Laccase-based catalytic microreactor for BPA biotransformation.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Emerging pollutants like Bisphenol-A (BPA) pose significant environmental risks.
• Enzyme-based degradation offers a sustainable approach to pollutant removal.
• Microfluidic devices provide controlled environments for catalytic processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic device for laccase enzyme immobilization.
• To evaluate the degradation efficiency of immobilized laccase on Bisphenol-A (BPA).
• To compare different immobilization agents for optimal enzyme loading.

Main Methods:

• Laccase enzyme was immobilized onto a PDMS microfluidic chip using 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and glutaraldehyde (GA).
• The catalytic activity of immobilized laccase was assessed by measuring the degradation rate of varying BPA concentrations.
• Reaction kinetics were analyzed at room temperature to determine degradation efficiency.

Main Results:

• EDC proved more effective than GA for immobilizing higher amounts of laccase enzyme.
• The microfluidic reactor successfully degraded 55 ppm of BPA from an initial concentration of 100 ppm.
• The immobilized enzyme achieved a degradation rate of 0.5309 U/mL*min, comparable to free enzyme activity.

Conclusions:

• A novel microfluidic reactor design integrating immobilized laccase was successfully developed.
• The system demonstrates high capacity and efficiency for Bisphenol-A (BPA) degradation.
• This approach offers a viable solution for the environmental remediation of endocrine-disrupting chemicals.