Antimicrobial activity and dye removal applications of polyalkyd/miswak biocomposite

Biosorbents are extremely effective for removing dyes and microbes from wastewater. This study aimed to synthesize a polyalkyd/miswak biocomposite (PAMC) and evaluate it in removing crystal violet dye and in treating wastewater collected from New Damietta city, Damietta, Egypt. PAMC was synthesized by coupling oxidized miswak, stearic acid, phthalic acid, and glycerol. It was characterized using FT-IR spectra, ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The removal of crystal violet (CV) dye, bacteria, and microalgae from wastewater using definite concentrations of PAMC was investigated. Dye removal on a biocomposite material involves several contributing forces and is not limited to acidic-basic sites interactions only. Also, the results revealed that PAMC at 140 µg/ml and 150 µg/ml was enough to cause a complete inhibition during the total bacterial count (TB) and total coliforms (TCs) studies, respectively, compared to tetracycline (180 µg/ml and 200 µg/ml). Concentrations higher than 2000 µg/ml of PAMC cause inhibiting algal growth. So, the results suggested that the PAMC could be used as a potential antialgal and antibacterial agent with high efficiency in removing the basic dyes from wastewater, owing to low cost, and eco-friendly advantages.