Volume 62, Issue 341, May - August 2026

Crystallographic Analysis and Environmental Fate Modeling of Moringa Oleifera Seed-Derived Silver Nanoparticles for Water Purification Applications

Rufai Abdul^1♦, Amangabara GT¹, Umunnakwe Johnbosco¹, Duru Erasmus Ejike³, Izunobi LC¹, Nasir Adamu Umar¹, Ekweogu Chinonye Victoria¹, Acholonu CA¹, Joseph Isah Ruth², Baba Usman Ndagi⁴, Kasim Ismail Abdullahi⁵

¹Dept Environmental Management, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria
²Department of Chemistry, Federal university of Technology, owerri, Nigeria
³Dept. Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Federal university of Technology, owerri, Nigeria
⁴Dept. Petroleum Engineering. Federal university of Technology, owerri, Nigeria
⁵Dept. of Geography, Federal university Lafia, Nigeria

^♦Corresponding Author
Rufai Abdul, Dept Environmental Management, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This research proposes an integrated framework for crystallographic characterization and environmental fate modeling of the Ag-nanoparticles obtained from Moringa oleifera seed extract (Mo-AgNPs) to fill some key knowledge gaps in the responsible use of green nanotechnology for decentralized water treatment. The face centered cubic metallic silver was confirmed through X-ray diffraction analysis and the crystallite size was determined using the Scherrer formula, which was found to be 24.7 ± 3 nm and the crystallinity index was determined to be 92.4%, showing the superior crystalline quality. The Advection- Dispersion-Reaction equation, parameterized using hydrological data from Doma (Nasarawa State, Nigeria), showed evident seasonality dependency of the fate of nanoparticles. Under wet season conditions, dispersal occurred quickly and 5% was left undispersed after 200 days, while dry season conditions showed much more persistence with 60% remaining within 500 m of the source. Slow groundwater transport and moderate persistence were simulated. Bioaccumulation modeling for tilapia and benthic snails showed contrasting organism responses, with bioaccumulation factors of 57Lkg-1 for tilapia and 400Lkg-1 for snails, which would be considered "very bioaccumulative. The exposure estimates through fish consumption (0.03 mg/day) were higher than the WHO provisional tolerable daily intake, suggesting a potential public health problem for the communities with high consumption. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the dominant parameters influencing groundwater fate were degradation rate, and the critical ones for ecological risk assessment were bio-uptake. Based on these findings, evidence-based risk mitigation measures can be implemented, such as encapsulation, immobilization within filter matrices, management practices during the season and targeted ecological monitoring programs to help transition green nanotechnology from discovery in the lab to field-scale implementation with quantified risk and management.

Keywords: Silver nanoparticles, Moringa oleifera, crystallographic analysis, environmental fate modeling, bioaccumulation, risk assessment, water treatment

Discovery, 2026, 62, e21d3290

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Published: 30 July 2026