Continuous Removal of Nonylphenol by Versatile Peroxidase in a Two-Stage Membrane Bioreactor

Recent advances in phyto-combined remediation of heavy metal pollution in soil

The global industrialization and modernization have witnessed a rapid progress made in agricultural production, along with the issue of soil heavy metal (HM) pollution, which has posed severe threats to soil quality, crop yield, and human health. Phytoremediation, as an alternative to physical and chemical methods, offers a more cost-effective, eco-friendly, and aesthetically appealing means for in-situ remediation. Despite its advantages, traditional phytoremediation faces challenges, including variable soil physicochemical properties, the bioavailability of HMs, and the slow growth and limited biomass of plants used for remediation. This study presents a critical overview of the predominant plant-based HM remediation strategies. It expounds upon the mechanisms of plant absorption, translocation, accumulation, and detoxification of HMs. Moreover, the advancements and practical applications of phyto-combined remediation strategies, such as the addition of exogenous substances, genetic modification of plants, enhancement by rhizosphere microorganisms, and intensification of agricultural technologies, are synthesized. In addition, this paper also emphasizes the economic and practical feasibility of some strategies, proposing solutions to extant challenges in traditional phytoremediation. It advocates for the development of cost-effective, minimally polluting, and biocompatible exogenous substances, along with the careful selection and application of hyperaccumulating plants. We further delineate specific future research avenues, such as refining genetic engineering techniques to avoid adverse impacts on plant growth and the ecosystem, and tailoring phyto-combined strategies to diverse soil types and HM pollutants. These proposed directions aim to enhance the practical application of phytoremediation and its integration into a broader remediation framework, thereby addressing the urgent need for sustainable soil decontamination and protection of ecological and human health.

Coimmobilized enzymes as versatile biocatalytic tools for biomass valorization and remediation of environmental contaminants - A review

Due to stringent regulatory norms, waste processing faces confrontations and challenges in adapting technology for effective management through a convenient and economical system. At the global level, attempts are underway to achieve a green and sustainable treatment for the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass as well as organic contaminants in wastewater. Enzymatic treatment in the environmental aspect thrived on being the promising rapid strategy that appeased the aforementioned predicament. On that account, coimmobilization of various enzymes on single support enhances the catalytic activity ensuing operational stability with industrial applications. This review pivoted towards the coimmobilization of enzymes on diverse supports and their applications in biomass conversion to industrial value-added products and removal of contaminants in wastewater. The limelight of this study chronicles the unique breakthroughs in biotechnology for the production of reusable biocatalysts, which inculcating various enzymes towards the scope of environment application.

Efficient Removal of Nonylphenol Contamination from Water Using Optimized Magnesium Silicate

Nonylphenol (NP) is considered to be an environmentally toxic, endocrine-disrupting chemical that affects humans and ecosystems. Adsorption is one of the most promising approaches for the removal of nonylphenol contamination from water. Herein, in order to design an adsorbent with high adsorption capacity, magnesium silicate with different Mg/Si ratios was successfully synthesized by a sol–gel method at 60 °C. Magnesium silicate with a Mg/Si ratio of 1:6 was found to possess the best adsorption performance, with maximum 4−NP sorption 30.84 mg/g under 25 °C and 0.2 g/L adsorbent dose. The adsorption was negatively affected by increasing adsorbent dose and temperature. The kinetics and isotherm of 4−NP adsorption by Mg/Si were well described by the pseudo−second−order and Sips model, respectively, and behavior was proven to be physisorption−enhanced by a chemical effect. Detailed characterization by XRD, BET, and SEM confirmed that the magnesium silicate possesses an amorphous, mesoporous structure. The study will contribute to the applicability of cheap magnesium silicate for removal of NP contamination in water.

Bundling the removal of emerging contaminants with the production of ligninolytic enzymes from residual streams

Abstract

Enzymes offer interesting features as biological catalysts for industry: high specificity, activity under mild conditions, accessibility, and environmental friendliness. Being able to produce enzymes in large quantities and having them available in a stable and reusable form reduces the production costs of any enzyme-based process. Agricultural residues have recently demonstrated their potential as substrates to produce ligninolytic enzymes by different white rot fungi. In this study, the biotechnological production of a manganese peroxidase (MnP) by Irpex lacteus was conducted through solid-state fermentation (SSF) with wheat straw as substrate and submerged fermentation (SmF) employing wheat straw extract (WSE). The obtained enzyme cocktail also showed manganese-independent activity (MiP), related to the presence of a short MnP and a dye-decolorizing peroxidase (DyP) which was confirmed by shotgun proteomic analyses. In view of the enhanced production of ligninolytic enzymes in SmF, different parameters such as WSE concentration and nitrogen source were evaluated. The highest enzyme titers were obtained with a medium formulated with glucose and peptone (339 U/L MnP and 15 U/L MiP). The scale-up to a 30 L reactor achieved similar activities, demonstrating the feasibility of enzyme production from the residual substrate at different production scales. Degradation of five emerging pollutants was performed to demonstrate the high oxidative capacity of the enzyme. Complete removal of hormones and bisphenol A was achieved in less than 1 h, whereas almost 30% degradation of carbamazepine was achieved in 24 h, which is a significant improvement compared to previous enzymatic treatments of this compound.

Key points

• Wheat straw extract is suitable for the growth of I. lacteus.

