ZnO photocatalysts applications in abating the organic pollutant contamination: A mini review

Abstract

• Organic pollutants in water bodies exert serious environmental and human health risks. • ZnO has a high capability of degrading various ranges of organic pollutants. • Modification in ZnO design and composition can enhance its degradation ability in solar irradiation. This works encompasses a short review of the adversity of various types of organic pollutants and the viability of ZnO in abating their occurrence in water bodies. The classes of organic pollutants that have been selected for the analysis were: dyes, pesticides, antibiotics and analgesics, and finally stimulants. As a result of the established data analysis, it can be construed that the toxicity of the organic pollutant can pose serious threats to the environment, public health, and well-being. To combat this matter, earlier studies proposed the reliability of ZnO catalyst in elevating the efficiency of the organic pollutant degradation process due to its outstanding photophysical properties. However, as the optical response range of ZnO is often limited to UV light, various modification strategies in ZnO architecture have been executed to extend its functionality in solar irradiation. Overall, it can be concluded that ZnO exerts remarkable potential to remediate the contaminated wastewater. Nevertheless, there are still a lot of aspects that need to be enhanced before its actual utilization as a part of the future wastewater treatment technology.