Electrosynthesis of ferrate from iron waste and seawater salts as Antibacterials for water pollutant treatment

Abstract

The synthesis of ferrate from waste iron and seawater salt as antibacterial pollutants for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in water treatment has been successfully carried out. The synthesis phases comprised the preparation of NaOCl from saltwater, Fe(OH)3 synthesis from iron waste, and the electrosynthesis of ferrate. The successful synthesis was confirmed by XRD at 30.05°, 36.87°, 40.51°, and 75.30° as Na2FeO4 (JCPDS file: 890169), the functional groups of FeO42- at 779 and 879 cm−1 in the FTIR spectrum. Moreover, it was also confirmed by the dominance of Fe and O element content in XRF and SEM-EDX, as well as the stability and ability to produce hydroxide radicals in Fluorescence analysis. Furthermore, tests of the antibacterial effectiveness were carried out with variations in doses, time observation, and method variations (agar well, disc-diffusion, and turbidimetry) using comparison variables positive control (ampicillin) and negative control (distilled water). The test results showed antibacterial ability with the inhibitory zone category “very strong” and “strong” with 100 % inhibition against E. coli bacteria 5.954 x 108 CFU/mL and 4.723 x 108 CFU/mL S. aureus. This ability increases with the dose of ferrate addition and decreases with the observation time of inactivation. Bacterial inactivation occurs through oxidation and coagulation adsorption by reactive oxygen species (ROS). E. coli is more sensitive than S. aureus due to its thinner membrane structure, allowing more manageable penetration. This research is expected to overcome the problem of iron waste while turning it into something useful as an antibacterial treatment of pollutants in the aquatic environment.