Sustainable Production of Enzymes Using Industrial Sludge

The high amount of wastewater sludge produced in the world is a rising concern across the globe. Therefore, there is a high need for effective measures of sludge treatment. On the other hand, the demand for enzymes has also been increasing greatly in different industries, due to the high activity as compared to other catalysts. Enzymes help to hydrolyse necessary biomolecules and help in several biochemical pathways of plants and animals, which makes the use of enzymes popular in the pharmaceutical industry. For other industries such as paper mills, tannery, and laundry, the use of enzymes is also prevalent as it adds a faster pace to the different processes related to hydrolysis and remediation. However, the production of enzymes can be highly costly. Thus, the use of industrial sludge can be helpful to serve as a good medium for the growth of microorganisms, needed for the production of enzymes. There is a high amount of biodegradable sludge produced by industries, which can affect the environment, but also serve as an excellent growth medium for microorganisms. Thus, bioremediation of the sludge can be effective in the remediation of sludge, along with the production of necessary enzymes. The chapter has highlighted the different techniques of extraction of enzymes, along with the types and applications of them across different industries.