Immobilization of polyphenol oxidase on chitosan-coated polysulphone capillary membranes for improved phenolic effluent bioremediation

Internally skinned polysulphone capillary membranes were coated with a visc ous chitosan gel and used as an immobilization matrix for polyphenol oxidas e. Bench-scale, single-capillary membrane bioreactors then were used to det ermine the influence of the chitosan coating on product removal after subst rate conversion by immobilized polyphenol oxidase during the treatment of i ndustrial phenolic effluents. The results indicate that greater efficiency was achieved in the removal of polyphenol oxidase-generated products by the chitosan membrane. coating, as compared with chitosan flakes. This facilit ated an increase in the productivity of the immobilized enzyme. (C) 1999 El sevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.