Comparison of novel functionalized nanofiber forward osmosis membranes for application in antibacterial activity and TRGs rejection

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are serious pollutants in municipal sewage treatment plants and may cause significant harm to ecological systems, microbial fouling is also inevitable in membrane process. Herein, novel forward osmosis (FO) membranes made of electrospun nanofibers (TFN0) and further impregnated with titanium dioxide (TiO2) (TFN1) nanoparticles and titanium dioxide/silver composite nanoparticles (TiO2/AgNPs) (TFN2). The FO membranes were used to compare the antimicrobial performance and rejection of tetracycline-resistant genes (TRGs). Characterizations revealed that the TiO2/AgNPs were evenly scattered in the polysulfone (PSf) nanofibers and resulted in a TFN2 membrane that exhibited excellent physicochemical properties, filtration, and antibiofouling performance in real wastewater. The cell viability analysis revealed that the antibacterial effect of the TFN2 membranes was significantly better than that of TFN1, as indicated by about 65 % of E. coli cells killed after contact with the TFN2 membrane. TFN2 membranes had greater rejection rates of TRB and TRG5 than TFN1. The TRG permeation rates of the TFN2 membrane in the FO mode (active layer facing the feed solution) were 39.62 % and 33.02 % lower than the TFN0 and TFN1 membranes, respectively. FO membranes modified by the TiO2/AgNPs nanocomposites hold promise to remove ARGs and pathogens from wastewater treatment plant effluents.