Photocatalytic degradation of Bisphenol-A in water under sunlight irradiation over ZnO nanoparticles fabricated by Ethiopian cactus pear fruit peel infusions

Abstract

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is found as a persistent endocrine disruptor chemical in most environmental monitoring. Hence, in this research degradation of BPA was carried out under irradiation of sunlight in the presence of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) synthesized using cactus pear fruit peel (CPFP) infusions. The fabricated ZnO-NPs exhibited greater photocatalytic efficiency of BPA under sunlight irradiation and near-complete mineralization of BPA was achieved. The degradation percentage was sturdily reliant on factors such as the catalyst size (10−50 nm) and structure (hexagonal), BPA concentration (10 mg L−1), catalyst load (25 mg L−1) and irradiation time (8 h) and pH (6.5). This study proposed that the cactus pear fruit peel mediated ZnO-NPs (CP-ZnO-NPs) photocatalytic degradation is an adaptable, pecuniary, environmentally beneficent and proficient method for BPA deduction in the aqueous phase.