Microbial Electrochemical Systems and Membrane Bioreactor Technology for Wastewater Treatment

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) and microbial electrochemical systems (MESs) are promising technologies for wastewater treatment and generation of electricity from organic matter. The application of MBRs is limited due to membrane fouling and high energy consumption. The novel design of the coupling system of microbial fuel cell and membrane bioreactor (MFC‐MBR), which efficiently combines microbial degradation in MFCs and uses the microelectric field to reduce and mitigate membrane fouling in MBR. The fundamentals of extracellular electron transport, the performance of MFCs, different types of MBR systems, and the novelty of the MFC‐MBR coupling system for wastewater treatment are reviewed. The novel design of a microbial fuel cell and membrane bioreactor coupling system (MFC‐MBR), which combines microbial degradation in MFCs and utilization of microelectric fields to reduce and mitigate membrane fouling in MBRs, is of great practical significance for wastewater treatment. It could be applied on a large scale to reduce high‐impact industrial pollution and improve the treatment quality.