Metal-based functional interfaces in membrane bioreactors for antibiotic-containing wastewater: Performance benefits and antibiotic resistance risks

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Abstract

The coexistence of antibiotics, heavy metals, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in antibiotic-containing wastewater poses a coupled challenge for membrane bioreactors (MBRs): Treatment performance must improve without shifting environmental risk elsewhere in the system. In this review, we examined how metal-based functional interfaces influence antibiotic removal, membrane fouling, and antibiotic-resistance risks in MBRs. Metal ions, iron-based particles, functionalized membranes, and electrochemical or bioelectrochemical interfaces can enhance pollutant removal and operational stability through coagulation and adsorption, redox reactions, electron transfer, and regulation of membrane-surface interactions. However, lower concentrations of parent antibiotics or lower ARG abundances in the effluent do not necessarily reflect genuine degradation or reduced environmental risk. Pollutants and resistance determinants may accumulate in sludge, cake layers, and membrane biofilms, while metal-induced selection can favor co-resistance and cross-resistance and trigger co-regulatory responses. We proposed an integrated assessment framework that considers pollutant transformation, membrane operation, metal release, the spatial distribution of resistance determinants, and their potential for dissemination. This framework provides a basis for evaluating the long-term safety of metal-based functional interfaces in MBRs.

Keywords

membrane bioreactor / antibiotic-containing wastewater / metal-based functional interfaces / membrane fouling / antibiotic resistance genes / co-selection

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