3D printed engineered living materials integrating adsorption and persulfate activation for efficient oxytetracycline removal

Antibiotic residues pose significant environmental and health risks, while conventional wastewater treatment technologies are unable to remove antibiotics stably, efficiently and environment-friendly. 3D printed engineered living materials (ELMs) have been employed to protect microorganisms from excessive environmental stress, and prevent the loss of both microorganisms and functional materials. However, the antibiotic removal rate of ELMs remains insufficient. Here, a peroxydisulfate (PDS) activating-microbial treatment intimately coupled system was constructed based on 3D ELMs. This system was applied for the simultaneous removal of oxytetracycline (OTC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in wastewater. The wastewater treatment performance and organic removal mechanisms were analyzed. Through adsorption (π–π stacking), advanced oxidation (non-radical pathways), and biological treatment, 100% OTC removal is achieved within 2 h. This study provides novel insights into efficient and stable biological treatment technologies.