Renewable bio-energy is considered as one of the ways to alleviate the current global energy crisis. It is evident that humankind is increasingly dependent on energy with the advancement of science and technology. Rapidly developing microbial electrochemical technologies, such as Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Microbial Fuel Cells, are part of a diverse platform for future sustainable energy. Microbial fuel cell is a technology that converts the energy stored in chemical bonds in organic/inorganic compounds to electrical energy through catalytic reactions by micro-organisms. The microorganism generally presents in anode chamber of fuel cell act as biocatalyst and generates electrons (e-) and protons (H+) by way of anaerobic respiration of organic substrate. The electron transfer through the anode integrated with an external circuit to cathode and protons diffuse through the proton exchange membrane. The potential between the respiratory system and electron acceptor generates the current and voltage needed to make electricity
In the present work, bio electricity is generated using mediator-less Microbial fuel cell utilizing effluents from dairy and sugar industries which are rich in organic substrates as well as microorganisms. The maximum voltage and power densities generated from diary and sugar industry effluents measured using USB data logger with an external resistance across anode and cathode were 450 mV, 143.6 mW/m2 and 400 mV, 113.4 mW/m2 respectively for a period of twenty one days. The observed results would form a basis for harnessing energy from industrial effluents and sustainable production of bioelectricity
Keywords: Bioelectricity, Microbial fuel cell, Dairy and Sugar Industry effluents.