Date of Award

9-12-2024

Publication Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.Sc.

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Keywords

Cresols;Enzymatic treatment;HPLC;Soybean peroxidase;UV-Vis Spectroscopy;Wastewater

Supervisor

N. Biswas

Supervisor

K. E. Taylor

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Soybean peroxidase (SBP) is an acidic enzyme isolated from the hulls of soybeans. It plays a crucial role in the catalysis of the oxidation of various aqueous aromatic compounds when hydrogen peroxide is present. The ability of SBP to function in this capacity highlights its potential as a valuable tool in both industrial and environmental processes. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of employing SBP for the removal of o-, m-, and p-cresol from water. Utilizing a continuously stirred batch reactor, tests were performed to identify the optimal conditions necessary to achieve a minimum of 95% removal of the cresol compounds. Parameters investigated included pH, SBP dose, hydrogen peroxide concentration, and the dose of cresol compounds, both in the absence and presence of SBP and hydrogen peroxide. Experimental findings demonstrated the efficacy of SBP in removing o-, m-, and p-cresol from water. Optimal conditions for each cresol isomer were identified by HPLC and UV-Vis with o-cresol removal achieving 95% efficiency under conditions of SBP concentration at 0.7 U/mL, pH at 9.0, and hydrogen peroxide concentration at 1.2 mM. For m-cresol, a removal efficiency of 95% was attained with SBP concentration at 0.8 U/mL, pH at 8.0, and hydrogen peroxide concentration at 1.1 mM. Similarly, p-cresol removal reached ≥95% efficiency with SBP concentration at 0.3 U/mL, pH at 7.0, and hydrogen peroxide concentration at 1.0 mM. These results underscore the capability of SBP to effectively reduce o-, m-, and p-cresol concentrations in water.

Download

Share

COinS