A COMBINED CHEMICAL-ENZYMATIC METHOD TO REMOVE SELECTED AROMATICS FROM AQUEOUS STREAMS

Aromatics are major pollutants found in aqueous environments and in se diments. Although there are many chemical and biochemical processes to remove and/or treat these contaminants, they have to be considered in light of the economcs and the time scales for treatment. We describe our initial work on a hybrid chemical-enzymatic technique to remove ar omatics from aqueous streams. The aromatic is first converted to the c orresponding phenol through classical Fenton-type chemistry involving catalysis by Fe(II). The phenol is subsequently polymerized through an enzymatic mechanism, using horseradish peroxidase as the oxidative en zyme. The polymer is insoluble in water and can be easily recovered. I n addition, such phenolic polymers are useful products with varied app lications in coatings and resins technologies. Thus, the pollutants ca n be eventually converted to useful products.