Enzymatic approach to phenol removal from wastewater using peroxidases

Abstract

Introduction: Phenol and its derivatives are present in various industrial effluents and possess a high level of toxicity even at minute concentrations. This could cause serious ecological problems if phenol-containing effluents are discharged untreated or partially treated into water bodies or land sites. Method: Conventional wastewater phenol removal methods, which include biological treatment, adsorption and chemical oxidation such as ozonation and Fenton reaction, have significant challenges especially for large-scale applications. These methods are either time-consuming, require high energy consumption, non-specific or environmental unfriendly as they result in high greenhouse gas emissions or toxic by-products. Enzymatic treatment is appreciated as an alternative wastewater phenol removal approach. Discussion: The advantages of enzymatic treatment include highly selective, operate under mild conditions and shorter reaction times. Several techniques to further enhance the performance of enzymatic treatment have been introduced. Conclusion: This article discusses peroxidase based enzymatic treatment as an effective approach for continuous phenol removal from wastewater. It also presents in-depth analysis of various conventional approaches in juxtaposition with peroxidase based methods for effective phenol removal from wastewater.