In a new process being developed by Bruce Logan, Penn State's Kappe professor of environmental engineering, wastewater -- also known as sewage -- is purified using microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology, which can create electricity. If an extra amount of electricity is added to the process, hydrogen is created.

In the MFC process to make electricity, bacteria consume the organic matter in wastewater, Logan said. Electrons are then released to create a current flow that creates electricity. "It's like a battery, but it continuously goes," Logan said.

The wastewater is "purified" and turned into electricity, which Logan said could be used for anything, even to be put back into wastewater treatment.

"The idea has been around for decades," he said. "People have known that bacteria can do this. Until recently it was thought you had to add special chemicals to get this reaction. We recently discovered you don't have to."

Logan said that he has been working on this type of research for five years, testing it in his lab with solutions he concocted using vinegar and water.

Recently, Logan's team began preliminary testing on the wastewater from the American Eagle Paper Mills in Tyrone.

"They just started testing on it," said John Ferner, president of the mill. "They have to determine if it's feasible to put a pilot program in place in the mill. Once they finish the testing, we'll be doing it on site."

A major cost to the mill is in material that has biological oxygen demand (BOD), such as wastewater, Ferner said.

The mill is limited in how much wastewater they can send to a sewage treatment facility, which holds back the growth of the company, he said.

"We are also restricted as far as how much production increases we can have, because that would create more BOD," Ferner said. "Basically, it would be economically beneficial for us to take care of that BOD."

If the MFC technology is used at the mill, the mill will be able to purify its own wastewater and turn it into electricity to use, Logan said.

Logan added that they have no results yet from the preliminary testing, but said it looks promising so far.

Another process Logan's team is developing involves turning the MFC into hydrogen, which can also be used as an energy source.

The previous method of separating water into hydrogen and oxygen is called electrolysis. The new method is called bioelectrochemically-assisted microbial reactor (BEAMR), Logan said, and it was suggested by Stephen Grot, a Penn State alumnus and founder and president of Ion Power Inc.

Grot did not respond to numerous calls for an interview.

In the BEAMR process, more energy is added in to MFC, producing hydrogen gas and also cleaning the wastewater, Logan said.

He added that the hydrogen production is "extremely" energy-efficient.

"We get out hydrogen gas at one-tenth the energy needed to electrolyze water," Logan said.

The created hydrogen can be used as a fuel cell or as a gas and is even able to be burned in a car, Logan said. "Energy is one of the greatest challenges as a planet," Logan said. "How we make energy is the greatest environmental challenge."