GREEN SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF COPPER NANOPARTICLES USING JUSTICIA GENDARUSSA: ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY AND COMPARATIVE EVALUATION FOR WASTEWATER REMEDIATION

Abstract

The growing load of environmental pollution and antimicrobial drug resistance calls for the creation of eco-friendly and multi-functional remediation technologies. In this report, copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were green synthesized using the aqueous leaf extract of the medicinal plant Justicia gendarussa, which contains bioactive molecules. Various methods of synthesizing plant extract and copper sulfate salt ratios were tried to achieve stable nanoparticles' best synthesis, and the 4:1 ratio was most effective as a combination based on naked eye observation, FTIR spectroscopy, and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The characterization techniques confirmed that stable CuNPs were synthesized effectively, showing evidence of phytochemicals as reducing and capping agents. The antimicrobial activity of as-synthesized CuNPs was tested against specific bacterial strains by routine disk diffusion assays. The composition 4:1 showed astounding antibacterial activity and its potential as a bioactive nanomaterial. Parallel comparative tests were also carried out in tandem between as-synthesized CuNPs and Effective Microorganism (EM) technology for evaluating their relative treatment efficiency of synthetic wastewater. The physicochemical parameters of pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)/ Electrical Conductivity (EC), Nitrate / Sulfate Analysis (SA), Chloride Content, and BOD were compared pre-treatment and post-treatment. The findings revealed that CuNPs ensured total microbial inhibition and decontamination, surpassing EM in water quality improvement in some areas. vii This study reports that green-synthesized CuNPs from Justicia gendarussa show a promising, sustainable solution for environmental remediation and antimicrobial activities. The dual potential of the nanoparticles provides the opportunity for further modifying them into large-scale, sustainable remediation technologies in contaminated ecosystems.