Biochemical Characteristics of Laccases and Their Practical Application in the Removal of Xenobiotics from Water

Abstract

The rapid growth of the human population in recent decades has resulted in the intensive development of various industries, the development of urban agglomerations and increased production of medicines for animals and humans, plant protection products and fertilizers on an unprecedented scale. Intensive agriculture, expanding urban areas and newly established industrial plants release huge amounts of pollutants into the environment, which, in nature, are very slowly degraded or not decomposed, which leads to their accumulation in water and terrestrial ecosystems. Researchers are scouring extremely contaminated environments to identify organisms that have the ability to degrade resistant xenobiotics, such as PAHs, some pharmaceuticals, plasticizers and dyes. These organisms are a potential source of enzymes that could be used in the bioremediation of industrial and municipal wastewater. Great hopes are pinned on oxidoreductases, including laccase, called by some a green biocatalyst because the end product of the oxidation of a wide range of substrates by this enzyme is water and other compounds, most often including dimers, trimers and polymers. Laccase immobilization techniques and their use in systems together with adsorption or separation have found application in the enzymatic bioremediation of wastewater.

The function of microbial enzymes in breaking down soil contaminated with pesticides: a review

“…Highly persistent pesticides are less susceptible to microbiological, chemical, and photodegradation. One of the most persistent pesticides is OC insecticide, which may last in soil for up to a year [ 9 , 11 ]. Pesticide chemistry, distribution between foliage and soil, as well as environmental factors like pH, temperature, microbial activity, etc., are a few important factors that affect the processes [ 5 , 8 ].…”

“…Microbial degradation includes the processes of oxidation of parent compounds and the subsequent generation of carbon dioxide and water with the release of energy, as well as the production of certain additional byproducts [ 11 , 22 , 25 ]. The process meanwhile supplies carbon and energy for microbial growth and reproduction [ 15 , 22 ].…”

“…For the cleanup of pesticide-contaminated areas, many approaches have been developed. Existing decontamination methods are classified into physical, chemical, and biological methods [ 5 , 11 , 12 ]. Adsorption and percolator filters are examples of physical treatments.…”

“…Advanced oxidation, which involves transitory species (OH radicals), is the example of chemical treatment. Biological treatment used a variety of biological systems or microbial populations to bio-transform the toxic compound into a less hazardous or inert one [ 5 , 11 ]. Among the many pesticide detoxification treatment methods, bioremediation is regarded as a novel and developing method for the cleaning of pesticide-contaminated sites since it provides a sustainable pathway in detoxifying the toxic compounds in soil system [ 5 , 9 , 12 ].…”

Immobilizing white‐rot fungi laccase: Toward bio‐derived supports as a circular economy approach in organochlorine removal

“…The importance of researching new sources of Lac, their biochemical properties, and various ways to increase their catalytic activity and stability has been emphasized (Gałązka et al, 2023). In this sense, the selection of suitable strains is crucial for improving their production capacity.…”