Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Sustainable removal of contaminants of emerging concern from wastewater by the living membrane bioreactor: effect of the co-occurrence of microplastics and antibiotics

Researchers investigated a living membrane bioreactor (LMBR) for removing the antibiotic ofloxacin and oxidized polyethylene microplastics from urban wastewater, finding that the biological membrane effectively retained both contaminants of emerging concern and that microplastics acted as antibiotic carriers, with their co-presence influencing overall removal efficiency.

2025 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Key genes of electron transfer, the nitrogen cycle and tetracycline removal in bioelectrochemical systems

This study used a soil microbial fuel cell system to demonstrate enhanced antibiotic and antibiotic resistance gene removal alongside improved nitrogen cycling, identifying key functional genes involved in electron transfer and biodegradation in antibiotic-contaminated soil.

2023 Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced Co-degradation of chloramphenicol and polyvinyl chloride in water by bioelectrochemical systems

Researchers used microbial fuel cells — devices where bacteria break down pollutants and generate electricity — to simultaneously degrade the antibiotic chloramphenicol and PVC microplastics, finding that adding a bacterial communication molecule (quorum sensing signal 3OC8-HSL) increased antibiotic removal by 78% and power output by 81% by enriching specialized degrading bacteria.

2025 Water Research
Article Tier 2

Humic acid synergistic bioelectrochemical system for treating high-concentration ammonia nitrogen wastewater enriched with various antibiotics and microplastics

Researchers built a composite-polluted wastewater treatment system containing high-ammonia, multiple antibiotics, and microplastics, and tested whether adding humic acid to a bioelectrochemical reactor improved treatment outcomes. The humic acid-enhanced system achieved superior removal of all three contaminant types compared to the standard bioelectrochemical approach.

2025 Bioresource Technology
Article Tier 2

The Exploitation of Single-Chambered Microbial Fuel Cells for PET Removal in Water

Researchers investigated microbial fuel cells for simultaneous PET degradation and electricity generation, finding that co-cultures of Ideonella sakaiensis with either Geobacter sulfurreducens or activated sludge in single-chamber systems achieved measurable reductions in PET particle size and mass while producing bioelectricity.

2025 Microorganisms
Article Tier 2

Bioelectrochemistry promotes microbial activity and accelerates wastewater methanogenesis in anaerobic digestion under combined exposure to antibiotics and microplastics

Researchers tested a bioelectrochemical system for treating wastewater contaminated with both antibiotics and microplastics, achieving 14% better treatment efficiency and methane recovery than standard methods. The electrical stimulation helped beneficial microbes thrive despite the pollutants, though it also increased some antibiotic resistance genes. This study is relevant because it addresses a real-world challenge of treating water containing multiple contaminants, including microplastics, before it reaches the environment.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient tetracycline hydrochloride degradation via peroxymonosulfate activation by N doped coagulated sludge based biochar: Insights on the nonradical pathway

Researchers found a way to repurpose waste sludge from microplastic removal processes by converting it into a nitrogen-doped carbon material that can break down the antibiotic tetracycline in water. The recycled material performed well across a wide pH range and worked primarily through a nonradical pathway to degrade the antibiotic. The study offers a dual benefit approach that addresses both microplastic waste management and antibiotic contamination in water systems.

2024 Environmental Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on tertiary/quaternary treatment of urban wastewater: Fe-biochar/peroxymonosulfate/sunlight vs solar photo-Fenton

Researchers evaluated how microplastics present in secondary-treated urban wastewater affect the degradation of four pharmaceutical micropollutants and the inactivation of antibiotic-resistant E. coli using two advanced oxidation processes. Microplastics were found to influence the performance of both iron-modified biochar/peroxymonosulfate and solar photo-Fenton treatments.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria and Genes by Conventional and Nature-Based Municipal Wastewater Treatment Systems

Researchers compared the effectiveness of conventional activated sludge treatment versus a nature-based system using constructed wetlands for removing antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes from wastewater. The nature-based system achieved greater removal of antibiotic-resistant E. coli (3.7-4.1 log reduction versus 2.5-2.8 log), benefiting from longer retention times and diverse plant-microbe interactions.

2025 Environmental Processes 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Phytoremediation as a Tool to Remove Drivers of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Aquatic Environment

Researchers reviewed how aquatic plants (macrophytes) can be used to remove antibiotics, heavy metals, and other chemicals that drive antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from contaminated water bodies, identifying specific plant species and configurations that work best for different pollutants. The review proposes a combined planting strategy — using floating, submerged, and emergent plant species together — to maximize removal of AMR-driving chemicals from polluted aquatic environments.

2023 Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 11 citations
Article Tier 2

From Waste to Watts: Updates on Key Applications of Microbial Fuel Cells in Wastewater Treatment and Energy Production

This review summarizes advances in microbial fuel cell technology for simultaneous wastewater treatment and electricity generation, highlighting improvements in electrode materials, reactor designs, and microbial communities that have increased power output and treatment efficiency.

