METHOD OF DESALINATION AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT IN A MICROBIAL DESALINATION CELL REACTOR

Method of desalination and wastewater treatment in a microbial desalination cell reactor, the microbial desalination cell reactor comprises three compartments, an anodic compartment, a cathodic compartment and a saline compartment, the method comprising: (a) adding electrically conductive particles or electrically conductive material in the anodic compartment and cathodic compartment, (b) adding bacteria species of the genus Geobacter in the anodic compartment, adding an aqueous solution of a sulphate salt as catholyte, adding saline solution to the saline compartment (c) applying an external power supply to desalinate the saline solution (d) when constant electric current is achieved, replacing the solution in the cathodic compartment by a hypochlorite solution and replacing the external power supply by an external circuit or connecting anode and cathode to produce short circuit conditions and (d) oxidizing organic matter present in wastewater by bacteria from the genus Geobacter in the anodic compartment and desalinating the solution in the saline compartment and (e) after 20 to 30 operation cycles, replacing the saline solution by a second solution of hypochlorite salt to provide cleaning in place.