Biocidal Nano-Silver Reinforced Activated Charcoal in Water Treatment

<div><p>Improvements in nanotechnology make eco-friendly and cost-effective solutions to the drinking water contamination problem feasible. Activated charcoal, which is widely used for water purification, can be more effectively employed when reinforced with nanoparticles. For antimicrobial water treatment activated charcoal can be reinforced with silver nanoparticles (SNPs) for best results. Among various methods for the synthesis of nanoparticles, green synthesis mediated by phytoconstituents is preferable, as it is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Here we report a green method for synthesizing SNPs from musk melon fruit extract and activated charcoal from coconut shells. The prepared activated charcoal was reinforced with the green-synthesized SNPs and used in microbial water filtration. The efficiency of nanosilver reinforced activated charcoal was higher than virgin activated charcoal proving improved filtration against microbes after successful reinforcement.</p></div

Green synthesis of biocidal silver-activated charcoal nanocomposite for disinfecting water

<div><p>We report for the first time the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using West Indian cherry (<i>Malpighia emarginata</i>) extract known for its high vitamin C content. UV–visible spectroscopy, powder X ray diffraction (PXRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis were used to characterise silver nanoparticles. Silver nanoparticles thus synthesised exhibit antimicrobial activity against gram-negative bacteria such as <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, <i>Escherichia coli</i>, and gram-positive bacteria such as <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>. The antimicrobial property of nanoparticles thus synthesised was applied in the production of silver-activated charcoal nanocomposite towards fabrication of antimicrobial water filtration columns. The microbial filtration efficiency of the nanocomposite was found to be higher compared to virgin activated charcoal even with reusage.</p></div