Microalgae-Based Technology for Antibiotic Removal from Livestock Wastewater: Mechanisms, Performance, and EPS Enhancement
This review was conducted through an international collaboration involving Tianjin Chengjian University, the Agro-Environmental Protection Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in China, the Dali Observation and Experimental Station of National Agricultural Environment, the Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Green Agriculture in North China and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden.
Abstract
Antibiotic residues released from livestock and poultry farming are increasingly recognised as an important environmental challenge due to their contribution to water pollution and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. This review examines recent advances in microalgae-based wastewater treatment technologies as sustainable alternatives to conventional physicochemical and biological treatment methods.
Particular emphasis is placed on the role of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which function as multifunctional interfaces between microalgae and pollutants. The review synthesises current knowledge on the mechanisms through which EPS contribute to antibiotic removal, including bioadsorption, bioaccumulation, photodegradation, enzymatic biotransformation, and synergistic interactions with bacterial communities. It also evaluates the antibiotic removal performance of different microalgal species and discusses environmental factors influencing treatment efficiency.
Beyond summarising the current state of knowledge, the review identifies important research gaps, including the need for a better understanding of EPS composition and functionality, improved characterisation of antibiotic transformation products, and optimisation of EPS-mediated treatment processes under practical wastewater conditions. These insights provide a roadmap for developing more efficient, sustainable and scalable nature-based solutions for livestock wastewater treatment and circular bioeconomy applications.
Keywords
Keywords: Microalgae; livestock wastewater; antibiotic removal; extracellular polymeric substances (EPS); bioadsorption; biodegradation; wastewater treatment; circular bioeconomy; nature-based solutions.
Reference
Zhang, R., Min, S., Zhi, S., Gong, Y., Liu, K., Cordeiro, C. M., Sindhöj, E., Shen, S., & Zhang, K. (2026). Microalgae-based technology for antibiotic removal from livestock wastewater: A review on mechanisms, performance, and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) enhancement. Journal of Environmental Management, 412, 130273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130273