Simultaneous Bioremediation of Wastewater and Generation of Electricity Using Laccase Enzyme from Trametes Versicolor
摘要
Industrial effluents are one of the main sources of water pollution in Singapore, and dye pollution is prevalent in neighbouring countries Malaysia and Indonesia. As textile industries heavily dispose of their dye in wastewater with the increase in textile production demand, Singapore’s waters stand a high risk of even more dye pollution. Therefore, it is essential for textile industries and even wastewater treatment facilities to treat dye-polluted water more efficiently before disposing of them. As Singapore is small, it lacks natural energy resources, and it is thus important to find renewable and sustainable sources of electricity. This study explored a possible prototype in which laccase enzyme from Trametes versicolor was identified for simultaneous bioremediation of wastewater and electricity generation. The effect of the concentration of fabric dyes and different pH levels of the solution was investigated by determining enzymatic activity. Different concentrations of dye were used in the first experiment in which the average voltage and absorbance level of each setup was measured. Different pH levels of the solution were used in the second experiment in which the average voltage and absorbance level of each setup was also measured. Our findings showed that the laccase enzyme can bioremediate wastewater at dye concentrations of up to 20% and at pH 5.0, while simultaneously generating electricity. These results can potentially be utilised by textile industries to bioremediate wastewater and generate electricity in optimum environments.