Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) obtained by a green synthetic strategy using lemon juice and ethylene glycol. The material was characterized using the techniques UV-vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, FESEM, EDAX and HRTEM. Diffraction patterns and TEM micrographs confess the formation of hexagonal wurtzite ZnO nanaogranules with some honed faces and having an average size of 49.16 nm. The developed ZnO-NPs was tested for the photocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue, Congo Red and Rhodamine B target dyes under UV irradiation and found to have remarkable activity.