AccScience Publishing / EER / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/EER025480081
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Water treatment using silver-iron-modified biochar for enhanced disinfection and sustainability

Chee Chung Wong1 ,  Yong Yee Chua1 ,  Peter Nai Yuh Yek1* ,  Chee Swee Wong1 ,  Tung Chuan Tiong1 ,  Yie Hua Tan2,3 ,  Rock Keey Liew4 ,  Shin Ying Foong5 ,  Su Shiung Lam5,6* ,  Ding Lu7
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1 Centre for Research of Innovation and Sustainable Development, School of Engineering and Technology, University of Technology Sarawak, Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia
2 Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Brunei, Gadong, Brunei Darussalam
3 Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Technology and Built Environment, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
4 Department of Psychiatry, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
5 Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
6 University Centre for Research and Development, Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab, India
7 School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Clean Coal Technology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
EER, 025480081 https://doi.org/10.36922/EER025480081
Received: 26 November 2025 | Revised: 19 January 2026 | Accepted: 26 January 2026 | Published online: 12 February 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

The contamination of water resources by pathogenic microorganisms remains a critical global challenge, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries. Conventional water treatment technologies, such as chlorination and filtration, often face drawbacks, including the formation of harmful byproducts and high operational costs. The increasing demand for efficient, sustainable, and scalable solutions necessitates the exploration of advanced materials for water disinfection. This study investigates the potential of silver-iron (Ag-Fe)-modified biochar as a photocatalyst under visible light to achieve high microbial inactivation. The material demonstrates dual functionality through the antibacterial effects of Ag and the photocatalytic activity of Fe, integrated within a renewable biochar. Elemental composition analysis shows that a composition of 4.3 wt% Ag and 30.0 wt% Fe enhances antimicrobial performance. Experimental results indicate bacterial inactivation under visible light conditions. Ag-Fe-modified biochar presents a potential alternative to conventional disinfection methods.

Keywords
Photocatalysis
Biochar
Water disinfection
Silver
Iron catalysis
Funding
The authors Tiong Tung Chuan and Peter Nai Yuh Yek would like to thank the University of Technology Sarawak for providing financial support under the UTS Internal Research Grant (UCTS/RESEARCH/<3/2023/02) to perform this project.
Conflict of interest
Su Shiung Lam is an Associate Editor of this journal, but was not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly. The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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