Olotu TM, Adegunloye DV and Ekundayo EK
Due to the rapid exhaustion of fossil fuel based energy sources which is continuously increasing in cost, there has been a significant shift of focus towards renewable technologies for many decades. Ability to generated power using double chamber microbial fuel cell of mud sediments from River Ogbese at various depths was investigated for 12 days. The depths were surface water, depth 0 cm, depth 50 cm, depth 100 cm, and depth 150 cm. Microbial population and identification were determined using standard microbiological techniques and physiochemical parameters of the sediments were also determined. Current, voltage and resistance were determined using a multimeter and readings were calculated for power and current density. Microbial population was more abundant at the upper depths than the lower depths of the sediments, bacterial population of the sediments ranged from 0.4 10 -6 to 2.3 10-5 (cfu/ml) and the fungal population ranged from 0.2 10-5 to 0.7 10-5 (sfu/ml). Fungi growth was not found at depth 100 cm and 150 cm. The observed readings ranged from 0.02 to 2.17 (mA), 27 to 800 (V), 0.0 to 0.24 (W), 18 to 4357 (Amps/m2) and 0.097 to 9.76 (Ω) respectively for current, voltage, power, current densities readings and resistance. Physiological analysis reveal that the various depths of the mud sediments have low pH, low organic carbon, low ionization potential, high conductivity, and high salinity. The ability for all the river sediments depth to generate power was established with high resistivity.