Synergistic control of antibiotic resistance via natural illite-activated peroxymonosulfate: Efficiency and mechanism

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have gradually become a tough challenge in wastewater treatment, posing a serious threat to global health. Sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation processes (SR-AOPs) were regarded as an alternative to eliminate antibiotic resistance (AR). Our work provided a natural illite for activating PMS to inactivate ARB and degrade ARGs. 5.5-log e-bla_TEM-1 and 3.1-log e-tetA were removed within 15 min, impeding the dissemination of AR. The generated •OH, SO₄^•-, and ¹O₂ in the illte/PMS system completely inactivated ARB within 30 min (7.6-log), and no regeneration was observed within 72 h. Flow cytometry and electron microscopy visualized and further confirmed the cell inactivation. Transcriptomic analysis revealed the downregulation of key functional genes underlying the ARB inactivation. Furthermore, illite/PMS could adapt to various external environments and resist the interference of anions and organic substances. Finally, illite/PMS was applied to treat turtle farming wastewater and increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria and fungi, which was promising for wastewater purification. Collectively, our results suggested the feasibility of illite coupled with PMS for simultaneous ARB and ARGs removal in real water matrices.