Silver and zinc oxide nanoparticle disinfection in water treatment applications: synergy and water quality influences

The synergistic potential of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles for water disinfection was investigated herein. By causing cell death through membrane interactions, oxidative killing, and DNA deactivation, metallic nanoparticles may be integrated with point-of-use water treatment systems for applications in rural and remote geographies. Disinfection efficacy was evaluated in batch-phase experiments under both synthetic and real water conditions, where synthetic water was varied by pH and dissolved oxygen levels. Ceramic pot filters with comparative nanoparticle concentrations were also investigated. In all cases, combinations of silver and zinc nanoparticles resulted in improved disinfection in comparison to either metal in isolation. In batch experiments, dissolved oxygen proved to be particularly impactful, with kinetic rates reducing approximately 45% when in low oxygen environment (<3 mg/L) versus high oxygen (>8 mg/L). Log removal values (LRVs) were further, on average, 31% lower in real water than synthetic water after 300 min, though silver-zinc combinations were still superior to either metal alone. In filters, those impregnated with 67% silver and 33% zinc achieved average LRVs of 2.7 and 2.9 after 60 min of filtration and 24 h of storage, respectively, while those with only silver achieved average LRVs of 2.0 and 3.1 at those same times.

Automated summary

The study investigated the synergistic potential of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles for water disinfection, finding that their combination achieved better disinfection results compared to using each metal alone. Dissolved oxygen levels were found to have a significant impact on the disinfection efficacy, with the silver-zinc combinations showing an average of 31% lower log removal values (LRVs) in real water compared to synthetic water.