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Biosafety, Optimization, and Application of Bioflocculant-Synthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

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Abstract

Biosynthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles using natural products seems to be an interesting research to study in nanotechnology, as they (ZnO nanoparticles) are biocompatible and stable in nature, owing to their wide applications industrially. In this study, the bioflocculant-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles were used in the removal of various pollutants and dyes from wastewater and solutions. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized using a bioflocculant from two bacteria and assessed for flocculation and antimicrobial activity properties. Cytotoxicity effects of the ZnO nanoparticles were also evaluated using human embryonic kidney (HEK 293) and breast cancer (MFC 7) cell lines. Biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles were characterized using different spectroscopic and microscopic methods. An optimum flocculating activity (88%) was obtained with 0.2 mg/mL ZnO nanoparticles concentration at pH 3 and LiCl as a stimulating agent. Biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles are thermally stable with 75% flocculating activity retained at 100 °C and 71% after autoclaved (121 °C for 15 min). The as-synthesized nanoparticles showed significant cytotoxic effects in HEK 293 and MFC 7 cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner. Biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles revealed strong antimicrobial potential on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria tested. The nanoparticles exhibited dye removal efficiency greater than 89% of all tested dyes. ZnO nanoparticles showed great removal efficiencies of various pollutants in wastewater. Biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles have great potential to remove both biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) compared to traditional flocculants. Therefore, as-synthesized ZnO nanoparticles have prospective to replace chemical flocculants in the purification of industrial wastewater.

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The authors declare that all relevant data supporting the findings of the study are available within the article.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for their support in doing SEM-EDX analysis to characterize the nanoparticles.

Funding

Zuzingcebo G. Ntombela received funding the study from the University of Zululand for in the form of Employee study benefits and the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology. Rajasekhar Pullabhotla received financial support from the National Research Foundation (NRF, South Africa) in the form of the Incentive Fund Grant (Grant No: 103691) and Research Developmental Grant for Rated Researchers (112145).

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  1. Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, University of Zululand, P/Bag X 1001, KwaDlangezwa, 3886, South Africa

    Zuzingcebo Goldern Ntombela & Albertus Kotze Basson

  2. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, University of Zululand, P/Bag X 1001, KwaDlangezwa, 3886, South Africa

    Viswanadha Srirama Rajasekhar Pullabhotla

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  1. Zuzingcebo Goldern Ntombela
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Conceptualization: BAK and PVSR; formal analysis: NZG and PVSR; investigation: NZG, supervision: BAK and PVSR; writing – original draft: NZG; writing – review and editing: PVSR and BAK.

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Correspondence to Viswanadha Srirama Rajasekhar Pullabhotla.

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Ntombela, Z.G., Pullabhotla, V.S.R. & Basson, A.K. Biosafety, Optimization, and Application of Bioflocculant-Synthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles. BioNanoSci. 12, 1289–1304 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12668-022-01017-6

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