Integrated Constructed Wetland‐Microbial Fuel Cell using Biochar as Wetland Matrix: Influence on Power Generation and Textile Wastewater Treatment

Abstract The present study aims at integrating Constructed Wetland using biochar as matrix with Microbial Fuel Cell (CW‐MFC) and evaluating its effect on textile wastewater (TW) treatment in the form of removal of COD, Color and TDS along with Bioelectricity generation. Two vertical down flow systems of CW‐MFC were investigated for TW treatment and system reusability (with and without corn cob biochar) in batch mode with retention time of 10 days for 10 cycles. The performance of CW‐MFC with the corn cob biochar (CW‐MFC−A) was better than the CW‐MFC without corn cob biochar (CW‐MFC−B) in terms of parameters of TW treatment, bioelectricity generation and matrix reusability. The maximum power density, COD removal efficiency, decolorization efficiency and TDS reduction as obtained with CW‐MFC−A (102.08 mW/m 2 ; 83 %; 90 %; 84 % respectively) were higher in comparison to the values obtained in CW‐MFC−B (78.24 mW/m 2 ; 66 %; 65 %; 67 % respectively). Furthermore, the germination assessment studies using the treated effluent from CW‐MFC−A resulted in 100 % germination of Vigna radiata seeds indicating the usefulness of corn cob biochar as wetland matrix for treatment of wastewaters.