Enzymatic Degrading Chlorophenol Wastewater by Mixed Strains of Immobilized White Rot Fungi†

Abstract To address chlorophenol wastewater pollution, immobilized mixed white rot fungi (WRF) strain microsphere was designed as a solid degradation agent, using lignin peroxidase ( LiP ), manganese peroxidase ( MnP ), and laccase ( Lac ) to degradating the wastewater. Considering the diverse physical and chemical properties of the fungal sphere, the immobilization agent formula is optimized and comprehensive environmental factor design response surface analysis are implemented to determine the delivery conditions. Consequently, the 2,4-DCP treatment rate and extracellular enzyme activity for a 1:1 encapsulation of T. versicolor and P. sajor-caju significantly outperform those of individual strains. Using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), sodium alginate (SA), and biochar as carriers, with sodium dihydrogen phosphate solution as crosslinker and SiO2/zeolite as additives, immobilizing mixed bacteria yielded a high-quality solid agent. This achieved a 99.33% 2,4-DCP degradation rate over 96 hours, with optimal dosage, pH, and initial 2,4-DCP concentration at 11.5 g/L, 5.5, and 40 mg/L. The degradation of 2,4-DCP by WRF selectively removes adjacent chlorine atoms to produce 4-CP, enhancing the dechlorination efficiency. Graphical Abstract