Magnetic separability and photocatalytic enhancement by plasmonic property of Ag–AgCl/ZnFe ₂ O ₄ nanocomposite makes it practicable in both environmental and economic terms.

Simultaneous photo-inactivation ofE. coliand degradation of EE2 was achieved in the presence of ZnFe₂O₄-Ag/rGO. H₂O₂was mainly responsible for bacterial inactivation whereas, OH˙ was found to have more influence in EE2 degradation.

The present study evaluated the phytotoxicity of degraded intermediates of an endocrine-disrupting compound (EDC) 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2) and toxic azo dye Acid Black-52 (AB-52) in photocatalytic degradation. A novel bimetallic (silver and zirconium) doped TiO₂ nanoparticle was synthesized for utilization in degrading these pollutants under visible light. The degradation pathway of the pollutants during photocatalytic activity was investigated by LC-MS analysis. Further, to understand the toxicity of intermediate compounds compared with the pollutants, phytotoxicity was assessed on two different seeds, Vigna radiata and Phaseolus vulgaris. Seeds treated with 100 ppm concentration of AB-52 showed low germination percentage in V. radiata (30%), and P. vulgaris (40%). Similarly, seeds treated with EE2 also showed less germination in V. radiata (40%), and P. vulgaris (50%) compared to intermediate compounds (100% germination) and revealed the less toxic nature of the degraded metabolites compared to EE2 and AB-52. Further, active radical scavenging experiments were carried out to understand the main species involved in the photocatalytic degradation process. A photoluminescence study and reactive oxygen species generation results suggested that the efficient charge carrier separation took place during the irradiation. Thus, the present work proves the ability of effective multifunctional nanomaterials to not only to degrade hazardous pollutants but also to detoxify them.