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• Oxide debris (OD) was stripped from graphene oxide (GO) under alkaline conditions. • The adsorption capacity of GO for Pb(II) decreased following OD removal. • Pb(II) adsorbed to spent GO was released into water due to the detachment of OD. • Released Pb(II) readily dispersed in water in the form of OD-Pb(II), even at pH 8.3. The application of graphene oxide (GO) and its derivatives as adsorbents to remove heavy metal contaminants from industrial wastewaters has attracted increasing attention worldwide. Here, we investigated the role of oxidative debris (OD) on GO surfaces in the adsorption of Pb(II) under natural conditions. OD attached to GO surfaces can be removed under alkaline conditions, and plays a critical role in the adsorption of Pb(II) by GO. Specifically, the maximum adsorption capacity of Pb(II) on GO decreased from 926.50 to 357.64 mg·g−1 after OD removal. Under simulated natural alkaline groundwater conditions, some adsorbed Pb(II) was released with OD that was stripped from spent GO adsorbents (i.e., GO-Pb(II)). Further, batch experiments indicated that 1.30−1.43% of adsorbed Pb(II) could stably disperse in water as dissolved PbCO 3 and OD-Pb(II) complexes, at a pH of ~8.3. The stripping and dissociation of OD under alkaline conditions promoted the mobility of Pb(II) on GO adsorbents. This study enhances our understanding of heavy metal transport in natural alkaline groundwater environments that contain GO particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular electron transfer (EET) is a governing factor for the electrochemical performance of a bioelectrochemical system (BES) such as the microbial fuel cell (MFC). Herein, an in situ method to fabricate a bio-reduced graphene oxide (GO) (br-GO) modified carbon felt electrode to increase EET was developed. GO (0.5 mg mL−1) was spiked into the anode chamber in a three-electrode BES and was transformed to br-GO with a self-assembled three-dimensional (3D) structure. The response of the br-GO modified electrode potential to the attached population of Shewanella putrefaciens increased from 0.071 V to 0.517 V (vs Ag/AgCl). Meanwhile, br-GO modification resulted a significant enhancement in the total amount of extracellular electrons transferred between the modified electrode and microbe. The process of br-GO modification lowered the charge transfer resistance of the electrode and enhanced the EET. The modified electrode was further employed as an anode in the MFC, and consequently, the power density of the MFC was significantly enhanced. The current study not only gives a simple and effective way for improving the EET with br-GO fabrication, but also provides a strategy to enhance the power density of the MFC. Unlabelled Image • Carbon felt (CF) was modified by the in situ formed bio-reduced GO (br-GO). • EET between CF/br-GO electrode and microbes was significantly enhanced. • A poised positive potential decreased the electrochemical activity of CF/br-GO. • CF/br-GO electrode as the anode significantly enhanced the performance of MFC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]