Radiation-Resistant Bacteria: Potential Player in Sustainable Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

Radioactive wastewater generated from nuclear energy, medical, and industrial sectors poses persistent ecological and health risks, necessitating the development of safe and sustainable treatment strategies. Compared with conventional physicochemical approaches, bioremediation using radiation-resistant bacteria (RRB) provides distinct advantages, including lower energy requirements, reduced secondary pollution, and superior ecological compatibility. This review synthesizes current knowledge on RRB’s biological characteristics, molecular resistance mechanisms, and applications in radioactive wastewater treatment. Moreover, potential applications in non-radioactive wastewater treatment—such as selective removal of heavy metals, degradation of refractory organics, and mitigation of antibiotic resistance—are discussed. Evidence from existing studies indicates that RRB share fundamental adaptive traits, including extraordinary radiotolerance, unique morphological modifications, and cross-tolerance to multiple stressors, which are underpinned by specialized DNA repair systems, potent antioxidant defenses, and radiation-responsive regulatory networks. These mechanisms collectively confer the ability to withstand and mitigate radiation-induced damage. Future research should responsibly prioritize the genetic engineering of RRB and its integration with complementary technologies, such as microbial fuel cells, to achieve synergistic pollutant removal and energy recovery. This synthesis provides a theoretical basis and technical reference for advancing RRB-enabled bioremediation toward sustainable wastewater management.