Enzymatic removal of estrogenic activity of nonylphenol and octylphenol aqueous solutions by immobilized laccase from Trametes versicolor

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials 2013-03, Vol.248-249, p.337-346
• Main Authors: Catapane, Maria, Nicolucci, Carla, Menale, Ciro, Mita, Luigi, Rossi, Sergio, Mita, Damiano G., Diano, Nadia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alkylphenols; Bioreactors; Bioremediation; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Endocrine Disruptors - chemistry; Estrogen Receptor alpha - genetics; Estrogenic activity; Estrogens - chemistry; Fluidized bed; Genes, Reporter; Humans; Laccase; Laccase - chemistry; Phenols - chemistry; Response Elements; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - drug effects; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics; Solutions; Trametes - enzymology; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical - pharmacology; Water Purification
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.01.031

► Endocrine disruptors cause adverse effects in living organisms. ► Nonylphenol and Octylphenol are alkylphenols recognized as endocrine disruptors. ► It is necessary to remove or reduce their presence in the environment. ► Waters polluted by these pollutants have been bioremediated by immobilized laccase from Trametes versicolor. ► Laccase treated solutions were found to have lost any estrogenic activity. A fluidized bed reactor, filled with laccase-based beads, has been employed to bioremediate aqueous solutions polluted by endocrine disruptors belonging to the alkylphenols (APs) class. In particular Octylphenol and Nonylphenol have been studied. The catalytic activity of free and immobilized laccase from Trametes versicolor has been characterized as a function of pH, temperature and substrate concentration in the reaction medium. In view of practical applications for each substrate concentration the removal efficiency (RE), the time to halve the initial concentration (τ50), and the tc=0, i.e. the time to reach complete pollutant removal, have been calculated. The immobilized laccase exhibited a lower affinity for octylphenol (Km=1.11mM) than for Nonylphenol (Km=0.72mM), but all the other parameters of applicative interest resulted more significant for octylphenol. For example, the times to reach the complete removal of octylphenol compared to those for nonylphenol at the same concentration is shorter of about 15% (at low concentrations) up to 40% (at high concentrations). The study of cell proliferation with MPP89 cells, a human mesothelioma cell line, and the assay with the YES test indicated the loss of estrogenic activity of the APs solutions after laccase treatment.