Unraveling the mechanisms of micro-voltage-driven fungal remediation for simultaneous removal of microplastics, antibiotics, and heavy metals

Microplastics, antibiotics, and heavy metals are co-occurring pollutants in wastewater, posing significant environmental risks and potential threats to human health. However, there is currently no effective wastewater treatment method for this type of combined pollution. This study establishes a novel dual-chamber fungal system by leveraging fungi’s remarkable capacity to degrade multiple pollutants in complex environments and their responsiveness to micro-voltage stimulation. Following treatment with this system, up to 84.28 ± 2.85% of enrofloxacin (ENR) and 95.52 ± 1.77% of Pb were removed. Meanwhile, under the trapping effect of fungal mycelium, more than 95% of polypropylene, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics distributed in different water layer areas were removed. Multi-omics analysis revealed that micro-voltage enhanced fungal energy, amino acid, and cofactor metabolism, thereby altering fungal surface structural properties and increasing extracellular oxidase activity. These alterations improved the entrapment and aging of microplastics by fungal, while simultaneously promoting the decomposition of ENR and the mineralization/adsorption of Pb on the fungal surface. Furthermore, experiments conducted in actual wastewater confirmed the stability and security of the micro-voltage driven fungal system under practical operating conditions, including organic load and ammonia nitrogen shocks. This study offers novel insights and promising avenues for addressing combined pollution.