Role of Biosynthesized Silver Nanoparticles with Trigonella foenum-graecum Seeds in Wastewater Treatment
Abstract: As the human population continues to escalate, its requirement for clean water is also
increasing. This has resulted in an increased dependency on wastewater effluent to maintain the base
flow of urban streams, especially in water-stressed regions. The present study reports the synthesis
of AgNPs with green credentials using an aqueous extract of Trigonella foenum-graecum seeds. The
observance of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) with UV–Vis spectrophotometry confirmed the
presence of spherical/oblong particles with a mean diameter of 43.8 nm and low polydispersity
index (PDI) of 0.391 measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and DLS (dynamic
light scattering) technique, respectively. The elemental map of AgNPs was demonstrated with
energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and the constituent functional groups were identified by
the FTIR spectra, which were similar to the bulk seed extract with a slight shift in the pattern.
The emission spectrum of nanoparticles was recorded for the excitation wavelength of 349 using
fluorescence microscopy and the crystalline structure was assessed using X-ray diffraction. The
potential wastewater remedial efficacy of the synthesized AgNPs was evaluated based on the water
quality parameters (pH, EC, BOD, COD) of the sewage effluent collected from a local Sewage
Treatment Plant (STP). Furthermore, the photo degradative efficacy was investigated using the
degradation percentage of Crystal Violet (CV) dye, which was recorded as 94.5% after 20 min.
In addition, the antimicrobial activity of the NPs versus bulk seed extract was assessed against
two bacterial strains, Escheria coli and Staphylococcus aureus, using the disc diffusion method. The
AgNPs showed a profound modulatory effect on the water quality parameters, coupled with marked
antimicrobial and photodegradative activity. Thus, the biogenically synthesized AgNPs offer a
prospective potential for use in wastewater remediation strategies
Abstract: As the human population continues to escalate, its requirement for clean water is also
increasing. This has resulted in an increased dependency on wastewater effluent to maintain…