Construction and characterisation of a microbial fuel cell with soil microorganisms

Microbial fuel cells are based on the ability of microorganisms to produce energy through biomass degradation. This study presents the construction, electrical characterization and possible applications of a type of MFC with microorganisms from soil. Although the obtained power density is low compared to other authors (1W/[m.sup.3], respectively 500mA/[m.sup.2]), the proposed construction is very simple, without moving parts, chemical substances or external electrical energy consumption. Possible applications of this type of MFC are presented: sodium acetate aqueous solution sensor and electrical energy source in isolated areas. Keywords: microbial fuel cell, soil microorganisms, power density, miniaturised MFC