Unraveling the nexus: Microplastics, antibiotics, and ARGs interactions, threats and control in aquaculture – A review

In recent years, aquaculture has expanded rapidly to address food scarcity and provides high-quality aquatic products. However, this growth has led to the release of significant effluent, containing emerging contaminants like antibiotics, microplastics (MPs), and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This study investigated the occurrence and interactions of these pollutants in aquaculture environment. Combined pollutants, such as MPs and coexisting adsorbents, were widespread and could include antibiotics, heavy metals, resistance genes, and pathogens. Elevated levels of chemical pollutants on MPs could lead to the emergence of resistance genes under selective pressure, facilitated by bacterial communities and horizontal gene transfer (HGT). MPs acted as vectors, transferring pollutants into the food web. Various technologies, including membrane technology, coagulation, and advanced oxidation, have been trialed for pollutant removal, each with its benefits and drawbacks. Future research should focus on ecologically friendly treatment technologies for emerging contaminants in aquaculture wastewater. This review provided insights into understanding and addressing newly developing toxins, aiming to develop integrated systems for effective aquaculture wastewater treatment. Aquaculture addressed the food scarcity issue and provide high-quality aquatic goods. However, hazards posed by emerging pollutants in aquaculture got amplified via food web and impacted the quality of aquatic goods and even human health. In this study, we aimed to unravell the Nexus of emerging pollutants such as microplastics (MPs), antibiotics, and antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs), in terms of their distribution, interactions, threats and controlling technologies including membrane technology, advanced oxidation, and wetlands for removing MPs, antibiotics, and ARGs. The review provided a systematic clarification and facilitated developing better-integrated systems for aquaculture disposing of wastewater from aquaculture.