Microbial electrochemical technologies (MET) rely on the presence of the metabolic activity of electroactive bacteria for the use of solid-state electrodes for oxidizing different kinds of compound that can lead to the synthesis of chemicals, bioremediation of polluted matrices, the treatment of contaminants of interest, as well as the recovery of energy. Keeping these possibilities in mind, there has been growing interest in the use of electrochemical technologies for wastewater treatment, if possible with simultaneous power generation, since the beginning of the present century. In the last few years, there has been growing interest in exploring the possibility of merging MET with constructed wetlands offering a new option of an intensified wetland system that could maintain a high performance with a lower footprint. Based on that interest, this paper explains the general principles of MET, and the different known extracellular electron transfer mechanisms ruling the interaction between electroactive bacteria and potential solid-state electron acceptors. It also looks at the adoption of those principles for the development of MET set-ups for simultaneous wastewater treatment and power generation, and the challenges that the technology faces. Ultimately, the most recent developments in setups that merge MET with constructed wetlands are presented and discussed.

In several countries around the world, Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) exist in aquatic environments, a fact that increases the awareness within the scientific community with respect to their possible fate and environment effects. This research presents a preliminary monitoring of use, consumption and presence of PPCPs in wastewater from a treatment plant in a rural area of Pereira (Colombia). Domestic sewage is treated in a septic tank followed by an Up-Flow Anaerobic Filter and its effluent is discharged into the Otún River, upstream of the water intake of the supply system of the city. The compounds monitored in this research included ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, aspirin, ketoprofen, caffeine, galaxolide, tonalide and dihydrojasmonate. An adapted method of multi-residue analysis was used, which is based on solid phase extraction with hydrophilic-lipophilic balance cartridges, and determination by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The removal efficiencies demonstrated that the treatment plant could eliminate less than 50% of dihydrojasmonate, diclofenac and galaxolide existing in wastewater; concentration of aspirin, naproxen and tonalide could only be reduced in 15%; and caffeine, ibuprofen and ketoprofen were not removed. Results provided basic information to decide over the necessity of complementary treatments for effluents from systems with the mentioned units.

Microbial electrochemical technologies (MET) rely on the presence of the metabolic activity of electroactive bacteria for the use of solid-state electrodes for oxidizing different kind of compound, that could lead to the synthesis of chemicals, bioremediation of polluted matrices, the treatment of contaminants of interest, as well as the recovery of energy. Keeping in mind those possibilities, since the beginning of the present century, there has been a growing interest in the use of electrochemical technologies for wastewater treatment, and if possible with simultaneous power generation. In the last years, there has been a growing interest to explore the possibility of merging MET with constructed wetlands, to offer a new option of intensified wetland system that could keep a high performance with a lower footprint. Based on that interest, this paper explains the general principles of MET, and the different known extracellular electron transfer mechanisms ruling the interaction between electroactive bacteria and potential solid-state electron acceptors. Also, the adoption of those principles for the development of MET set-ups for simultaneous wastewater treatment and power generation, and the challenges that the technology face. Ultimately, the most recent developments in set-ups that merges MET with constructed wetlands are presented and discussed.