Decolourization of Direct Blue 2 by peroxidases obtained from an industrial soybean waste

In this work the decolourization of Direct Blue 2 dye (DB2) using an industrial soybean waste as a source of peroxidases was studied. Temperature, pH, amount of H2O2 and concentration of dye were evaluated to determine the maximum catalytic activity of the enzyme during the dye degradation process. It was observed that a temperature of 40°C, a pH of 5 and a concentration of 40 mg/L for the dye in aqueous phase, play a significant role in the overall enzyme-mediated reaction. The maximum decolourization efficiency achieved under optimal conditions was 70% ± 4%. HPLC studies were carried out to confirm dye degradation and analyse the intermediate metabolites. The oxidation products quantified during the reaction were benzidine and 4 aminobiphenyl. Also, an increase in toxicity, determined by Vibrio fisheri, was observed after the enzymatic oxidation of the dye. Results suggest that the oxidation of DB2 with peroxidases can be recommended as a pretreatment step before a conventional treatment process.Keywords: decolourization, Direct Blue 2, industrial waste, soybean peroxidase, oxidation, toxicit