Introduction

In the face of the contemporary global energy crisis and intensifying environmental degradation, developing ecologically benign renewable energy technologies represents a fundamental challenge for scientific and technological progress. Conventional wastewater treatment plants are characterized by high energy intensity and substantial operational costs. However, the organic pollutants in wastewater represent a valuable, latent reservoir of chemical energy. An elegant alternative to classical methods is represented by microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology, which implements a synergistic paradigm: concurrent bioremediation of effluents and direct bioelectricity generation. Unlike abiotic fuel cells, MFCs operate under ambient environmental conditions, obviate the need for expensive noble-metal catalysts, and utilize organic waste as a renewable substrate. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the design, fabrication, and validation of an economically viable MFC configuration capable of achieving high pollutant degradation rates while maintaining stable electrochemical performance [Table 1].

It is hypothesized that coupling the anaerobic oxidation of organic substrates by exoelectrogenic microorganisms within a scalable MFC architecture can yield sufficient electrical power to support the autonomous operation of low-power, wireless telemetric sensors for environmental monitoring.

The objective of this work is to comprehensively evaluate the electrochemical performanceand treatment efficiency of a fabricated, cost-effective MFC prototype utilizing accessible structural materials under organic load.

Research Tasks:

• Perform a systematic literature review on the mechanisms of extracellular electron transfer (EET) and the configurations of bioelectrochemical systems;
• Design and assemble a laboratory-scale MFC prototype, optimizing electrode geometry and selecting an appropriate membrane separator;
• Conduct a physicochemical analysis of the raw wastewater to establish baseline parameters of chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, and electrical conductivity;
• Initiate the bioelectrochemical system and perform continuous monitoring of its current-voltage characteristics (including open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and power density) using a digital multimeter;
• Evaluate the degradation kinetics of organic pollutants by quantitatively comparing pre- and post-treatment COD levels;
• Establish the correlation between substrate concentration and MFC power output to assess the scalability and practical feasibility of the technology.

Table 1

Key Operational and Bioremediation Metrics of the MFC

Results&conclusion.

This research successfully demonstrates the viability of cost-effective microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology as a synergistic solution for concurrent bioenergy recovery and deep wastewater remediation. By validating stable electrical outputs alongside significant effluent clarification using accessible materials, the study confirms that bioelectrochemical systems can effectively bridge the gap between waste management and sustainable power generation. The identified prospects for future implementation—including electrode optimization, reduction of internal resistance, and transition to continuous-flow architectures—highlight a clear pathway toward transforming conventional treatment facilities into decentralized, self-powered bio-refineries. Ultimately, this study provides a foundational framework for the development of autonomous environmental monitoring systems and contributes significantly to the global transition toward a circular, carbon-neutral economy.