Development of a packed bed reactor for the removal of aromatic hydrocarbons from soil using laccase/mediator feeding system

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are persistent pollutants of great concern due to their potential toxicity, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. A biotechnological approach remove PAH from soil was evaluated in this work using a laccase mediator system. Initially, produced by fungal co-cultivation, kiwi peels as substrate. The applied contaminated evaluate its efficiency on enzymatic bioremediation. Results showed that system effective the degradation pyrene, fluorene, chrysene lower extension anthracene. Mediators improved natural mediators (ferulic acid p-coumaric acid) were synthetic ABTS. However, process not benzo[a]pyrene degradation, one most recalcitrant toxic PAH. This low rate could be related activity an environment lacking water. To overcome issue, developed packed bed reactor (PBR) fed with laccase/mediator. Continuous flow laccase/mediator achieving 74.8 %, 71.9 72.2 81.8 % 100 for anthracene, phenanthrene, respectively. able degrade 96 benzo[a]pyrene, which 90 higher than batch indicated well fed-batch PBR successfully pollutants, advantage rates simple batch, being faster simpler microorganism