Biodegradation of cellulose in electric field-assisted biodegradation process: role of low-voltage electric field.

The decomposition of cellulose plays a critical role in composting agricultural wastes. In this study, the electric field-assisted biodegradation (EAB) process was employed to degrade cellulose. To assess the effect of the electric field, we examined the physicochemical properties of cellulose and the physiological state of microorganisms. The results showed that the degradation rate of cellulose in EAB was significantly higher than that in the biodegradation process alone. Specifically, the degradation rate of cellulose increased with increasing electric field intensity, with a 2.57-fold increase observed after 24 h when the electric field intensity was 2 V/cm. Compared to the biodegradation process, EAB resulted in a greater reduction in cellulose crystallinity. The cellulose surface became rougher and more wrinkled in EAB, which facilitated bacterial adherence. Furthermore, when an external electric field with an intensity of 2 V/cm was applied, the microbial ATP activity showed a 6-fold increase compared to that without any external electric field. This implies that the microbial metabolic activity could be enhanced by utilizing a low voltage external electric field. Additionally, the electric field was observed to increase the permeability of the bacterial cell membrane by 5%27%, which can facilitate the transportation of substances into the cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]