Removal of bisphenol a micropollutants released from plastic waste using Pt-ZnO photocatalyst.

Plastic pollution is becoming increasingly severe and is attracting global attention. One of its consequences is the recent discovery of micropollutant discharge into water, with Bisphenol A (BA-MP) being a typical example. This study utilizes an advanced oxidation process based on Pt-doped ZnO photocatalyst to remove BA-MP. Health concerns related to the release of BA-MP from plastic waste are discussed. Besides, the results of the photodegradation experiment show that the Pt-ZnO photocatalyst can remove 94.1% of BA-MP within 60 min when exposed to solar light. Moreover, after five reuse cycles, Pt-ZnO retains a high BA-MP removal efficiency of 71.2%, and its structure remains largely unchanged compared to the original material. The removal efficiency of BA-MP leaching from plastic waste was measured at 98.8%, confirming the suitability of Pt-ZnO for the treatment of micropollutants. Furthermore, this study also highlights the prospects and challenges of using Pt-ZnO for the treatment of micropollutants discharged from plastic waste.

Enhanced photodegradation of oxytetracycline antibiotic in wastewater by implementing ZnO-loaded carbon fiber.

The antibiotic oxytetracycline (OCA) exhibits high insolubility in the natural environment, posing a significant challenge for its removal. This study synthesized a porous structure and a high-surface-area carbon fiber, incorporating zinc oxide (ZnO/CFB) for the effective removal of OCA in wastewater. The material characterization revealed exceptional optical and photochemical properties of ZnO/CFB, featuring a reduced band gap energy of 2.7 eV. ZnO/CFB exhibited robust performance in the photodegradation of OCA in wastewater, achieving an impressive removal efficiency of 86.7%. Remarkably, the reduction of total organic carbon (TOC) reached an outstanding 97.5%. LC-MS analysis confirmed the complete oxidation of OCA and its intermediates, transforming them into inorganic substances within 60 min. This study introduces an efficient strategy for eliminating antibiotic pollutants from wastewater, highlighting the potential of ZnO/CFB as an effective and stable photocatalyst for environmental remediation.