The discharge of crystal violet (CV) dye effluents from textile sectors is a significant concern, as these pollutants not only diminish the aesthetic appeal of water bodies but also impede light penetration, thereby disrupting aquatic ecology. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased usage of disposable face masks, further contributing to medical waste in the environment. In this state-of-the-art study, the aim was to develop a photocatalyst material using medical-waste-derived carbon (MWC) as a support matrix for zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, facilitating the photocatalytic degradation of CV dye via persulfate (PS) activation. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were used to analyze the crystalline and chemical bonding properties of the synthesized photocatalysts, whilst field-emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping were employed to examine the samples’ surface morphology and composition. The UV–vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy were used to confirm the optical properties of the photocatalysts. The degradation analyses showed that the MWC/ZnO nanocomposite achieved a higher degradation efficiency of 94.4%, with a reusability performance of 91.0% in the fifth cycle. Toxicology assessment was performed using seedling plants and zebrafish, which revealed significant developmental deformities in the embryos and adults of zebrafish treated with the CV solution, but not when grown with the degraded CV solution or water, supporting the non-toxic nature of the degraded dye water. Therefore, the proposed MWC/ZnO nanocomposite could be suggested as a potential catalyst for CV dye degradation and an ideal solution for both aquatic and medical waste pollutants.

中文翻译：

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利用新型医疗废物衍生碳/ZnO复合材料协同光催化降解结晶紫染料：毒理学评估研究

纺织行业结晶紫（CV）染料废水的排放是一个值得关注的问题，因为这些污染物不仅降低了水体的美观性，而且阻碍了光的穿透，从而破坏了水生生态。此外，COVID-19 大流行导致一次性口罩的使用增加，进一步加剧了环境中的医疗废物。在这项最先进的研究中，目的是开发一种光催化剂材料，使用医疗废物衍生的碳 (MWC) 作为氧化锌 (ZnO) 纳米粒子的支撑基质，促进过硫酸盐光催化降解 CV 染料（PS）激活。 X射线衍射和拉曼光谱用于分析合成光催化剂的晶体和化学键合特性，同时场发射扫描电子显微镜和透射电子显微镜与能量色散X射线光谱图用于检查样品的表面形态和组成。紫外可见光谱和光致发光光谱用于确认光催化剂的光学性质。降解分析表明，MWC/ZnO纳米复合材料的降解效率高达94.4%，第五次循环的可重复使用性能为91.0%。使用幼苗和斑马鱼进行毒理学评估，结果显示用 CV 溶液处理的斑马鱼胚胎和成体出现显着的发育畸形，但用降解的 CV 溶液或水生长时则没有，这支持了降解染料的无毒性质水。因此，所提出的MWC/ZnO纳米复合材料可以作为CV染料降解的潜在催化剂以及水生和医疗废物污染物的理想解决方案。