Peroxymonosulfate activation by peanut shell biochar-doped BiFeO₃ composite to remove antibiotic resistant bacteria from aquaculture wastewater

Abstract

In this study, bismuth ferrite (BiFeO₃, BFO) catalysts doped with different contents of peanut shell biochar (BC) were prepared and used in the removal of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) by peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation from wastewater. The PMS (0.03 mM)/5% BC-BFO (0.5 g L⁻¹) system removed 1.92 log ARB within 10 min of reaction at a reaction rate of 0.4401 min⁻¹. Raman spectra analysis revealed that 5% BC-BFO exhibited more defects and oxygen vacancies (Ov), which provided active sites for PMS activation to generate SO₄^⋅−, O₂^⋅−, and ¹O₂, thereby promoting ARB inactivation. The oxidation of PMSO to PMSO₂ suggests that high-valent iron-oxo species may also be involved in the inactivation of ARB. The PMS/5% BC-BFO system caused oxidative damage to the ARB cell membrane, increasing its permeability from 4.34% to 46.00%. Simultaneously, it triggered the activation of bacterial self-defense mechanisms and a cascade reaction, leading to the upregulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels (rising from 6.34% to 62.90%), ultimately resulting in ARB inactivation. In addition, the ARB removal under PMS activation by the fourth recycled 5% BC-BFO catalyst was 62.6% of that by the fresh 5% BC-BFO. In summary, this study proposes a low-cost and easily synthesized novel catalyst for the efficient ARB removal from wastewater.

Keywords

BiFeO₃ / Biochar / Peroxymonosulfate / Antibiotic resistant bacteria / Inactivation

References

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Funding

Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2024A1515030201)

National Natural Science Foundation of China(41807476)

Guangzhou Science and Technology Project of China(202102020892)

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

The Author(s)