State orders halt to sale of Springfield sludge

http://www.centralmaine.com/news/stories/021025sludge_k.shtml

Taxpayers may face Statler paper sludge bill

http://www.centralmaine.com/news/stories/021005statler_.shtml

Food scraps to power bacteria-driven battery

Food scraps to power bacteria-driven battery
REUTERS


UK: October 11, 2002


LONDON - Food scraps once consigned to the compost
heap - or the dog - could soon be powering a cheap
bacteria-driven battery if British scientists have their way.



Researchers at the University of the West of England
(UWE) in Bristol have developed a microbial fuel cell about
the size of a mobile phone that could be powered by
organic household waste.

"Right now, their fuel cell runs only on sugar cubes, since
these produce almost no waste when broken down, but
they aim to move on to carrot power," New Scientist
magazine said this week.

Chris Melhuish and his team are using the cell to run a
small light-sensitive robot but they said when a series of
the cells are connected they could run domestic
appliances.

The bacteria-driven cell, which would cost about 10 pounds
($15), directly converts biochemical energy into electricity. It
uses E.coli bacteria to break down carbohydrates and
release hydrogen atoms.

"The cell also contains chemicals that drive a series of
redox, reduction and oxidation reactions, stripping
electrons from the hydrogen atoms and delivering them
steadily to the fuel cell's anode. This creates a voltage that
can be used to power a circuit," the magazine said.

Melhuish and his team said their organic battery can
produce eight times as much energy as other microbial
fuel cells.