Evaluation of laccase-coated membrane performance for endocrine disruptors removal
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- Ensuring water quality is a growing environmental and public health priority, especially due to the persistence of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) Such as bisphenol A (BPA) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in aquatic environments. These micropollutants are poorly removed by conventional wastewater treatment. This study investigates the use of polycarbonate membrane coated with laccase, an oxidising enzyme to break down BPA and EE2 from water. Laccase is immobilised using a Layer-by-Layer (LbL) deposition technique with polyethyleneimine (bPEI) and glutaraldehyde as a cross-linking agent to stabilise the layers. The main challenge is maintaining enzyme activity over time, ensuring stable operation in treatment and avoiding enzyme leaching or rapid inactivation. Both pollutants are successfully removed using free and immobilised laccase. The highest removal efficiencies are 18 % for BPA and 92 % for EE2 using free laccase. Maximum removal efficiencies reach 36 % for BPA and 46 % for EE2 using immobilised laccase in batch conditions. Kinetic modelling shows that free laccase achieves higher reaction rates but is also more subject to inactivation, particularly at high BPA concentration. In contrast, immobilised laccase is less efficient but more stable over time, which may be beneficial for long-term applications. Laccase-coated membrane is successfully used in a continuous flow system for EE2 removal, showing the feasibility of such biocatalytic setups for real-world situation. This work demonstrates the potential of synthesising active enzymatic membranes for the removal of EDCs and contributes to understanding how immobilisation affects enzyme performance. Future research should include identifying degradation products, toxicity assessment and exploring alternative more durable membrane materials.