Electrochemical removal of antibiotics and multidrug-resistant bacteria using graphene- sponge electrodes

ENG- The widespread and misuse of antibiotics for decades in both veterinary and human consumption has led to their appearance in different aquatic environments at increasingly higher concentrations. These contaminants are persistent and therefore difficult to eliminate using conventional treatment technologies. Consequently, their constant presence generates an additional challenge: the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Many bacterial strains originally targeted by these drugs have developed resistance genes, leading to infections that are difficult to treat and contributing to what is now recognized as a “silent pandemic.” Since these emerging contaminants pose a challenge for both advanced and conventional water treatment technologies, this doctoral thesis focuses on investigating the efficiency of electrooxidation processes for the removal of antibiotics and multidrug-resistant bacteria, both Gram-positive and Gram-negative, from aqueous solutions. The most widely used electrochemical oxidation treatments face notable limitations, including the high cost of electrode materials and the generation of highly toxic chlorinated by-products. Furthermore, a significant challenge hindering the broader adoption of electrochemical technologies for water treatment are the mass transport limitations and reduced energy efficiency when treating low-conductivity matrices