Removal of antibiotics by free and magnetic nanoparticle-grafted oxidoreductases in batch and continuous systems

Abstract

This work studies the implementation of oxidoreductase-based wastewater treatment technologies for efficient removal of antibiotics. To overcome substrate limitations of enzymes investigated so far, two H2O2 dependent oxidoreductases, rAaeUPO and CiVCPO were identified as promising alternatives. The improvement of activity and stability in wastewater conditions proved to be challenging, but several milestones could be reached: Antibiotics recalcitrant to other enzymes and partly to UV photocatalysis could be efficiently removed by the proposed enzymes, rAaeUPO could be successfully immobilized on magnetic support materials to allow reuse in batch and continuous reactor configurations, and the integration of the Life Cycle Assessment methodology supported decision making towards increased biocatalyst sustainability