Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 22, 2026
05:50
Ameliorating Osteoarthritis in Mice Using Silver Nanoparticles
Published on: June 2, 2023
1.8K
Water disinfection using fixed bed reactors packed with silver nanoparticle immobilized glass capillary tubes
Sharda Bharti1, Soumyo Mukherji2, Suparna Mukherji1
1Environmental Science and Engineering Department, IIT Bombay, Mumbai 400 076, India.
The Science of the Total Environment
|July 8, 2019
Summary
This study developed a point-of-use (POU) water disinfection device using immobilized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in a fixed bed reactor. The device effectively disinfected water in continuous flow, showing minimal silver leaching and good performance across various conditions.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Point-of-use (POU) water disinfection is crucial for public health.
- Developing effective and robust disinfection methods is an ongoing challenge.
- Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) show promise as antimicrobial agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a robust POU water disinfection device using immobilized AgNPs.
- To evaluate the disinfection performance in a continuous flow-through mode.
- To investigate the influence of operational parameters on disinfection efficiency and silver leaching.
Main Methods:
- Immobilization of citrate-stabilized AgNPs onto functionalized glass capillary tubes.
- Construction and operation of a fixed bed reactor (FBR) for water disinfection.
- Evaluation of parameters including flow rate, bacterial concentration, and bed volume.
- Analysis of silver leaching and reactor hydrodynamics using tracer studies and modeling.
Main Results:
- The device demonstrated effective water disinfection, treating up to 5172 bed volumes.
- Disinfection performance improved with increased flow rate and empty bed contact time (EBCT).
- Minimal silver leaching (<100 μg/l) was observed, indicating device stability.
- The Plug Flow Reactor with Dispersion (PFDR) model accurately described the reactor's hydrodynamics.
Conclusions:
- The developed AgNP-immobilized FBR is a promising technology for POU water disinfection.
- The device offers a robust and efficient solution with minimal environmental impact due to low silver leaching.
- Operational parameters significantly influence antibacterial material exhaustion rate (AER), requiring optimization for sustained performance.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Capillary Beds
6.6K
Capillary beds are networks of tiny blood vessels that play a crucial role in the circulatory system. These beds are where the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste products occurs between the blood and surrounding tissues. Each capillary bed consists of numerous capillaries, which are the smallest blood vessels in the body, typically only one cell-thick. This thinness allows for the efficient diffusion of substances.
Capillaries connect arterioles, small branches of arteries, to venules,...
Capillaries connect arterioles, small branches of arteries, to venules,...
6.6K
01:18Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube
3.2K
When very thin cylindrical tubes, called capillaries, are dipped in a liquid, the liquid rises or falls in the tube compared to the surrounding liquid. This phenomenon is called capillary action. Capillary action occurs due to the combination of two opposing forces: the cohesive forces of the liquid, which cause it to stick to itself and form a rounded shape, and the adhesive forces between the liquid and the walls of the container, which cause the liquid to be attracted to the container walls.
3.2K
02:57Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity
33.0K
Surface Tension
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
33.0K
01:30Cleaning, Sterilization, and Disinfection
9.7K
Cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization are the methods that help to break the infection chain and prevent disease.
Cleaning
The cleaning process usually involves using water with detergents or enzymatic cleaner and removing foreign material from objects and surfaces, including organic material such as body fluids or inorganic material like soil. Cleaning is performed before high-level disinfection and sterilization because foreign materials on the cover of the devices interfere with process...
Cleaning
The cleaning process usually involves using water with detergents or enzymatic cleaner and removing foreign material from objects and surfaces, including organic material such as body fluids or inorganic material like soil. Cleaning is performed before high-level disinfection and sterilization because foreign materials on the cover of the devices interfere with process...
9.7K
01:28The Looking Glass Self
304
The concept of the looking-glass self describes how an individual's self-concept is shaped by their perception of how others see them. This psychological theory, first introduced by sociologist Charles Horton Cooley in 1902, posits that self-identity emerges in a social context and is influenced by the judgments—real or imagined—of others.Research suggests that individuals frequently overestimate how positively others perceive them. This is particularly evident in physical...
304
01:06Fixed Action Patterns
17.5K
A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.
17.5K