EVALUATION OF ELECTROACTIVITY OF A LOCAL BACTERIAL ISOLATE FROM ABBATOIR WASTE WATER

The effluents of the abattoirs are usually high in organic compounds such as proteins, lipids and nitrogenous compounds and hence provide a good fuel in microbial fuel cell (MFC) systems. The current study determined the electroactive capability of one of the locally isolated bacteria which were grown in such effluent with a motive of determining its potential in bioelectricity maintenance. The wastewater samples were collected and taken through the microbiological enumeration whereby, bacterial isolates were then acquired and identified by using morphological, biochemical and Gramme- staining techniques. A two chamber MFC was set up, with anode being inoculated with wastewater either raw or purified bacterial isolate, and a cathode being exposed to potassium permanganate solution. The wastewater inoculum and isolated strain were observed at a ten-day period generating voltages and five days respectively. Maximum voltage of the raw wastewater was 1389 mV on day three and maximum open-circuit voltage was 915 mV of Enterococcus sp. isolate. Bacteria densities of the effluent were 3.2x103CFU/ml, which is high enough to maintain a healthy biofilm growth on the anode. These data prove the fact that abattoir wastewater may be effectively used as a MCFF feedstock and that Enterococcus species have an electrogenic nature, which encourages the occurrence of an electron transfer. The paper therefore highlights the two-fold merits of using the abattoir effluents in the production of bioenergy as well as providing relief to the pollution of the environment and therefore justifying the hypothesis that the microbial fuel cells can be viewed as a viable method of waste management and renewable power generation.