Zinc-doped borate bioactive glasses: antibacterial efficacy and environmental application

Abstract

Reusing of the treated sewage wastewater is addressed as a significant alternative water source in the new water management strategies of Middle Eastern countries and other countries facing water resource shortages. By using the traditional melt-quenching procedure, borate bioactive glasses (BBAGs) doped with varying amounts of zinc oxide (ZnO) (ZnXs) were created. The used composition was (75-X) B2O3, 10 Na2O, 5 P2O5, 10 Li2O and X ZnO (i.e., X = 0, 5, 10, 15, and 25 mol%). Several analytical methods for energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to characterise the prepared Zn5. The prepared ZnXs showed antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Escherichia coli strains. Also, the prepared Zn5 showed in vitro antibacterial activity in a wastewater sample from Mansoura wastewater treatment plant in Dakahlia, Egypt. Finally, the incorporation of Zinc (Zn5) enhanced the antibacterial effect of the prepared BBAGs sample on bacteria from a sewage wastewater sample. The research results discussed the possible environmental applies of Zn-doped borate bioactive glasses.