Nanotechnology are fast advancing and currently became more effective than the conventional technologies used in water treatment that offers safe opportunities for using unconventional water supply sources. Fungi are more versatile in growth and metal tolerance in contrast to bacterial population. This work aims to demonstrate the extracellular synthesis of silver nanoparticle by using two filamentous fungi Penciillium Citreonigum Dierck and Scopulaniopsos brumptii Salvanet-Duval isolated from Lake Burullus, examine the biosynthesized nano-silver particles by UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The functional group of protein molecules surrounding AgNPs was identified using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. Check the antibacterial activity of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles at two concentrations (550.7 and 676.9 mg/l) and interact it with bacteria for different durations (15, 60 and 120 min). Polyurethane foam was used as silver carrier and nano-silver solution for the removal of pathogenic bacteria in polluted water. The synthesized AgNPs showed an excellent antibacterial property on gram positive and gram negative bacterial strains.

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Malachite green used in textile and dyeing industries is a common persistent pollutant in wastewater and the environment causing major hazards to human health and aquatic organisms. In this study, the response surface methodology was applied to optimize the adsorptive removal of malachite green using nano-bentonite, MgO-impregnated clay, and Mucor sp. composites. The nano materials and Mucor sp. composite were characterized by FTIR, SEM and X-ray diffractometry. According to the obtained results, nano-bentonite exhibits a maximum MG adsorption efficiency of 98.6% at 35 °C, pH 7.0, 60 min contact time, 1.0 g/L adsorbent dosage, and 50 mg/L initial MG concentration. On the other hand, the maximum efficiency for MG adsorption on MgO-impregnated clay of 97.04% is observed at pH 9.0, 60 min contact time, 0.7 g/L adsorbent dosage, and 50 mg/L initial MG concentration. The Malachite green (MG) adsorption isotherm on MgO-impregnated clay corresponded with the Freundlich isotherm, with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.982. However, the Langmuir adsorption isotherm was a superior fit for nano-bentonite (R2 = 0.992). The adsorption activities of nano-bentonite and MgO-impregnated clay were fitted into a pseudo-second-order kinetic model with R2 of 0.996 and 0.995, respectively. Additionally, despite being recycled numerous times, the adsorbent maintained its high structural stability and removal effectiveness for nano-bentonite (94.5–86%) and MgO-impregnated clay (92–83%).

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