Elsevier

Materials Letters

Volume 311, 15 March 2022, 131636
Materials Letters

Water disinfection with geopolymer–bentonite composite foam containing silver nanoparticles

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2021.131636Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Highlights

  • Water disinfection with geopolymer composite foam is reported for the first time.

  • Geopolymer and Ag0-bentonite formed the matrix and dispersed phases, respectively.

  • Disinfection efficiency against E. coli and enterococci was promising for ∼1 d.

  • Leaching of Na, Al, Si, Ag, and pH remained within drinking water guideline values.

Abstract

Geopolymers resemble conventional ceramics but can be manufactured at near-ambient temperatures. In this work, geopolymer–bentonite composite foam with silver nanoparticles was prepared and applied for water disinfection, inspired by point-of-use ceramic water filters. The inactivation efficiency against Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci bacteria was found to be promising (0.6–2.4 and 0.3–1.4 log10 reductions, respectively) for ∼1 d. However, the inactivation efficiency against somatic coliphage viruses was poor (<0.05 log10). The geopolymer matrix did not alter the chemical water quality. Thus, the pH and the concentrations of Ag, Si, Al, and Na remained in compliance with drinking water guideline values, and the foam showed no physical disintegration. These results provide preliminary proof of concept of the suitability of geopolymer foam composites for point-of-use water disinfection.

Keywords

Disinfection
Drinking water
Geopolymer
Silver nanoparticles

Cited by (0)