Abstract
The presence of ammonia pollution in surface water warrants a rigorous examination due to its tendency to surpass established regulatory thresholds, particularly in several global river systems. Numerous traditional techniques have been extensively used for the elimination of ammonia; nevertheless, their efficacy in ammonia removal is not deemed remarkable. The use of membrane technology is increasingly being employed to eliminate nitrogen compounds from water and wastewater. Nevertheless, it is crucial to acknowledge the limited body of literature pertaining to the use of nanomaterials to eradicate multiple pollutants. Specifically, there is a notable scarcity of studies investigating the simultaneous eradication of both bacteria and ammonium. This work included the fabrication of a PES-PVP flat sheet membrane that featured an adsorbent material, namely a silver (Ag) nanolayer. The objective was to investigate the effectiveness of this membrane in removing ammonia as well as its potential antifouling and antibacterial properties. The PES-PVP/Ag nanocomposite membrane underwent characterization by several spectroscopic and microscopic analytical techniques. We not only showed that the PES-PVP/Ag nanocomposite membrane has a superior 96% ammonia removal efficiency but also discussed the antibacterial mechanism against both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli in order to better understand the interaction of PES-PVP/Ag nanocomposite membrane with bacteria. Moreover, as compared to the PES-PVP membrane, the PES-PVP/Ag nanocomposite membrane exhibited enhanced antifouling capabilities. The PES-PVP/Ag nanocomposite membrane appears as a very promising method for the treatment of advanced antimicrobial or ammonia-contaminated water due to the ease of separation, plentiful availability, as well as the extremely strong antifouling and antibacterial activity displayed by the membrane.
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