ELECTROPHORETIC INDUCTION OF NATIVE MICROBIAL BIOFILMS FOR EUTROPHIC WATER REMEDIATION AND PROSPECTIVE BIOELECTROCHEMICAL APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Microbial biofilms play an important role in pollutant degradation, nutrient cycling, and ecological stabilization within eutrophic aquatic environments. However, controlled and rapid biofilm establishment in engineered remediation systems remains a significant challenge. The present study investigates the electrophoretic induction of native microbial biofilms for eutrophic water remediation and explores its prospective relevance in bioelectrochemical applications. A low-cost electrophoretic chamber was employed to facilitate microbial migration, attachment, and biofilm formation on conductive electrode surfaces using native microbial consortia collected from eutrophic sediment samples. Synthetic eutrophic wastewater was prepared using organic and nutrient-enriched components to simulate polluted aquatic conditions. The experimental system was operated under a low-intensity electric field and compared with non-electrified control systems to evaluate the influence of electrophoretic conditions on microbial immobilization and pollutant degradation. Biofilm formation was assessed through planktonic colony-forming unit (CFU) enumeration and UV–visible spectrophotometric analysis, while pollutant degradation efficiency was evaluated using a permanganate consumption test as an indicator of oxidizable organic matter reduction. The electrophoretic system demonstrated enhanced microbial attachment, accelerated biofilm formation, and greater reduction in planktonic microbial populations compared to the control setup, indicating improved microbial immobilization on conductive vi surfaces. UV–visible analysis further confirmed increased biofilm-associated biomass under electrified conditions. Additionally, the experimental system exhibited improved degradation of organic pollutants, suggesting the potential applicability of electrophoretically induced microbial biofilms in sustainable eutrophic water remediation. Although direct electricity generation was not evaluated, the stable formation of biofilms on conductive electrodes highlights the prospective integration of the developed system with bioelectrochemical platforms such as microbial fuel cells for future energy recovery applications. Overall, the study presents a simple, cost-effective, and experimentally accessible approach for enhancing microbial biofilm development and pollutant degradation in eutrophic environments, thereby contributing toward sustainable environmental biotechnology and low-energy wastewater treatment strategies.