INVESTIGATION OF A BIOREMEDIDATION PROCESS BASED ON NOVEL IMMOBILIZED ENZYMES

IN RESPONSE TO THE NSF'S CALL FOR INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING APPROACHES TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT, WE PROPOSE A NEW BIOREMEDIATION PROCESS THAT RELIES ON ENZYMES THAT CATALYZE DEGRADATION OF POLLUTANTS, IMMOBILIZED IN A NOVEL MEDIUM. THE PROCESS WOULD BE DESIGNED TO PRETREAT MANY OF THE SAME WASTEWATERS NOW TREATED BY ACTIVATED SLUDGE. THE COMBINED PROCESS WOULD REQUIRE ONLY A FRACTION OF THE SPACE NEEDED FOR ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESSES BECAUSE THE REACTOR VESSELS ARE MUCH SMALLER AND BECAUSE NO BIOMASS IS GENERATED BY THE IMMOBILIZED-ENZYME SYSTEM. THE NEW PROCESS WOULD ALSO WORK MUCH FASTER (IN DAYS RATHER THAN WEEKS) AND BE FAR LESS SENSITIVE TO SUDDEN CHANGES IN TOXIN CONCENTRATION. KEY TO THE NEW PROCESS IS DEVELOPING THE MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES THAT WILL PERMIT IMMOBILIZATION OF THE ENZYMES INTHE NOVEL MEDIUM WITHOUT DESTROYING ENZYME ACTIVITY. IN PHASE I WE WILL ESTABLISH FEASIBILITY BY DEMONSTRATING THAT ENZYMES INDEED REMAIN ACTIVE AFTER BEING IMMOBILIZED IN THE MEDIUM AND THAT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE IMMOBILIZED ENZYMES INDICATES AN ECONOMICAL PROCESS IS POSSIBLE. IN PHASE II WE WOULD SELECT TWO OR MORE POLLUTANTS FOR WHICH TO DESIGN ADEMONSTRATION UNIT THAT WOULD PROVIDE DATA FOR MORE REFINED ECONOMIC ANALYSES WITH WHICH TO APPROACH A COMMERCIALIZATIONPARTNER.