Use of plant material for the decontamination of water polluted with phenols.

Plant materials were found useful in the decontamination water polluted with phenolic contained in the plant tissue. The enzymes mediated oxidative coupling of the pollutants, followed by precipitation of the formed polymers from the aqueous phase. An industrial wastewater contaminated with 2,4-dichlorophenol (up to 850 ppm) and other chlorinated phenols was successfully treated using minced horseradish, potato, or white radish (amended with H(2)O(2)). Horseradish-mediated removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol from model solutions was comparable with that achieved using purified horseradish peroxidase. In addition, horseradish could be reused up to 30 times. Due to the apparent ease of application, the use of plat material may present a breakthrough in the enzyme treatment of contaminated water.