Analysis of the feasibility of using biopolymers of different viscosities as immobilization carriers for laccase in synthetic dye removal

Abstract

The main aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of using biopolymers of different viscosities (high, medium and low viscosity) as immobilization carriers for laccase in synthetic dye removal. The following dye solutions were decolorized: indigo carmine (IC, anionic dye), methylene blue (MB, cationic dye), and their mixture in a molar mass ratio MB/IC=0.69, using biopolymers of different viscosities as laccase immobilization carriers. Toxicity tests were also carried out to assess the toxicity of the post-decolorization samples. Decolorization tests showed that the main decolorization mechanism depends on the dye class. The removal of IC (max. total removal efficiency 72.15%) was mainly by biocatalysis. The mechanism of the MB decolorization process was mainly by sorption on alginate beads, and the efficiency of enzymatic removal was low. However, the highest efficiency of MB decolorization (45.80%) was obtained for beads prepared using the high viscosity alginate when decolorization occurred by both sorption and biocatalysis. The results of mixture decolorization tests differ from the results obtained for single dyes.The results showed differences in the efficiency of the dye sorption process depending on the alginate used for immobilization. Moreover, the varying mechanisms of dye removal from the dye mixture were confirmed by toxicity tests. The occurrence of both biocatalysis and sorption promotes reduced toxicity