Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by chemical reduction of Ag⁺ ions (from silver nitrate AgNO₃), using aqueous or ethanolic Aloe vera extracts as reducing, stabilizing, and size control agent. The nanoparticles’ sizes were between 2 and 7 nm for ethanolic extract and between 3 and 14 nm for aqueous extract, as measured by High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM). The antibacterial activity against a mesophilic microorganism, Kocuria varians, a Gram-positive coccus, was measured by counting bacterial colonies in agar plate for both extracts. We found that 4% effective concentration is the lowest concentration that completely inhibited visible growth. Mercury removal was investigated by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) measurements, where it was shown that it is not necessary to use high concentrations of nanoparticles for effective removal of mercury inasmuch as with a 20% V/V concentration of both extracts; the Hg(II) removal percentage was above 95%. These results show that the mercury remaining unremoved from the different essays is below the level allowed by World Health Organization (WHO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Mercury is one of the persistent pollutants in wastewater; it is becoming a severe environmental and public health problem, this is why nowadays its removal is an obligation. Iron oxide nanoparticles are receiving much attention due to their properties, such as: great biocompatibility, ease of separation, high relation of surface-area to volume, surface modifiability, reusability, excellent magnetic properties and relative low cost. In this experiment, Fe 3 O 4 and γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles were synthesized using iron salts and NaOH as precipitation agents, and Aloe Vera as stabilizing agent; then these nanoparticles were characterized by three different measurements: first, using a Zetasizer Nano ZS for their size estimation, secondly UV-visible spectroscopy which showed the existence of resonance of plasmon at λ max ~360 nm, and lastly by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to determine nanoparticles form. The results of this characterization showed that the obtained Iron oxides nanoparticles have a narrow size distribution (∼100nm). Mercury removal of 70% approximately was confirmed by atomic absorption spectroscopy measurements.