Soybean peroxidase for industrial wastewater treatment: a mini review

The potential of oxidoreductases, such as laccases and peroxidases, to remove organic pollutants from industrial wastewater and process water is addressed in this short review, with an emphasis on the peroxidase work completed or in progress in the authors’ laboratory. The major drawback to this treatment is the cost of the enzyme. However, with new sources and recent advances in the biotechnology industry, it is becoming a feasible alternative. A niche where enzymatic treatment may be first applied is not as a primary treatment but as a secondary treatment (pretreatment or polishing) coupled to existing physico-chemical or biological processes to increase their overall efficiency and economy. Soybean seed coat peroxidase is well suited because of its stability, ease of extraction, widespread availability and potential for adding to the soy value chain. Since crude enzyme often works better than purified enzyme, the only additional cost may be in concentrating the extract. This review briefly covers aspec...