Biosensors 2012, 2(3), 255-268; doi:10.3390/bios2030255
Article

Effect of Toxic Components on Microbial Fuel Cell-Polarization Curves and Estimation of the Type of Toxic Inhibition

Nienke E. Stein 1,2,3,† email, Hubertus V. M. Hamelers 1,3 email, Gerrit van Straten 2 email and Karel J. Keesman 2,* email
1 Wetsus, Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, P.O. Box 1113, 8900CC Leeuwarden, The Netherlands 2 Systems and Control Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands 3 Subdepartment of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands † Current address: TNO Water Treatment, Postbus 342, 7300 AH Apeldoorn, The Netherlands.
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 14 June 2012; in revised form: 3 July 2012 / Accepted: 10 July 2012 / Published: 11 July 2012
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrochemical Based Biosensors)
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Abstract: Polarization curves are of paramount importance for the detection of toxic components in microbial fuel cell (MFC) based biosensors. In this study, polarization curves were made under non-toxic conditions and under toxic conditions after the addition of various concentrations of nickel, bentazon, sodiumdodecyl sulfate and potassium ferricyanide. The experimental polarization curves show that toxic components have an effect on the electrochemically active bacteria in the cell. (Extended) Butler Volmer Monod (BVM) models were used to describe the polarization curves of the MFC under nontoxic and toxic conditions. It was possible to properly fit the (extended) BVM models using linear regression techniques to the polarization curves and to distinguish between different types of kinetic inhibitions. For each of the toxic components, the value of the kinetic inhibition constant Ki was also estimated from the experimental data. The value of Ki indicates the sensitivity of the sensor for a specific component and thus can be used for the selection of the biosensor for a toxic component.
Keywords: toxicity detection; microbial fuel cell; biosensor; least square estimation; linear regression

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MDPI and ACS Style

Stein, N.E.; Hamelers, H.V.M.; van Straten, G.; Keesman, K.J. Effect of Toxic Components on Microbial Fuel Cell-Polarization Curves and Estimation of the Type of Toxic Inhibition. Biosensors 2012, 2, 255-268.

AMA Style

Stein NE, Hamelers HVM, van Straten G, Keesman KJ. Effect of Toxic Components on Microbial Fuel Cell-Polarization Curves and Estimation of the Type of Toxic Inhibition. Biosensors. 2012; 2(3):255-268.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stein, Nienke E.; Hamelers, Hubertus V. M.; van Straten, Gerrit; Keesman, Karel J. 2012. "Effect of Toxic Components on Microbial Fuel Cell-Polarization Curves and Estimation of the Type of Toxic Inhibition." Biosensors 2, no. 3: 255-268.

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