Continuous enzymatic treatment of 4-bromophenol initiated by UV irradiation

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) can be used for the treatment of halogenated phenolic substances. In the presence of hydrogen peroxide phenols are oxidized to form polymers which undergo partial dehalogenation. However, when immobilized, the peroxidase is subject to inactivation due to blockage of the active sites by the growing polymers and to deactivation by elevated levels of hydrogen peroxide. When HRP immobilized on a novel glass-based support incorporating titanium dioxide is subjected to UV irradiation, hydrogen peroxide is produced and the nascent polymer is removed. In this work a reactor was constructed that utilized HRP immobilized on the novel support and the in situ production of hydrogen peroxide to treat 4- bromophenol as a model substrate. The system was operated for almost 17 hours with no apparent decline in activity.