2022 Sustainability 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Tetracycline Removal from Water by Adsorption on Geomaterial, Activated Carbon and Clay Adsorbents

New geomaterial adsorbents made from clay, activated carbon, cement, and PVA polymer were synthesized and tested for tetracycline removal from water, achieving rapid equilibrium within 30 minutes and high adsorption capacity that was pH-dependent, offering a low-cost option for antibiotic contamination removal in wastewater treatment applications.

2021 Ecological Chemistry and Engineering S 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Peroxymonosulfate activation by microplastics coagulated sludge-derived iron-carbon composite for effective degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride: Performance and mechanism

This study used a one-step pyrolysis method to convert microplastic-containing coagulated sewage sludge into an iron-carbon composite, which was then used to activate peroxymonosulfate for degrading tetracycline hydrochloride. The approach simultaneously addressed microplastic waste disposal and antibiotic contamination removal.

2023 Chemical Engineering Journal 29 citations
Article Tier 2

A review on tetracycline removal from aqueous systems by advanced treatment techniques

This review covers the occurrence of tetracycline antibiotics in aquatic environments and evaluates advanced treatment technologies — including adsorption, photocatalysis, and membrane processes — for their removal, identifying the most promising approaches based on efficiency and practical scalability.

2020 RSC Advances 300 citations
Article Tier 2

Urban wastewater disinfection by FeCl3-activated biochar/peroxymonosulfate system: Escherichia coli inactivation and microplastics interference

This study evaluated FeCl3-activated biochar combined with peroxymonosulfate as a system for urban wastewater disinfection, assessing pathogen removal efficiency and identifying reactive species responsible for bacterial inactivation.

2024 Environmental Pollution 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Advancements in microalgae-mediated technologies for antibiotic removal from wastewater: a review

Researchers reviewed microalgae-based technologies for removing antibiotics from wastewater, examining the mechanisms of removal — including adsorption, biodegradation, photodegradation, and hydrolysis — and how microalgae perform in combination with advanced oxidation and photocatalysis systems, while identifying key operational parameters such as pH, temperature, and light intensity that influence treatment efficiency.

2026 Biodegradation
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on the degradation of tetracycline in a soil microbial electric field

Researchers explored how microplastics affect the degradation of the antibiotic tetracycline in soil microbial electrochemical systems. The study found that polylactic acid and polyvinyl chloride microplastics enhanced the electrical output of soil systems and accelerated tetracycline breakdown, with microplastic surfaces acting as hotspots for antibiotic degradation due to their distinct microbial communities.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Amoxicillin Through Different Methods, Emphasizing Removal by Biopolymers and Its Derivatives. an Overview

This review examined various methods for removing the antibiotic amoxicillin from water, emphasizing the use of biopolymers and their derivatives as efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional treatment approaches.

2022 Journal of the Chilean Chemical Society 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Using dual chamber microbial fuel cells for coupled microplastic biodegradation and bioelectricity production: assessing the effect of substrate

Researchers investigated using dual-chamber microbial fuel cells to simultaneously biodegrade PET microplastics and generate bioelectricity. The study found that microbial consortia in the fuel cell setup could break down microplastics while producing usable electrical energy, offering a potentially sustainable approach to microplastic remediation in wastewater treatment.

2026 Microbial Cell Factories
Article Tier 2

The combined effect of microplastics and tetracycline on soil microbial communities and ARGs

Researchers studied how simultaneous exposure to microplastics and tetracycline affects soil microbial communities, finding that the combination disrupted microbial diversity, altered functional gene expression, and promoted horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes beyond the effects of either pollutant alone.

2025 Environmental Pollution 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Single-chamber differs from dual-chamber bioelectrochemical systems in wastewater treatment and methane recovery under combined exposure to microplastics and antibiotics

This study compared how single-chamber and dual-chamber bioelectrochemical systems perform when treating wastewater contaminated with both microplastics and antibiotics. Single-chamber systems significantly enhanced methane production by over 21% compared to conventional treatment, while dual-chamber systems struggled due to ammonia buildup. The research found that microplastic and antibiotic contamination dramatically altered microbial communities, highlighting the complex challenges of treating polluted wastewater.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced adsorption performance of sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline in aqueous solutions by MgFe2O4-magnetic biochar

Researchers developed MgFe2O4-magnetic biochar adsorbents from corncob that simultaneously removed two common antibiotics — sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline — from water, offering an efficient and separable solution for antibiotic pollution remediation.

2022 Water Science & Technology 25 citations
Article Tier 2

The Potential of Microbial Fuel Cells for Remediation of Heavy Metals from Soil and Water—Review of Application

This review examines microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as a dual-purpose technology capable of generating electricity while simultaneously removing heavy metals such as copper, hexavalent chromium, and mercury from contaminated water and soil. The authors highlight how pH, electrode materials, and coupling MFCs with microbial electrolysis cells influence removal efficiency, and note that plant-MFC systems performed particularly well for soil remediation.

2019 Microorganisms 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic mechanisms for the superior sorptive removal of aquatic pollutants via functionalized biochar-clay composite

Researchers developed a functionalized algal biochar-clay composite that achieved synergistic removal of antibiotics and dyes from water, with a thirty-fold increase in surface area compared to raw biochar, demonstrating effectiveness in both batch and continuous flow systems.

2023 Bioresource Technology 42 citations