Comparison of Microbial Desalination Cells With Conventional Desalination Technologies in Terms of Energy and Emission of Greenhouse Gases

The demands of energy in the world continue to accelerate and this triggers the global energy crisis and environmental pollution# the reliance on fossil fuels (oil and gas) is unsustainable because of its finite, depleting supplies and impact on environment# as a result researchers are focusing on alternative, renewable and carbon neutral energy sources which are necessary for environmental and economic sustainability# microbial desalination cells (mdcs) is a promising technology to produce clean electricity as an energy source from wastewater (organic wastes) or from biomass of microalgae bio-cathode, along with removal of salts from saline waters in an environmental friendly manner# oxygen is also generated as an electron acceptor in bio-cathode# this paper is aimed to compare the microbial desalination cells with conventional desalination technologies in terms of energy and greenhouse gases emission# therefore using the mdc for desalination is more effective and less energetic method in comparison to other desalination methods# it also not only has the lowest co2 emission but also can be used as a carbon capture method by using microalgae bio-cathode#