Enzymatic removal of toxic phenols and anilines from waste waters

Abstract

A new enzymatic method has been developed for the removal of phenols and anilines from industrial waste waters. This involves the treatment of aqueous solutions containing the pollutants with horseradish peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide. Such treatment results in precipitation of phenols and aromatic amines from water as a result of their enzymatic crosslinking. This approach was used to remove over 30 different phenols and aromatic amines from water. The effect of reaction conditions on the enzymatic removal of the pollutants was studied. For some pollutants, the efficiency of the enzymatic removal is very high (exceeding 99%), whereas for others it is significantly lower. The presence of easily removed phenols and aromatic amines greatly enhances the enzymatic precipitation of those that have low removal efficiencies.