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Title: Dephenolization of industrial wastewaters catalyzed by polyphenol oxidase

Abstract

A new enzymatic method for the removal of phenols from industrial aqueous effluents has been developed. The method uses the enzyme polyphenol oxidase which oxidizes phenols to the corresponding o-quinones; the latter then undergo a nonenzymatic polymerization to form water-insoluble aggregates. Therefore, the enzyme in effect precipitates phenols from water. Polyphenol oxidase has been found to nearly completely dephenolize solutions of phenol in the concentration range from 0.01 to 1.0 g/L. The enzymatic treatment is effective over a wide range of pH and temperature; a crude preparation of polyphenol oxidase (mushroom extract) is as effective as a purified, commercially obtained version. In addition to phenol itself, polyphenol oxidase is capable of precipitating from water a number of substituted phenols (cresols, chlorophenols, naphthol, etc.). Also, even pollutants which are unreactive towards polyphenol oxidase can be enzymatically coprecipitated with phenol. The polyphenol oxidase treatment has been successfully used to dephenolize two different real industrial wastewater samples, from a plant producing triarylphosphates and from a coke plant. The advantage of the polyphenol oxidase dephenolization over the peroxidase-catalyzed one previously elaborated by the authors is that the former enzyme uses molecular oxygen instead of costly hydrogen peroxide (used by peroxidase) as an oxidant.

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge
OSTI Identifier:
6756318
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 26:6
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS; EFFICIENCY; INDUSTRIAL WASTES; WASTE WATER; PHENOLS; PRECIPITATION; REMOVAL; PURIFICATION; CATALYSTS; ENZYME ACTIVITY; OXIDOREDUCTASES; AROMATICS; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; DECOMPOSITION; ENZYMES; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROLYSIS; HYDROXY COMPOUNDS; LIQUID WASTES; LYSIS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; SEPARATION PROCESSES; SOLVOLYSIS; WASTES; WATER; 320305* - Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization- Industrial & Agricultural Processes- Industrial Waste Management

Citation Formats

Atlow, S C, Bonadonna-Aparo, L, and Klibanov, A M. Dephenolization of industrial wastewaters catalyzed by polyphenol oxidase. United States: N. p., 1984. Web. doi:10.1002/bit.260260607.
Atlow, S C, Bonadonna-Aparo, L, & Klibanov, A M. Dephenolization of industrial wastewaters catalyzed by polyphenol oxidase. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.260260607
Atlow, S C, Bonadonna-Aparo, L, and Klibanov, A M. 1984. "Dephenolization of industrial wastewaters catalyzed by polyphenol oxidase". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.260260607.
@article{osti_6756318,
title = {Dephenolization of industrial wastewaters catalyzed by polyphenol oxidase},
author = {Atlow, S C and Bonadonna-Aparo, L and Klibanov, A M},
abstractNote = {A new enzymatic method for the removal of phenols from industrial aqueous effluents has been developed. The method uses the enzyme polyphenol oxidase which oxidizes phenols to the corresponding o-quinones; the latter then undergo a nonenzymatic polymerization to form water-insoluble aggregates. Therefore, the enzyme in effect precipitates phenols from water. Polyphenol oxidase has been found to nearly completely dephenolize solutions of phenol in the concentration range from 0.01 to 1.0 g/L. The enzymatic treatment is effective over a wide range of pH and temperature; a crude preparation of polyphenol oxidase (mushroom extract) is as effective as a purified, commercially obtained version. In addition to phenol itself, polyphenol oxidase is capable of precipitating from water a number of substituted phenols (cresols, chlorophenols, naphthol, etc.). Also, even pollutants which are unreactive towards polyphenol oxidase can be enzymatically coprecipitated with phenol. The polyphenol oxidase treatment has been successfully used to dephenolize two different real industrial wastewater samples, from a plant producing triarylphosphates and from a coke plant. The advantage of the polyphenol oxidase dephenolization over the peroxidase-catalyzed one previously elaborated by the authors is that the former enzyme uses molecular oxygen instead of costly hydrogen peroxide (used by peroxidase) as an oxidant.},
doi = {10.1002/bit.260260607},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6756318}, journal = {Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 26:6,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984},
month = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984}
}