ARB inactivation, ARGs and antibiotics degradation in hospital wastewater

TL;DR

This review compares various hospital wastewater treatment methods for effectively reducing antibiotic-resistant bacteria, ARGs, and antibiotics, highlighting advanced oxidation processes as promising solutions for public health protection.

Contribution

The paper systematically evaluates and compares traditional and advanced wastewater treatment techniques, emphasizing the potential of AOPs to better eliminate ARB, ARGs, and antibiotics.

Findings

Chlorination remains widely used despite negative effects.

UV and ozonation are effective disinfection methods.

Advanced oxidation processes show high potential for AR removal.

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance (AR) is one of the greatest public health challenges worldwide. Processes that allow the reduction of AR predictor of hospital wastewater has become crucial process that contributes to the protection of public health and the environment. The aim of this review article was to compare the effectiveness of various methods for treatment hospital wastewater in eliminating antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and degrading antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotics. A large number of studies dealing with wastewater treatment suggest that this topic is highly relevant and that new solutions are being developed to limit the spread of AR. Some wastewater treatment techniques have been in use for decades. Despite the negative effects of chlorine compounds, chlorination is still applied to eliminate ARB, ARGs, and drug metabolites. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation and ozonation have long been recognized for their treating properties. In the literature, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are increasingly often indicated as the most effective alternative to conventional treatment methods. Various methods for disinfecting hospital wastewater were reviewed and their environmental impact was analyzed in this article, and the results provide valuable insights for the further development of effective wastewater management strategies.