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Updated: Nov 22, 2025
A Complete Method for Evaluating the Performance of Photocatalysts for the Degradation of Antibiotics in Environmental Remediation
Published on: October 6, 2022
Biodegradation of tetracycline using hybrid material (UCPs-TiO2) coupled with biofilms under visible light
Yu Wang1, Hua Fan2, Po Keung Wong3
1State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 71 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China; Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China.
Abstract:
To develop a more green and effective method for tetracycline (TC) removal, a hybrid material (conversion phosphors-TiO2, UCPs-TiO2) was coupled with a biofilm to achieve enhanced removal of TC. The removal of TC by biofilm coupled with UCPs-TiO2 under visible light reached 82%, which was 35% higher than that in treatment using only the biofilm. Extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) promoted the production of hydroxyl radicals by UCPs-TiO2, as the EPS acted as an electron transfer medium and accelerated the TC mineralization. Biofilm in the coupled system tolerated TC stress by regulating its antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) and superoxidedismutase (SOD), and allowed it to maintain stable and efficient removal of TC. This study documents a method to couple a hybrid material with microbial aggregates, creating a promising system for removing refractory organics, such as TC, from water. The study also offers insight into the mechanisms underlying TC removal by microbial aggregates combined with new functional materials.
