4 g COD/L) concentrations of acetate or propionate, as both of these substrates, are important intermediates in fermentation of municipal wastewaters and sludge.