Enhanced Airborne Benzene Removal Using Immobilized Enzyme Combined with Plants

Abstract

With the increasingly serious problem of air pollution, although plants have a certain air purification function, their inherent purification ability and efficiency are generally low. This study innovatively combined immobilized enzyme MIL-88B (Fe)/HRP with three plant species to construct a novel air purification system. The aim is to enhance the purification rate of plants for benzene. By evaluating the purification effects of the combined system on benzene under different initial concentrations and exposure times, the study also analyzes the impact of immobilized enzymes on the antioxidant system of plants. The results indicate that after introducing MIL-88B (Fe)/HRP into the rhizosphere solution of plants, the transport rates of Spathiphyllum kochii, Epipremnum aureum, and Chlorophytum comosum in the combined system significantly increased, by 294, 418, and 334 times, respectively, compared to the single plant system. The maximum purification rates were 3.87, 3.18, and 1.42 times higher than the single systems. Immobilized enzymes increased the activity of POD enzymes in plants, enhancing plant tolerance to benzene. The effective degradation of benzene in the rhizosphere solution by MIL-88B (Fe)/HRP has led to the creation of a benzene concentration gradient across multiple interfaces of the air-leaf-root-rhizosphere solution, facilitating the unidirectional transport of benzene within the plant body. This process enhances the plant's purification ability towards benzene. This work offers novel concepts and a theoretical foundation for environmental pollution control, in addition to broadening the application boundaries of phytoremediation technology.