Development of a two-stage membrane filtration process in combination with enzymatic reactions to remove micropollutants from water

There is a great need for innovative, efficient processes to remove hazardous chemical substances from wastewater, as wastewater treatment plants can be relieved by applying decentralized water treatment processes in the industrial or medical sector. This study is dedicated to achieve a deeper comprehension for a new developed hybrid membrane process combined with an enzymatic reaction for the reduction of micropollutants in waste water. In the experiments the micropollutant Remazol® Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) was used and reduced by the enzyme laccase F by ∼49 %. The enzymatic reduction of the dye takes place in a reaction chamber which is the main component of a special designed test cell. By combination of the enzymatic reduction with a two-stage membrane filtration process (ultrafiltration and nanofiltration), the RBBR concentration was reduced by ∼69 %, compared to the RBBR concentration in the raw water stream. In this study we present the principle of proof for the developed process. The results of pretests for the enzymatic reactions will be shown as well as the results of three experiments in the test cell. Left - the layout of the test stand including the test cell with the reaction chamber as the core part, the raw water tank with the solution with RBBR dye and the tanks for the solution with enzymes and permeat; right - the RBBR concentration in the enzyme solution circuit over the time; the error bars indicate the standard deviation around the mean value for 3 experiments under equal process conditions. • The micropollutant Remazol® Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) was reduced by the enzyme laccase F by ∼ 49 %. • The enzymatic reduction takes place in a reaction chamber which is the main component of a special designed test cell. • The process is combined with a two-stage membrane filtration process • By the process a removal efficiency for the RBBR concentration of ∼ 69 % could be achieved.