A review of the recent advancements in adsorption technology for removing antibiotics from hospital wastewater

Abstract

Environmental contamination by antibiotics poses a significant threat to human health and ecosystems. As one of the primary sources of antibiotic pollutants, hospital wastewater often contains significantly higher concentrations of various antibiotics and other chemicals compared with municipal wastewater. The high-risk and complex nature of hospital wastewater presents significant challenges for conventional treatment efforts to mitigate the impact of antibiotics. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the contamination levels, sources, and associated biological hazards of various antibiotic classes commonly found in hospital wastewater. It focuses on the advancements of adsorption technology in addressing the challenges to stop the spread of antibiotics at the source. It was demonstrated that adsorption treatment could be a promising and practical method for removing antibiotics from hospital wastewater and addressing the impact of peak concentrations of antibiotics and other chemicals on conventional biological wastewater treatment during events such as the pandemic. Future research may focus on improving the efficiency and selectivity of adsorption by exploring new materials such as composite adsorbents, including those suitable for easy regeneration and integration with contaminant degradation treatment to form modular and compact systems for in-situ treatment of hospital wastewater. • In-situ remediation of hospital wastewater can mitigate antibiotic contamination. • Peak concentrations of antibiotics and disinfectants may overwhelm conventional treatment. • Adsorption is demonstrated as a promising technology to address antibiotic contamination. • Case studies on adsorption and combined systems at both lab- and full-scale are reviewed. • Novel composite adsorbents and modular treatment systems are proposed for future exploration.

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