Hybrid Chitosan–Silver Nanoparticles Enzymatically Embedded on Cork Filter Material for Water Disinfection

Microbial contamination remains a major challenge in drinking water supplies in developing regions, despite the continuous advances being made in water purification processes. The spread and transmission of pathogens due to consuming unsafe water culminate in waterborne diseases and increased number of deaths worldwide. Recently, the application of nanotechnology for water purification, and in particular the use of antibacterial nanoparticles (NPs) to control microbial contaminations, has received considerable interest. In this study, antibacterial chitosan–silver nanoparticles (CS/AgNPs) were enzymatically grafted on cork matrixes to design a water purification point-of-use device. The antibacterial efficiency of the constructed filtering system was further evaluated against water severely contaminated with Escherichia coli (∼107 CFU/mL). The system was tested in two operating filtration modes with varied water residence times. The antibacterial nanocomposite decreased the water bacterial contamination b...