Wastewater treatment by a polymeric bioflocculant and iron nanoparticles synthesized from a bioflocculant

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dc.contributor.authorBasson, Albertus K.
dc.contributor.authorPullabhotla, Viswanadha
dc.contributor.authorDlamini, Nkosinathi Goodman
dc.coverageBasel, Switzerland
dc.coverage.conferenceissn
dc.date.accessioned2026-03-09T13:12:34Z
dc.date.available2026-03-09T13:12:34Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.departmentNameBiochemistry and Microbiology
dc.description.abstractWastewater remains a global challenge. Various methods have been used in wastewater treatment, including flocculation. The aim of this study was to synthesize iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) using a polymeric bioflocculant and to evaluate its efficacy in the removal of pollutants in wastewater. A comparison between the efficiencies of the bioflocculant and iron nanoparticles was investigated. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX) and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy were used to characterize the material. SEM-EDX analysis revealed the presence of elements such as O and C that were abundant in both samples, while FT-IR studies showed the presence of functional groups such as hydroxyl (–OH) and amine (–NH2). Fe nanoparticles showed the best flocculation activity (FA) at 0.4 mg/mL dosage as opposed to that of the bioflocculant, which displayed the highest flocculation activity at 0.8 mg/mL, and both samples were found to be cation-dependent. When evaluated for heat stability and pH stability, FeNPs were found thermostable with 86% FA at 100 ◦C, while an alkaline pH of 11 favored FA with 93%. The bioflocculant flocculated poorly at high temperature and was found effective mostly at a pH of 7 with over 90% FA. FeNPs effectively removed BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) and COD (chemical oxygen demand) in all two wastewater samples from coal mine water and Mzingazi River water. Cytotoxicity results showed both FeNPs and the bioflocculant as nontoxic at concentrations up to 50 µL.
dc.facultyFaculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering
dc.identifier.citationDlamini, N.G., Basson, A.K. and Pullabhotla, R.V. 2020. Wastewater treatment by a polymeric bioflocculant and iron nanoparticles synthesized from a bioflocculant. Polymers, 12(7), pp.1-14.
dc.identifier.issn2073-4360
dc.identifier.otherhttps:// doi:10.3390/polym12071618
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10530/58931
dc.inproceedingsissn
dc.issuenumber12 / 7
dc.keynoteissn
dc.language.isoen
dc.pages1 - 14
dc.peerreviewedYes
dc.publisherMDPI
dc.subjectBiosafety
dc.subjectFlocculation
dc.subjectRemoval efficiency
dc.subjectWastewater
dc.titleWastewater treatment by a polymeric bioflocculant and iron nanoparticles synthesized from a bioflocculant
dc.title.journalPolymers
dc.typeJournal Article
dspace.entity.typePublication
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