KINETICS OF HORSERADISH PEROXIDASE-CATALYZED POLYMERIZATION AND PRECIPITATION OF AQUEOUS 4-CHLOROPHENOL

Hydrogen-peroxide oxidoreductase (EC 1.11.1.7) from horseradishes catalyzes the polymerization and precipitation of aromatic compounds from aqueous solutions in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. This process has demonstrated good potential as a technique for the removal of toxic contaminants from wastewaters. Steady-state, fully transient and pseudo-steady-state models of the horseradish peroxidase system have been developed to assist in the understanding of the dominant mechanisms of inactivation and to aid in the selection and design of an appropriate reactor system. Model validation was performed by comparing model predictions with experimental observations of the polymerization and precipitation of 4-chlorophenol. Good agreement was found between experimental data and predictions of the fully transient and pseudo-steady-state models. The pseudo-steady-state model has the advantage of reduced complexity with a corresponding reduction in computation time required to solve model equations while maintaining the predictive ability of the fully transient model.