Potentials of low-cost methods for the removal of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their genes in low budget communities: A review

Abstract Infrastructural development and advancement have provided several tools for the treatment and management of conventional and emerging pollutants to ensure access to clean water. Emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment such as antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) possess inherent properties that enables them to evade water treatment processes. Meanwhile, the inability of low-budget communities to access clean water have been overemphasized. Therefore, developing new or improving existing tools for the management of ARB/ARGs contaminated water for low-income countries requires the collaboration of all stakeholders including business, government and the academia. This review highlights and evaluates the current technologies (adsorption, coagulation, and membrane filtration), and the prevailing mechanism, that can effectively serve this purpose in low-income communities. This report identified the knowledge gaps inherent in these water treatment technologies and provided plausible systematic approaches to overcome some of these challenges. The goal of this appraisal was to provide information and awareness on the need to focus on these appropriate water treatment technologies that are implementable in low-budget communities.