Toward sustainable feasibility of microbial electrochemical systems to reality

The management of wastewater treatment has the highest priority in the global scenario. Traditional wastewater treatment requires higher energy inputs associated with deleterious environmental impact and limited efficiency in treatment. Recent advancements in microbial electrochemical systems (MES) have paved ways to reduce energy intake, minimize environmental impact, and improve efficiency in wastewater treatment. There are increasing efforts in scaling up this technology and making them available in the real-time application once exploring their fullest potential. In this context, approaches toward achieving sustainability by harboring and developing technology like MES have been devised. This includes evaluation of the economic viability, social impact, and life cycle assessment (LCA). This chapter discusses the basics of bioelectrochemical systems (BES), their functioning, and the impacts associated with the use of cost-effective materials. Alongside, generation of energy (electricity), hydrogen, and value-added products (acetate, butyrate, alcohols, etc.) by harboring BESs have also been briefly described taking wastewater treatment as a model.