COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION IN SEWAGE-IRRIGATED RADISH AND ZUCCHINI CULTIVATED IN KHAN BELA

Abstract

Toxic contaminants present in wastewater pose significant threats to environmental sustainability and human health, highlighting the urgent need for efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly remediation technologies. Among various treatment approaches, photocatalytic degradation has emerged as a sustainable and green strategy for eliminating organic pollutants, particularly synthetic dyes, from contaminated water. In this study, a CeO₂/Zn₂V₂O₇ heterostructured nanocatalyst was synthesized via the coprecipitation method and evaluated for its photocatalytic activity toward the degradation of methylene blue.

The synthesized materials were characterized to investigate their structural, optical, and morphological properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The CeO₂/Zn₂V₂O₇ heterostructure exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance compared with pristine Zn₂V₂O₇. Among the tested compositions, the catalyst containing 50% CeO₂ demonstrated the highest degradation efficiency, which was attributed to improved charge carrier separation, reduced electron–hole recombination, and enhanced redox reaction capability.

These findings demonstrate that CeO₂-based heterojunction nanomaterials are promising photocatalysts for advanced wastewater treatment applications and provide an effective pathway for developing sustainable technologies for the removal of organic pollutants from aquatic environments