Progress in plant-based bioelectrochemical systems and their connection with sustainable development goals

Abstract

Living organisms' energy conversion is considered as an essential and sustainable green energy source and future bio-hybrid technologies. Recently, plants were used after harvesting as biomass in bio-fermentation as an energy source. In bio-electrochemical systems, microorganisms work with plants to generate electricity, hydrogen, or methane. This work discusses the simultaneous pollutant removal and electricity generation in plant-based bio-electrochemical systems (P-BES). Factors affecting the P-BES performance and the removal efficiencies of the different organic and inorganic pollutants were illustrated. Furthermore, the plant-based bioelectrochemical systems' role in achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) was discussed. The SDGs contribution of plant-based bioelectrochemical systems were presented and discussed to evaluate such systems' ability to achieve the three pillars of sustainable development, i.e., economic, environmental, and social.