Study of the bactericidal properties of ZnO/Ag0 nanoparticles in the treatment of raw sewage effluents

In this work, the antimicrobial treatment of raw sewage effluents (RSE) of residences was studied. For this, the RSE was collected from a treatment plant and the antimicrobial activity was evaluated using Ag⁰ decorated ZnO nanoparticles. ZnO/Ag⁰ nanoparticles were synthesized by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method and sonochemical method. The effect of ZnO/Ag⁰ nanoparticles was evaluated by varying the concentration of the catalyst to the RSE, varying the amount of silver, and varying the contact time of the catalyst with the RSE, to optimize the process. The ZnO/Ag⁰ nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, surface area using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller methodology, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that the particles synthesized by the association of sonochemical and hydrothermal methods provide a better antimicrobial result against all tested bacteria. The results obtained in this manuscript indicate an alternative methodology in the removal of 99% of the bacteria from tailings from a real sewer, showing its applicability in the treatment for later consumption.