Application of Microbial Enzymes: Biodegradation of Paper and Pulp Waste

Abstract

The paper and pulp industry is the sixth largest polluting industry (after oil, cement, leather, textile, and steel industries) releasing a range of gaseous, liquid, and solid wastes into the environment. The paper and pulp industry processes huge numbers of chemicals in pulping, bleaching, and deinking of waste paper. Several pollutants are released as effluent due to the utilization of several chemicals. The paper and pulp industry is associated with pollution-related to high BOD, COD, toxicity, AOX, suspended solids, lignin, and its derivatives and chlorinated compounds. Several of the pollutants are naturally occurring wood extractives like tannins, resin acids, stableness, and lignin. It is well-recognized that many contaminants are acute or even chronic toxins. Chlorinated organic compounds like dioxins and furans can bring genetic changes in exposed organisms. This has resulted in a growing concern about the potential adverse effects of genotoxicants on aquatic biota and public health through the contamination of drinking water supplies, fun water, or edible organic species. Although biotechnological approaches are used to remove COD, BOD, color, etc. from paper and pulp effluents. Various microorganisms or enzymes like cellulases, xylanases, and lignin-degrading enzymes have been used as cost-effective and eco-friendly technology to reduce the utilization of chemicals and reduce waste material. Enzymes producing microbial strains, Streptomyces, Nocardia, Nocardiopsis, Thermobifidafusca, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Coprinuscinereus Bacillus spp., and Arthromycesramosus, etc., have been concerned to degrade the xenobiotic compounds in paper and pulp effluent.KeywordsPaper and pulpBODCODGenotoxicantsLigninCellulaseXylanase