Occurrence Of Emerging Pollutants Research Articles

Biodegradation of environmental pollutants using catalase-based biocatalytic systems

The synergistic combination of biocatalysts and nanomaterials provides a new interface of a robust biocatalytic system that can effectively remediate environmental pollutants. Enzymes, such as catalase-based constructs, impart the desired candidature for catalytic transformation processes and are potential alternatives to replace conventional remediation strategies that have become laborious and somewhat inefficient. Furthermore, the controlled or uncontrolled discharge of various emerging pollutants (EPs) into water bodies is equally proportional to the fast-growing population and extensive urbanization. EPs affect the entire living being and continuously deteriorate the environmental system, directly or indirectly. The occurrence of EPs (even released after partial treatments, but still in bioactive forms) disturbs ecological integrity. Due to the ineffectiveness of in-practice traditional remediation processes, new and robust treatment measures as effective and sustainable remediation have become a meaningful goal. In this context, special attention has been shifted to engineering an enzyme (catalase)-based biodegradation system with immense prospects in environmental cleanup. The unique synergistic combination of nanomaterials (having multifunctional attributes) with enzymes of interest makes them a state-of-the-art interface that can further ameliorate bio-catalysis and biodegradation performance. This review covers current research and scientific advancement in developing and deploying catalase-based biocatalytic systems to mitigate several EPs from the environment matrices. The biocatalytic features of catalase, along with the mechanistic insight into H2O2 neutralization, several nano-based materials loaded with catalase, including nanoparticles (NPs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), polymeric-based composites, oxime-functionalized cryo-gel disks, electro-spun nanofibrous membranes, and other hybrid materials have also been discussed with suitable examples.

Occurrence of Emerging Pollutants in Skudai River in Johor Bahru Region of Malaysia

Increase in landuse development and human activities have significant influence on the occurrence of emerging pollutants (EPs) in water bodies such as rivers. As rivers are the main source of water supply in Malaysia, a study was conducted to determine the occurrence of EPs in one of the drinking water sources, namely Skudai River. Samples were collected five times at eight sampling points from the upstream up to the water intake of the river. Sample pre-treatment was performed by solid-phase extraction (SPE), whereas the analyses of the EPs were performed by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LCMS-MS QTOF). Results showed that about 50 compounds were detected and fall into categorise as pharmaceuticals, Personal Care Products (PCPs), and Endocrine Disrupting Chemical (EDC). The most prevalent (75-100%) compounds detected were of these categories, whereas the least (less than 40%) were mainly pharmaceuticals. The concentration of styrene, a health-hazards EPs ranged from 45.11 to 203.48 µg/L with increasing trend towards downstream of the river. Based on the landuse data of Skudai River Basin, the study concluded that human activity, landuse, and environmental factors could possibly contribute to the presence of the EPs in the river.