Biocatalytic phenol removal from aqueous solutions: A bench and pilot-scale optimization in a flow reactor

Phenolic compounds are present in widely varying concentraition in the watewaters of oil refineriies , plastics , resins , textiles , iron and steel industries. One of the alternativen is based on the applicaltion of oxidoreductase enzymes like horseradish peroxidase HRP to catalyze the removal of these compounds from wastewater. the main challenges of this process are enzyme deactivation during the reaction due to a precipitation with the reaction products oligomers and polymers and peroxide inactivation of the enzyme by excess hydrogen peroxide . previously we reported the kinetic model and methods for lab-scale controlling and minimizing the inactivation effects of a successful phenol removal. in the present work a flow reactor was used to biocatalytic removal of phenilic compounds from aqueous slutions , using peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant. the influence of operational varibles , both enzyme and substrate concentrations and spatial time , on the removal efficiency was studied in a bench -scale 500 ml and small -size pilot -scale 10L for homogenous and heterogeneous processes . kinetics of the process based on the bisubstrate compulsory kinetic equation was used for the used reator and optimization pathway of the removal process.