Introduction: Contamination of water resources with nitroaromatic compounds, particularly 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), has emerged as a critical environmental concern due to their extensive use in military and chemical industries. These pollutants exhibit high toxicity, mutagenicity, and strong resistance to conventional biodegradation, resulting in their persistent accumulation in aquatic environments.Methods: In this study, a monoclinic BiVO₄ photocatalyst was synthesized via a homogeneous precipitation method and evaluated for the photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-DNT under visible-light irradiation. The synthesized catalyst was thoroughly characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Process optimization was carried out using response surface methodology (RSM) based on a central composite design (CCD), examining the combined effects of pH, initial pollutant concentration, catalyst dosage, and reaction time.Results: The optimal operational conditions were identified as pH 6.63, an initial 2,4-DNT concentration of 0.44 mg/L, a catalyst dosage of 0.509 g/L, and a reaction time of 105 minutes, achieving a maximum removal efficiency of 87.31%. Kinetic studies revealed that the photocatalytic degradation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with a high correlation coefficient (R² > 0.98). Furthermore, reusability experiments showed that the BiVO₄ photocatalyst retained good stability over three successive cycles, with only a minor reduction in degradation efficiency from 78% to 73%.Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that monoclinic BiVO₄ is an effective and stable visible-light-responsive photocatalyst for the degradation of 2,4-DNT. Its high efficiency, favorable kinetics, and good reusability highlight its significant potential for application in advanced oxidation processes aimed at the remediation of nitroaromatic pollutants in water treatment systems.