Biochar as an Enzyme Immobilization Support and Its Application for Dye Degradation

Wastewaters generated by the textile industry often contain significant amounts of harmful (carcinogenic and mutagenic) cationic dyes, whose efficient removal is of crucial importance. This study investigates the laccase immobilization on biochar obtained from sour cherry stones (SCS-B), as a cost effective adsorbent, and evaluates its application for brilliant green (BG) degradation. The successful immobilization of laccase on biochar was achieved via adsorption and confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). An immobilization efficiency of 66% was achieved using 0.274 U/mL of laccase at pH 5 and a temperature of 40 degrees C. The adsorption kinetics of laccase followed a pseudo-second-order model, indicating that chemical adsorption plays a significant role in the immobilization process. The BG degradation by immobilized system was further optimized by evaluating effects of pH, temperature, dye concentration, and contact time. More than 92% of BG (50 mg/L) was removed within 4 h at pH 5 and temperature of 30 degrees C. These findings suggest that SCS-B can effectively be used as an enzyme carrier and be further utilized for the removal of emerging pollutants, positioning it as a sustainable solution for wastewater treatment.