Decolorization of direct dyes by immobilized turnip peroxidase in batch and continuous processes

An inexpensive immobilized turnip peroxidase has been employed for the decolorization of some direct dyes in batch and continuous reactors. Wood shaving was investigated as an inexpensive material for the preparation of bioaffinity support. Concanavalin A-wood shaving bound turnip peroxidase exhibited 67% of the original enzyme activity. Both soluble and immobilized turnip peroxidase could effectively remove more than 50% color from dyes in the presence of metals/salt and 0.6 mM 1-hydroxybenzotriazole, after 1 h of incubation. The columns containing immobilized peroxidase could decolorize 64% direct red 23% and 50% mixture of direct dyes at 4 and 3 months of operation, respectively. Total organic carbon analysis of treated dye or mixture of dyes revealed that these results were quite comparable to the loss of color from solutions. Thus, this study showed that the immobilized enzyme could be efficiently used for the removal of synthetic dyes from industrial effluents.