Harnessing Bacterial Consortia and Green-Synthesized Metal Oxide Nanoparticles for Photocatalytic Dye Degradation

This study introduces an innovative approach to degrade hazardous dyes by leveraging eco-friendly nano photocatalysts and microbial consortia. The research assesses the effectiveness of this integrated system in dye degradation for wastewater treatment and environmental remediation. Utilizing a bacterial consortium isolated from drains in the textile dyeing industry, alongside a photocatalytic process (Metal oxide/UV), the study demonstrates significant results. When applied individually, both biological and photochemical methods displayed limited decolorization efficiency. However, after 5 days under specific conditions (37°C, pH 7, and 200 mg/L dye concentration), bacterial degradation achieved a noteworthy 72.38% decolorization rate. In comparison, UV photocatalytic treatment with zinc oxide nanoparticles alone yielded a modest 23.5% decolorization. The combined approach, integrating UV-metal oxide treatment with bacterial consortia, showcased the most promising outcome. Notably, the highest bacterial degradation rate of 83.8% was observed when the dye mix sample underwent pretreatment with zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized using leaves of Parmentiera cereifera, followed by 77.46% with Hibiscus schizopetalus, and 73.9% with Combretum rotundifolium. These previously unexplored plants exhibit potential as sources for green-synthesized metal oxide nanoparticles for dye degradation applications. Further optimization of degradation parameters could unlock the full potential of these nanoparticles.