Influence of Acetate Enrichment on Bacterial Community and Bio-electrochemical Performance of Low-Cost Dual-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell

Acetate enrichment is one of the most widely tested substrate strategies for improving the bio-electrochemical performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs), yet its influence on anodic microbial community under resource-limited condition remains understudied, particularly in sub-Saharan African contexts. This study investigated the influence of acetate enrichment on bacterial community and bio-electrochemical performance of low-cost dual-chamber MFC in Sokoto State. Two reactors received sodium acetate supplementation: MFC A (1g/L daily throughout an eight-day period) and MFC B (2g/L on Day 0 followed by 1g/L daily). Both reactors were inoculated with domestic wastewater from the Fadama area of Sokoto metropolis, which served simultaneously as substrate and microbial inoculum. Electrical performance was assessed daily through voltage, current, and power measurements, while microbial population dynamics were tracked using viable plate counts (CFU/mL). Anodic biofilm bacteria were isolated and characterized using morphological and standard biochemical tests. MFC B achieved a peak voltage of 140.4mV and power output of 3,942.43μW on Day 1, substantially exceeding MFC A. Colony counts surged from 2.5×10⁵ CFU/mL on Day 0 to 1.5×10⁷ CFU/mL within 24 hours, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of r = 0.9975 (p < 0.05) between CFU/mL and daily voltage. Biofilm analysis recovered eighteen bacterial isolates dominated by Bacillus spp. (72.2%), Proteus spp. (16.7%), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (5.6%), and Corynebacterium spp. (5.6%). These findings demonstrate that initial high-dose acetate loading accelerates electrogenic biofilm, amplifies power generation, and indigenous Bacillus-dominated communities from domestic wastewater are capable of sustained bioelectricity generation in low-cost dual-chamber systems.