Triclosan (TCS) and synthetic dyes, especially Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR), are toxic, mutagenic and recalcitrant pollutants in soil or aquatic matrices; and they are minimally eliminated from contaminated sites. This study investigated the degradation of these pollutants (TCS and RBBR) using laccase immobilized in core-shell magnetic copper alginate beads (Lac-beads) in a buffered aqueous system and in wastewater. By adding the magnetic core material nFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, the separation and reuse of the beads constructed with a perfect core-shell was enhanced. The immobilizing efficiency of the beads calculated by the percentage of encapsulated enzyme was 85.5%, with a water content of 98%. Lac-beads had high activity of TCS degradation at pH 5.2 and 7.0. The Lac-bead system also showed a high percentage of TCS removal (89.6%) after 8 h and decolorized a range from 54.2% to 75.8% of RBBR in each injection. Although Lac-beads showed a lower efficiency of TCS and RBBR removal in comparison to free laccase, the enzyme activity could be maintained in the samples containing wastewater. The Lac-bead system was able to remove 53.2% of TCS and 54.8% of RBBR after 24 h of incubation. The results indicate that Lac-beads prepared by encapsulting laccase in core-shell copper alginate beads are a smart, simple remedying system with high pollutant removal efficiency in complex contaminated sites.

Removal of complex contaminants in wastewater using laccase encapsulated in magnetic copper alginate beads

251st National Meeting (2016)

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