Effects of nanominerals on the photochemical transformation of antibiotics in surface waters.

Rapid economic development has led to the discharge of large quantities of emerging contaminants, including antibiotics, into surface waters, posing serious threats to aquatic ecosystems and human health. The environmental fate of antibiotics in surface waters is largely governed by photochemical transformation. As ubiquitous and reactive components in surface environments, nanominerals can exert significant influences on the photochemical transformation of antibiotics in aquatic systems. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in understanding the effects of nanominerals on antibiotic photochemical transformation in surface waters. We first introduce the sources, distribution characteristics, and environmental risks of antibiotics in surface waters, followed by a summary of the distinctive physical and chemical properties of nanominerals that enable them to mediate antibiotic phototransformation. Particular attention is given to adsorption enrichment, reactive oxygen species-mediated oxidation, interfacial electron transfer, photosensitized energy transfer, and the coupling among these mechanisms. Rather than treating these processes as isolated pathways, this review emphasizes that nanomineral-mediated phototransformation should be understood as an interfacial reaction network in which mineral properties, environmental conditions, and antibiotic structures jointly determine pathway priority, product distribution, and toxicity evolution. Key influencing factors, including mineral composition, surface structure, dissolved organic matter, inorganic ions, dissolved oxygen, pH, and irradiation conditions, are further evaluated. Finally, current knowledge gaps and future research priorities are proposed. This review aims to provide a mechanistic framework for understanding antibiotic fate in natural waters and for improving ecological risk assessment of emerging contaminants.