Tahereh Salehi - Tahereh Salehi, Department of civil and environmental engineering, Babol Noshirvani university of technology
Shaghayegh Ghojavand - MSc Student, Department of civil and environmental engineering, Babol Noshirvani university of technology
Daryoush Yousefi Kebria - Associate professor, Department of civil and environmental engineering, Babol Noshirvani university of technology

The global water crisis and challenges associated with remote drinking water sourcing have escalated concerns about pervasive water scarcity. In the realm of sustainable development, prioritizing research into renewable and environmentally friendly alternative energy sources is imperative. Seawater and brackish water are being explored as prospective drinking water resources. Research indicates that current seawater desalination methods, employing thermal and membrane technologies, incur substantial energy costs and lack long-term sustainability. Microbial Desalination Cells (MDCs) have emerged as a green and dependable technology for wastewater treatment and brackish water desalination. This review delves into pivotal operational challenges encountered in MDC development, encompassing electrode type, pH imbalance, and stack structure, with the primary objective of augmenting COD removal efficacy and electrical power retrieval. Outcomes underscore the critical role of electrode types, particularly the anode, influencing bacterial growth, removal kinetics, and electron generation. The enhancement of electrode surface area proves instrumental in advancing volumetric power density. Configurations that obviate the need for a membrane between anode and cathode compartments, coupled with unrestrictive electrode spacing, exhibit substantial potential in surmounting challenges like pH imbalance and elevated internal resistance. In summation, MDCs represent a promising avenue for sustainable water treatment and energy harvesting in the field of biotechnology.

Microbial Desalination Cells, Green energy, Sustainable Development, Electrode, Cell Configuration