2.3. Cost
Enzymes are valuable industrial biocatalysts that have been applied in a wide range of processing and manufacturing industries
[147][40]. The global market for industrial enzymes is projected to climb to USD 7 billion by 2023, from approximately USD 5.5 billion in 2018, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.9%
[148][41]. This could be because industrial enzymes are considered a significant alternative to conventional chemical catalysts due to the attractive advantages they offer, including their accessibility from renewable resources, substrate and product stereochemistry selectivity, and fewer subsidiary reactions, and thus fewer waste byproducts. In addition, industrial enzymes show better catalytic efficiency than normally applied catalysts under mild pH and temperature conditions
[147,149][40][42]. To date, there is limited economic analysis of enzyme-based biocatalysts, and thus, the cost-effectiveness of enzymes continues to be an intensively debated topic in industrial applications, particularly due to the harsh conditions that normally occur, namely, high pressures and temperatures, low and high pH, and oxidative environments. These conditions can easily inactivate enzymes; therefore, it is necessary to enhance the performance of these biocatalysts under the required operational conditions by improving their stability. This will increase the cost-effectiveness of their industrial implementation
[83,147][25][40]. Improvements can be made using genetic engineering and recombinant DNA or immobilization technologies. In considering these technologies, it is essential to understand the overall cost and sustainability of each technique, which can be done through life cycle assessments (LCAs). Taking into consideration the chemical inputs, energy consumption, and harmful outputs, LCAs evaluate the net environmental impact of all the steps in the industrial process. Technoeconomic analysis can be used in combination with LCAs to assess the ability to apply biocatalytic techniques in large-scale processes
[150,151,152][43][44][45].
2.4. Scaling-Up and Bioreactors
A bioreactor refers to a system that supports a biological process where a biochemical substance (enzymes, bacteria, etc.) are used. Different bioreactors have been employed for multiple applications, including the elimination of pollutants. When designing a bioreactor, two things must be considered. First, substantial research must be carried out on the biological system being used. Second, it is important to recognize the different parameters that need to be controlled, such as capital costs, installation and maintenance costs, stability, and scale-up
[28,157][46][47].
The idea of enzyme immobilization reactors is based on the immobilization of the enzyme into a support ionic interaction or covalent bonds. There are several criteria to address before constructing an enzyme bioreactor. The catalytic activity of the enzyme should be at the highest possible level in regard to the units of enzyme per gram of support. Additionally, the membrane or the support used should have a second purpose. For example, it could be used to separate products and substrates. The material should be inert and have no interaction with the products and substrates, and it should provide excellent mechanical resistance. It is important to decide when the immobilized enzyme will be replaced after multiple reaction cycles. This is an important decision because it will affect the cost of production. Usually, enzymes in industrial applications will be replaced when they reach 50 to 10% of their original activity. Another essential criterion is the reaction temperature because temperature has a large impact on kinetics. Typically, immobilized enzymes have better stability over a larger range of temperatures. Last, the process needs to be simple, easy, and inexpensive
[158,159][48][49]. Three main types of bioreactors can be scaled-up for enzyme immobilization on an industry-level: fixed bed reactors or packed column reactors, fluidized bed reactors, and stirred tank reactors.
Figure 73 illustrates these three different bioreactors. Choosing the best option for industrial application, such as water remediation and the removal of harmful toxic emerging pollutants, will depend on the reaction kinetics and the type of support used
[159][49].
Figure 73. Some of the commonly used types of bioreactors: (
A) fixed bed bioreactors, (
B) fluidized bed bioreactors, and (
C) stirred tank bioreactors.
3. Conclusions
Although promising, enzyme-based remediation approaches have many major challenges that still need to be addressed. Recent progress focusing on oxidoreductases to make enzymatic wastewater treatment processes and their applications were discussed and summarized. Efficient immobilization of enzymes can circumvent some of these challenges by enhancing the stability of many enzymes and increasing the operational pH and temperature ranges. Nevertheless, there remains a need for additional research to develop new and/or hybrid materials that can address some of the drawbacks associated with currently available supports. In addition, there is still a large gap between lab level work, field research, and the scaling-up/bioreactor application for these enzymes. Future research should focus more on the real-life application of using enzymes in existing wastewater treatment plants.