Advances in the Application of Nanocatalysts in Photocatalytic Processes for the Treatment of Food Dyes: A Review

Abstract

The use of food additives (such as dyes, which improve the appearance of the products) has become more prominent, due to the rapid population growth and the increase in demand for beverages and processed foods. The dyes are usually found in effluents that are discharged into the environment without previous treatment; this promotes mass contamination and alters the aquatic environment. In recent years, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have proven to be effective technologies used for wastewater treatment through the destruction of the total organic content of toxic contaminants, including food dyes. Studies have shown that the introduction of catalysts in AOPs improve treatment efficiency (i.e., complete decomposition without secondary contamination). The present review offers a quick reference for researchers, regarding the treatment of wastewater containing food dyes and the different types of AOPs, with different catalyst and nanocatalyst materials obtained from traditional and green chemical syntheses.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Food and Juices Dyes via Photocatalytic Nanomaterials Synthesized through Green Synthetic Route: A Systematic Review

“… Selectivity: Photocatalytic degradation using NPs is a selective process that targets specific compounds and leaves the other compounds in the food matrix unharmed. This is because the photocatalysts are activated by light on a specific wavelength which can be tailored to specific dyes [ 35 ]. Environmental friendliness: The most important advantage of using photocatalysis over the other is the environmental friendliness of this method as it would most commonly result in the production of water and carbon dioxide as the end products which are not harmful to the environment, and we can thus reduce the toxicity of the dyes to a greater extent [ 36 ].…”

“…Selectivity: Photocatalytic degradation using NPs is a selective process that targets specific compounds and leaves the other compounds in the food matrix unharmed. This is because the photocatalysts are activated by light on a specific wavelength which can be tailored to specific dyes [ 35 ].…”

Use of Nanoparticles in the Degradation of Contaminants in Aquatic Environments

“…nanoparticles of different chemical composition called nanoparticles, with an ultrafine size, high reactivity and high capacity for interaction with pollutants to detoxify chemical inorganic and/or organic compounds (Brar et al, 2010). An example is iron nanoparticles, which have been widely used in various disciplines as catalysts, sensors, and environmental cleaners due to their ability to adsorb and degrade different water contaminants (Navia-Mendoza et al, 2021); however, they are not the only nanoparticles with these properties, there is currently a wide variety of nanoparticles with their own characteristics that have been used in bioremediation, the different types of nanoparticles will be mentioned below.…”

Light-powered swarming phoretic antimony chalcogenide-based microrobots with “on-the-fly” photodegradation abilities

“…Given their poor biodegradability, synthetic food dyes can accumulate in wastewater and negatively influence the environment. [42][43][44] Anionic azo-dye tartrazine (E 102) and anionic quinophthalone dye quinoline yellow (E 104) are claimed to induce allergic and intolerance reactions, particularly in asthmatics, and cause hyperactivity, especially in children. [45][46][47]…”