Advanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants Using Green Tea-Based ZnO Nanomaterials Under Simulated Solar Irradiation in Agri-Food Wastewater

The increasing presence of various organics poses significant threats to aquatic ecosystems and living organisms. Conventional water treatment methods are often insufficient, necessitating the development of powerful and sustainable alternatives. This study addresses this challenge by exploring the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using green tea leaves extract-an eco-friendly approach-for the sunlight-activated removal of organics in agri-food wastewater. The research examined different conditions for the removal of clomazone (CLO), tembotrione (TEM), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and zearalenone (ZEA). Nitrate-derived ZnO synthesized in a water medium (N-gZnO_w) exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, removing 98.2, 95.8, 96.2, and 96.6% of CLO, TEM, CIP, and ZEA. Characterization techniques (XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM, zeta potential measurements, UV-visible spectroscopy) confirmed the synthesis of N-gZnO_w, with an average particle size of 14.9 nm, an isoelectric point of 9.9, and a band gap energy of 2.92 eV. Photocatalytic experiments identified 0.5 mg/cm³ as an optimal catalyst loading, while a higher initial pollutant concentration reduced degradation efficiency. LC-ESI-MS/MS measurements confirmed the efficient pollutant degradation and the formation of degradation intermediates. Hence, this study demonstrates that green tea extract-synthesized ZnO nanoparticles offer a promising, sustainable solution for removing herbicides, pharmaceuticals, and mycotoxins from wastewater, paving the way for eco-friendly water purification technologies.