• The enzyme cocktail obtained allows the degradation of emerging contaminants.

• Mn-dependent and Mn-independent activities increases the catalytic potential.

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00253-022-11776-7.

A comprehensive insight into the application of white rot fungi and their lignocellulolytic enzymes in the removal of organic pollutants

Environmental problems resultant from organic pollutants are a major current challenge for modern societies. White rot fungi (WRF) are well known for their extensive organic compound degradation abilities. The unique oxidative and extracellular ligninolytic systems of WRF that exhibit low substrate specificity, enable them to display a considerable ability to transform or degrade different environmental contaminants. In recent decades, WRF and their ligninolytic enzymes have been widely applied in the removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), endocrine disruptor compounds (EDCs), pesticides, synthetic dyes, and other environmental pollutants, wherein promising results have been achieved. This review focuses on advances in WRF-based bioremediation of organic pollutants over the last 10 years. We comprehensively document the application of WRF and their lignocellulolytic enzymes for removing organic pollutants. Moreover, potential problems and intriguing observations that are worthy of additional research attention are highlighted. Lastly, we discuss trends in WRF-remediation system development and avenues that should be considered to advance research in the field.

Extracellular laccase from Monilinia fructicola: isolation, primary characterization and application

Laccases are enzymes belonging to the family of blue copper oxidases. Due to their broad substrate specificity, they are widely used in many industrial processes and environmental bioremediations for removal of a large number of pollutants. During last decades, laccases attracted scientific interest also as highly promising enzymes to be used in bioanalytics. The aim of this study is to obtain a highly purified laccase from an efficient fungal producer and to demonstrate the applicability of this enzyme for analytics and bioremediation. To select the best microbial source of laccase, a screening of fungal strains was carried out and the fungus Monilinia fructicola was chosen as a producer of an extracellular enzyme. Optimal cultivation conditions for the highest yield of laccase were established; the enzyme was purified by a column chromatography and partially characterized. Molecular mass of the laccase subunit was determined to be near 35 kDa; the optimal pH ranges for the highest activity and stability are 4.5-5.0 and 3.0-5.0, respectively; the optimal temperature for laccase activity is 30°C. Laccase preparation was successfully used as a biocatalyst in the amperometric biosensor for bisphenol A assay and in the bioreactor for bioremediation of some xenobiotics.

Linking Enzymatic Oxidative Degradation of Lignin to Organics Detoxification

The major enzymes involved in lignin degradation are laccase, class II peroxidases (lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, and versatile peroxidase) and dye peroxidase, which use an oxidative or peroxidative mechanism to deconstruct the complex and recalcitrant lignin. Laccase and manganese peroxidase directly oxidize phenolic lignin components, while lignin peroxidase and versatile peroxidase can act on the more recalcitrant non-phenolic lignin compounds. Mediators or co-oxidants not only increase the catalytic ability of these enzymes, but also largely expand their substrate scope to those with higher redox potential or more complicated structures. Neither laccase nor the peroxidases are stringently selective of substrates. The promiscuous nature in substrate preference can be employed in detoxification of a range of organics.

Ligninolytic enzymes: Versatile biocatalysts for the elimination of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in wastewater

Direct municipal wastewater effluent discharge from treatment plants has been identified as the major source of endocrine‐disrupting chemicals (EDC) in freshwaters. Consequently, efficient elimination of EDC in wastewater is significant to good water quality. However, conventional wastewater treatment approaches have been deficient in the complete removal of these contaminants. Hence, the exploration of new and more efficient methods for elimination of EDC in wastewater is imperative. Enzymatic treatment approach has been suggested as a suitable option. Nonetheless, ligninolytic enzymes seem to be the most promising group of enzymes for EDC elimination, perhaps, owing to their unique catalytic properties and characteristic high redox potentials for oxidation of a wide spectrum of organic compounds. Therefore, this paper discusses the potential of some ligninolytic enzymes (laccase, manganese peroxidase, and versatile peroxidase) in the elimination of EDC in wastewater and proposes a new scheme of wastewater treatment process for EDC removal.

White rot fungi and advanced combined biotechnology with nanomaterials: promising tools for endocrine-disrupting compounds biotransformation

Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) can interfere with endocrine systems and bio-accumulate through the food chain and even decrease biodiversity in contaminated areas. This review discusses a critical overview of recent research progress in the biotransformation of EDCs (including polychlorinated biphenyl and nonylphenol, and suspected EDCs such as heavy metals and sulfonamide antibiotics) by white rot fungi (WRF) based on techniques with an emphasis on summarizing and analyzing fungal molecular, metabolic and genetic mechanisms. Not only intracellular metabolism which seems to perform essential roles in the ability of WRF to transform EDCs, but also advanced applications are deeply discussed. This review mainly reveals the removal pathway of heavy metal and antibiotic pollutants because the single pollution almost did not exist in a real environment while the combined pollution has become more serious and close to people's life. The trends in WRF technology and its related advanced applications which use the combined technology, including biocatalysis of WRF and adsorption of nanomaterials, to degrade EDCs have also been introduced. Furthermore, challenges and future research needs EDCs biotransformation by WRF are also discussed. This research, referring to metabolic mechanisms and the combined technology of WRF with nanomaterials, undoubtedly contributes to the applications of biotechnology. This review will be of great benefit to an understanding of the trends in biotechnology for the removal of EDCs.