Feasibility of Treating An Industrial Wastewater with an Enzymatic Oxidation Process

Enzymatic treatment has been shown to be effective for removal of a variety of chemicals in aqueous solution, however little research has been completed on enzymatic oxidation of 'real' industrial wastewaters. The purpose of this research project was to evaluate the application of Coprinus macrorhizus peroxidase in reducing the phenol concentration in an actual high-strength industrial wastewater. The wastewater was raw distillate from a phenol-formaldehyde manufacturing process. The specific objectives of this study were: to characterize the waste stream sample; to evaluate enzyme kinetics, including the kinetics of inactivation; to evaluate factors that affect enzyme-catalyzed oxidation, such as pH, enzyme concentration, substrate concentration, interfering compounds, and reactor configuration; and, to optimize phenol removal while minimizing treatment cost. For comparison purposes, Fenton's reaction (ferrous iron and hydrogen peroxide) was also studied as a treatment option for the wastewater. Reagent consumption and potential cost of each treatment process were compared.Master of Science in Environmental Engineerin