Anti-Microbial Efficacy Of Fe-TiO₂ Nano-Particle Application In Conventional Water Disinfection And Purification Strategy

Abstract

Waterborne diseases pose a significant global health challenge due to antimicrobial resistance, climate change, inadequate water sanitation, and emerging pathogens, further exacerbated by pollution from industrial and agricultural sources.Photocatalysis presents an advanced and promising strategy for water disinfection by using simultaneous oxidation and reduction reactions. Iron-doped titanium dioxide (Fe-TiO₂) nanoparticles enhance photo-catalytic efficiency, facilitating the degradation of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The Fe-TiO₂ nano-particles were synthesized via the co-precipitation method. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD),Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The experimental procedure involved coating Fe-TiO₂ nanoparticles onto the inner surface of the mud pot, which was subsequently filled with water. The water samples were tested using the Most Probable Number (MPN) method in the first experiment. In the second experiment, the aforementioned microbial strains were inoculated to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of the Fe-TiO₂ in disintegrating Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Salmonella typhi (S. typhi). The results consistently demonstrated that Fe-TiO₂ nanoparticles exhibit significant antimicrobial activity, effectively inactivating the tested microorganisms within a specific time frame. These findings suggest the potential application of Fe-TiO₂ nanoparticles in conventional water disinfection systems. This work contributes to the cost-effective development of mud pots that have anti-microbial properties and can be effectively used in conventionalcommunity-oriented practices.