Abstract
Hazardous dyes in industrial wastewater are an internationally recognized issue for community health. Nanoparticles synthesized through green protocols are a fascinating research field with numerous applications. The current study mainly aimed to investigate the degradation of Congo red (CR) dye under UV light in the presence of H
2
O
2
and the photocatalytic activity of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs). For CuONP formation,
Citrus maxima
extract contains a high number of phytochemical constituents. The size of CuONPs ranges between 25 and 90 nm. The photocatalytic activity of CuONPs with the addition of H
2
O
2
was observed and analyzed under UV light to eliminate CR dye. The UV light caused the decomposition of H
2
O
2
, which produced ·OH radicals. The results revealed a significant increment in dye degradation during the presence of H
2
O
2
. The effect of concentration on the degradation of the CR dye was also studied. The degradation pathway of organic pollutants was reputable from the hydroxy radical medicated degradation of CR. Advanced Oxidation Treatment depends on the in situ production of reactive ·OH species and is presented as the most effective procedure for decontamination. The biological activity of CuONPs was evaluated against
Escherichia coli Bacillus subtillis
,
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Shigella flexenari
,
Acinetobacter Klebsiella pneumonia
,
Salmonella typhi
and
Micrococcus luteus.
The newly synthesised nanomaterials showed strong inhibition activity against
Escherichia coli
(45%),
Bacillus subtilis
(42%) and
Acinetobacter species
(25%). The activity of CuONPs was also investigated against different fungus species such as:
Aspergillus flavus
,
A. niger
,
Candida glabrata
,
T. longifusus
,
M. Canis
,
C. glabrata
and showed a good inhibition zone against
Candida glabrata
75%,
Aspergillus flavus 68%
, T.
longifusus
60%. The materials showed good activity against
C. glaberata
,
A. flavus
and
T. longifusus.
Furthermore, CuONPs were tested for antioxidant properties using 2, 2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) (DPPH).