Performance of ZnO-Enhanced Pineapple-Derived Nanocellulose Nanofilter for Bacterial Reduction in River Water

M Rafly Aditya Sunoto; Alfi Nur Rusydi; Nico Rahman Caesar; Dewangga Paramanandana Raharjo; Muhamad Amin

Authors

M Rafly Aditya Sunoto Department of Aquatic Resources Management, Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia
Alfi Nur Rusydi Department of Aquatic Resources Management, Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7435-8038
Nico Rahman Caesar Department of Aquatic Resources Management, Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9859-4681
Dewangga Paramanandana Raharjo Department of Aquatic Resources Management, Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia
Muhamad Amin Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7633-8388

Keywords:

ZnO nanoparticles, pineapple-derived nanocellulose, nanofiltration, bacterial reduction, river water, Porong River

Abstract

The Porong River is a main river in Sidoarjo, Indonesia, which indicates pollution due to domestic wastewater discharge, industrial activities, and sediment transport associated with the Lapindo mudflow. The pollution leads to microbiological contamination, including pathogenic bacteria. This study aims to investigate the performance of a ZnO-enhanced cellulose-based nanofilter made from pineapple biowaste to reduce the abundance of bacteria in river water. The methods include fabrication of a nanofilter using nanocellulose derived from pineapple peel waste and reinforced with ZnO nanoparticles at concentrations of 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1%. Water samples were collected from three sampling stations along the river. Bacterial abundance was counted using the Total Plate Count method. Water quality, including temperature, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, pH, ammonia, nitrate, phosphate, CO₂, and total organic matter, was also analyzed. Results indicate that the water river detected the presence of Bacillus sp., Enterobacter sp., and Salmonella sp., with abundance ranging from (3.67–3.97) × 10³ CFU/mL. One-way analysis of variance indicates that water filtration using a ZnO-reinforced nanofilter significantly reduces bacterial concentrations (F = 10.21, p < 0.05, n = 3). The highest filtration effectiveness was observed at 0.25% ZnO, with an effectiveness of 52.89±11.93%. Increasing ZnO content reduces the effectiveness of the nanofilter, but Tukey analysis indicates that the effectiveness reduction is not different compared to optimal filtration after. It shows that a low concentration of ZnO can be applied to develop a nanofilter with better results. ZnO-enhanced nanofilters are a promising bio–nano-based material for sustainable water treatment and reducing bacterial contamination control in aquatic systems.

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