Phenols are pollutants contained in various industrial wastewaters such as waste from petroleum refineries, resin manufacturing plants, and coal processing factories. It has been found that these phenols can be removed by enzyme- catalyzed polymerization using horseradish peroxidase which has little substrate specificity. The phenols are oxidized to phenoxy radicals which undergo further reactions yielding various polymers and oligomers that are less toxic. These products can be removed from water easily since they have low solubility properties in water. (Yu et al., 1994) From a two-hour reaction involving HRP, H2O2, and Phenol, five stable dimeric products and one stable trimeric product were obtained:
Further oxidation of these dimers by HRP with H2O2 yields dimeric radicals that couple with each other to form trimers, tetramers, and longer polymers.(Yu et al., 1994)
Other peroxidase uses have also been discovered. Peroxidase is widely used as an indicator (http://www.tienzyme.com/). It has been found that the enzyme is well-suited for the preparation of enzyme conjugated anti- bodies (labeling of anti-bodies) since it is able to produce chromogenic products. Immuno-globins that are peroxidase- labeled, for example, have been used as immuno-histological probes for the demonstration of tissue antigens.
Peroxidase can also replace a number of harsh chemicals, eliminating harsh reaction conditions. Some studies have shown that it could be a potential replacement for carcinogenic formaldehyde in glues and varnishes. In Europe, peroxidase has started to replace potassium bromate in bread-making and dough conditioning. Some companies are even investigating the use of peroxidase in manufacturing adhesives, computer chips, car parts, and linings of drums and cans(http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/9605.Vierling.html).