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Water purification is an important problem confronting our generation at a global level and justifying the effort to develop appropriate filtration technologies. A team of students: one student from Brazil Scientific Mobility Program (BSMP) and three other students from Mercer University (working under “Research that Reaches Out” program) investigated the antibacterial effects of different metallic nanoparticles deposited on microsize pores filtration materials. Students analyzed the technical variables associated with the problem: deposition techniques, filtering materials, flow rates, testing procedures and antibacterial properties of nanoparticles. Different types of filtering materials were selected and deposited with metallic nanoparticles using the DC High Vacuum Magnetron Sputtering System. The testing media containing the bacterial samples was the water collected from different local water resources (e.g. lakes and rivers). The structures consisting of filtering material deposited with nanometallic particles were tested for their antibacterial effect. The deactivation rates for fecal coliform and Escherichia coli were measured with varying metallic compositions and thicknesses using standardized techniques. The research helped students understanding the associated environmental problems, becoming familiarized with international standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater and offered exposure and “hands on” activity working with different equipment, e.g.: DC Magnetron Sputtering for nanoparticle deposition, surface profilometry for coating thickness evaluation, and optical microscopy for surface morphology evaluations.
Author(s):
Dorina Mihut
Mercer University
United States
Laura Lackey
Mercer University
United States
Stephen Hill
Mercer Univesity
United States
Khang Le
Mercer University
United States
Ronaldo Trento
Mercer University
United States
Elizabeth Oliver
Mercer University
United States
Paul Harpe
Mercer University
United States