# Treatment Methods for Antibiotic Mycelial Residues: A Review
## 3 Treatment Methods for AMR
### Physical Methods
#### 3.1.3 Ionizing Radiation  
Ionizing radiation technology employs \(\gamma\)-rays or electron beams generated by electron accelerators to treat contaminants, achieving pollutant degradation through dual photophysical and photochemical mechanisms. On one hand, high-energy radiation directly interacts with pollutants, cleaving chemical bonds within contaminant molecules due to its substantial energy deposition. On the other hand, when water molecules are irradiated, highly reactive species, such as hydroxyl radicals (-OH) and hydrated electrons (\(\mathrm{e_{aq}}^{-}\)), are generated, indirectly degrading pollutants via secondary reactions [73,74]. This technology presents distinct advantages for the detoxification and resource recovery of AMR, offering a viable route for sustainable waste management.  
First, extensive studies have demonstrated that ionizing radiation can disrupt the molecular structures of organic compounds in AMR, enabling the efficient degradation of toxic organic pollutants and antibiotics [36,75,76,77,78]. A substantial body of experimental data confirms a clear positive correlation between irradiation dose and degradation efficacy within a rational dose range, where higher doses result in more pronounced degradation effects [57,78,79].  
Second, ionizing radiation technology exhibits exceptional performance in eliminating ARGs. Pretreatment experiments utilizing \(\gamma\)-irradiation revealed significant enhancement in AD performance of cephalospororin C mycelial residue. Compared to standalone AD, the combined \(\gamma\)-irradiation and AD process resulted in a 100% enhancement in the removal efficiency of ARGs [20]. Irradiation studies on erythromycinocin thiocyanate mycelial residue demonstrated that 30 kGy \(\gamma\)-rays dosage eliminates 90-95% of macrolide-associated ARGs and degrades 56% of erythromycincin, while not affecting the nutritional composition, such as the protein content, of AMR [57]. This outcome robustly demonstrates the feasibility of irradiated fermentation residues in meeting basic nutritional requirements for fertilizers, providing strong support for their subsequent resource utilization as agricultural amendments.  
Third, ionizing radiation technology is capable of disrupting mycelial structures, thereby enhancing the fermentation performance of AMR. [PERSON] and [PERSON] [35] employed a coupled system of \(\gamma\)-irradiation and nanoscale zero-valent iron to enhance antibiotic degradation in deacetoxy cephalospororin C mycelial residue while boosting hydrogen production efficiency. The experimental results demonstrated that \(\gamma\)-irradiation disrupted the complex matrix of AMR, significantly elevating the soluble organic matter content. Concurrently, 98.6% of residual antibiotics were eliminated, mitigating their inhibitory effects on hydrogen-producing bacteria. This synergistic effect resulted in a 139.2% enhancement in hydrogen production yield.  
As a highly promising approach, irradiation technology demonstrates exceptional tolerance to complex substrate conditions and inherently avoids secondary pollution risks associated with chemical additives by operating without catalysts. However, the technology is still in its developmental infancy. Key challenges remain unresolved in critical areas, including the elucidation of microscopic interaction mechanisms, optimization of process parameters, and scaling for industrial implementation.