| Title |
Study on the Removal of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria from Wastewater Effluent and Combined Sewer Overflow Using UV-LED |
| Authors |
이재은(Jae Eun Lee) ; 김란희(Lan Hee Kim) ; 김성표(Sungpyo Kim) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.15681/KSWE.2025.41.3.123 |
| Keywords |
Antibiotic-resistant; Chlorine oxidation; UV-LED disinfection; Wastewater treatment plants |
| Abstract |
The global rise in antibiotic resistance poses a major public health threat, with wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) playing a crucial role in its spread through urban water systems. WWTPs receive wastewater from households, hospitals, agriculture, and industries, which contains antibiotic residues, resistant bacteria, and pathogenic microorganisms. The resistome, the collection of environmental antibiotic resistance, is influenced by WWTP effluent, which can facilitate resistance transfer among microorganisms. The current treatment technologies do not completely eliminate antibiotics or resistant bacteria, necessitating effective disinfection methods. Ultraviolet-light-emitting diode (UV-LED) disinfection, a mercury-free technology emitting UV light used to directly damage microbial DNA, has gained attention due to its environmental benefits, energy efficiency, and ease of maintenance. This study evaluated UV-LED (265 nm, 278 nm, and 265 nm + 278 nm) for its efficacy in removing antibiotic-resistant bacteria from 1-liter wastewater samples in a circulating system, with exposure times of 1?30 minutes. Chlorine oxidants (2.4 ppm and 4.8 ppm) were also tested for comparison. The results showed that UV-LED alone achieved a 0.8?2.3 log reduction while combining UV-LED with 2.4 ppm Cl2 increased removal to 1.0?2.3 log and combining with 4.8 ppm Cl2 to 2.0?4.3 log. Multi-wavelength UV-LED treatment achieved similar results, with removal increasing from 1.0?2.3 log to 1.2?2.4 log (2.4 ppm Cl2) and 2.2?4.8 log (4.8 ppm Cl2). These findings highlight the potential of UV-LED, especially when combined with chlorine, as an effective approach for controlling antibiotic-resistant bacteria in WWTP effluent. |