Reduction of pathogenic bacteria from irrigation water through a copper-loaded porous ceramic emitter

Xuefei He; Xufei Liu; Pute Wu; Lin Zhang; Wei Zhou; Qiang Zhang; Jiasen Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121776

Reduction of pathogenic bacteria from irrigation water through a copper-loaded porous ceramic emitter

Environ Pollut. 2023 Aug 1:330:121776. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121776. Epub 2023 May 5.

Authors

Xuefei He¹, Xufei Liu², Pute Wu³, Lin Zhang⁴, Wei Zhou⁵, Qiang Zhang⁶, Jiasen Zhang⁷

Affiliations

¹ College of Water Resources and Architecture Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, PR China. Electronic address: hexuefei@nwafu.edu.cn.
² College of Water Resources and Architecture Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, PR China. Electronic address: liuxufe370106@163.com.
³ College of Water Resources and Architecture Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, PR China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, PR China; Institute of Water Saving Agriculture in Arid Areas of China, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, PR China. Electronic address: gjzwpt@vip.sina.com.
⁴ Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, PR China; Institute of Water Saving Agriculture in Arid Areas of China, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, PR China. Electronic address: zl0211wy@163.com.
⁵ College of Water Resources and Architecture Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, PR China. Electronic address: 1351227292@qq.com.
⁶ College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, PR China. Electronic address: zhqiang001@nwsuaf.edu.cn.
⁷ College of Water Resources and Architecture Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, PR China. Electronic address: jason_zhang@nwafu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37149248
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121776

Abstract

The increasing pathogenic bacteria threat in irrigation water has become a worldwide concern, prompting efforts to discover a new cost-effective method for pathogenic bacteria eradication, different than those currently in use. In this study, a novel copper-loaded porous ceramic emitter (CPCE) was developed via molded sintering method to kill bacteria from irrigation water. The material performance and hydraulic properties of CPCE are discussed herein, and the antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcusaureus (S. aureus) was evaluated. The incremental copper content in CPCE improved flexural strength and pore size, which was conducive to enhancing CPCE discharge. Moreover, antibacterial tests showed that CPCE displayed efficient antimicrobial activity, killing 99.99% and more than 70% of S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. The results reveal that CPCE, with both irrigation and sterilization functions, can provide a low-cost and effective solution for bacterial removal from irrigation water.

Keywords: Antibacterial properties; Copper-loaded; Emitter discharge; Material properties; Porous ceramic emitter.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Ceramics
Copper* / pharmacology
Escherichia coli*
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Porosity
Staphylococcus aureus
Water

Substances

Copper
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Water