Construction of a novel efficient Z-scheme BiVO4/EAQ heterojunction for the photocatalytic inactivation of antibiotic-resistant pathogens: Performance and mechanism

•A novel Z-scheme BiVO4/EAQ was prepared for Shigella flexneri HL disinfection.•A Z-scheme heterojunction mechanism for 60%-BiVO4/EAQ was deduced.•60 %-BiVO4/EAQ completely inactivated Shigella flexneri HL within 150 min.•O2− and h+ played the major roles in the photocatalytic system, followed by OH.•An ARG decomposition mechanism was complemented by visualization with the aid of AFM.