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Integrated Analytical Characterization of Mineral Nanoparticles Isolated from Baktar Hot Spring Water and Their Antibacterial Performance

Document Type : Full research article

Authors

1 Kharazmi Exceptional Talents School, Sonqor Koliaei Education District, Songor, Kermanshah, Iran

2 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Ayatollah Boroujerdi University

10.30473/ijac.2026.78061.1346

Abstract

Hot springs are natural geothermal systems enriched with dissolved minerals and nano/micro-sized particles that may contribute to their traditional therapeutic properties. In the present study, mineral nanoparticles (MNPs) were isolated for the first time from the Baktar hot spring located in western Iran, and their physicochemical characteristics as well as antibacterial activity were investigated. Structural analyses using FTIR, XRD, XRF, ICP-MS, and TGA revealed that the particles mainly consist of silicate- and metal oxide-based minerals containing high levels of SiO2 (54.07%), Al2O3 (15.2%), CaO (7.19%), and Fe2O3 (5.45%). ICP-MS analysis also demonstrated the presence of several trace and heavy metals, including Sr (685.9 ppm), V (139 ppm), Cr (105 ppm), Zn (85 ppm), and Cu (63 ppm). XRD analysis estimated an average crystallite size of approximately 49.7 nm. The antibacterial activities of heated and unheated MNPs were evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays. The inhibition zone diameter for unheated MNPs reached 19.0 ± 0.50 mm against P. aeruginosa, whereas lower activity was observed against S. aureus (9.32 ± 0.15 mm). Both heated and unheated particles exhibited an identical minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 150 μg/mL. The results suggest that naturally occurring mineral nanoparticles isolated from the Baktar hot spring possess promising antibacterial properties, supporting the potential role of geothermal mineral systems in balneotherapy and biomedical applications. This study represents the first comprehensive analytical investigation of naturally occurring mineral nanoparticles isolated from the Baktar hot spring and provides new insights into the relationship between their elemental composition, physicochemical characteristics, and antibacterial properties.

Keywords

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Iranian Journal of Analytical Chemistry
Volume 12, Issue 2 - Serial Number 24
September 2025
Pages 120-133
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