• • Ammonia and phosphate removal efficiencies exceeded 90% and 80%, respectively, at influent concentrations up to 0.4 mg/L and 0.2 mg/L, demonstrating robust performance for nutrient polishing in reclaimed water.
• • Manganese sand enhanced organic matter decomposition, achieving a 26% reduction in maximum 3D fluorescence intensity, 48% reduction in humic substances, and 38% decrease in UV254, indicating effective removal of residual organic pollutants.
• • Four target antibiotics were removed at 70.8%, highlighting the medium's capability to mitigate micropollutants of emerging concern.
• • Purified reclaimed water showed no significant genotoxicity (micronucleus rate near tap water) and no acute biotoxicity in non-concentrated samples, but concentrated samples exhibited acute toxicity, implying distinct toxicants for different endpoints.