Research Title
Voltage and Ampere Generated from Selected
Fruits and Vegetables in Microbial Fuel Cells
Introduction
The way energy powers all life on earth is undeniable, but the use of nonrenewable
energy sources has resulted in a significant environmental impact due to the residue it leaves
behind. Nowadays, the combustion of oil, coal, and natural gas produces more than 85% of the
total power used worldwide (Dudin et al., 2019). When fossil fuels are burned, a certain amount
of residue is left behind in the form of solids and gasses (e.g. nitrogen oxides, coal ash, fly ash,
bottom ash). Further, fossil fuel residue can not be recycled, which leads to environmental
pollution. With this, we should seek more alternative energy sources, including renewable
resources. Moreover, resources that can generate energy continually without worrying about
diminishing in the short or medium term are known as renewable resources. Examples of
renewable energy are solar, biomass, geothermal, wind, and hydroelectric energy (Güney, 2019).
In addition, bioenergy is a natural alternative to producing energy. Therefore, bioenergy can be
used to generate electricity using organic waste such as food waste.
Food waste is a type of municipal solid waste (MSW) that is becoming more widely
recognized (Chen et al., 2023). According to the Department of Science and Technology’s Food
Banana and Nutrition Institute (DOST-FNRI), the Philippines produce 1,717 metric tons of food
waste daily. Frequently, food waste is being disposed of in landfills. This explains why a
significant amount of fugitive greenhouse gas (GHG) is being emitted due to food waste having
the largest methane potential (Badgett and Milbrandt, 2021). Finding a sustainable method of
disposing of food waste is absolutely necessary, as sending food waste to landfills is neither
financially viable nor ecologically responsible.
Due to the depletion of fossil resources and worries about climate change, people are
growing more interested in renewable energy (Mohammadi et al., 2021). With this, the
implementation of food waste-to-energy is something that would be very beneficial for society as
a whole. In addition, food waste has great potential for generating energy. Rojas-Flores et al.
(2020) provided information on fruit wastes that can be used as renewable energy and an
alternative method for producing electricity called microbial fuel cells (MFC). Caruso et al.
(2019) stated insights on using biogas from food waste to generate renewable energy. Breunig et
al. (2017) estimated that California's food waste can generate 530 Megawatts of electricity.
Finally, Kalagbor et al. (2020) provided information on electricity generation from discarded
tomatoes, bananas, pineapple fruits, and peels.
According to previous studies, it was recommended to use tomatoes and bananas since
tomatoes contain redox-active molecules, specifically carotenoids and flavonoids, and their
natural lycopene can encourage the generation of electricity. Tomatoes also have high
conductivity, and the quercetin in them may exhibit electrochemical activity in an aqueous
medium(Fogg et al., 2015). In addition, bananas are available all year round, and they are rich in
carbohydrates and other essential nutrients that can enhance microbial growth. Banana biomass,
including both fruit and peels, has been used to produce methane gas and biofuels, and banana
peels in particular have been shown to result in higher rates of methane production compared to
other fruit wastes (Essien et al., 2005). By utilizing these fruit wastes, which are typically
discarded and can have negative impacts on the environment and health, bio-energy can be
produced through microbial fuel cells.
Similarly, sweet potato waste was used in this research. The skin peels of sweet potatoes
are a vital source of fermentable sugars which is a potential source for bioethanol production
(Bhuvaneswari & Sivakumar, 2019).
The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to
generate electricity from various types of fruit and vegetable waste. The study also intended to
investigate the potential use of MFCs in providing electricity to the Sitio Makabuhay community.
The study also identified if weight has an effect on the amount of voltage and current to be
produced. Ultimately, the goal was to promote sustainable energy generation by utilizing fruit
and vegetable waste as a renewable energy source.
Research Part One
Methodology
The study adopted a quantitative research approach, employing a true experimental design to systematically investigate the impact of both weight and the type of plant on the generation of voltage and amperage. Over a span of four days, continuous readings of voltage and amperage were collected. Notably, the voltage data exhibited a normal distribution, validating the use of a Two-Way ANOVA to discern the effects of weight and plant type. In contrast, the amperage data did not conform to a normal distribution, leading to the application of the Kruskal-Wallis test—a non-parametric alternative—to effectively analyze the given dataset.
Results and Findings
Through statistical analysis, the reliability of food waste as a renewable energy source and the optimal fruits and vegetables for energy production were assessed. Descriptive statistics, two-way ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis test, table, and bar graphs were employed to compare and contrast the voltages and amperes collected from the selected fruits and vegetables according to weight and type of plant.
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Discussions
Through statistical analysis, the reliability of food waste as a renewable energy source and the optimal fruits and vegetables for energy production were assessed. Descriptive statistics, two-way ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis test, table, and bar graphs were employed to compare and contrast the voltages and amperes collected from the selected fruits and vegetables according to weight and type of plant.
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