Possible uses of soybean hulls and their derivatives in wastewater treatment

Beyond the consolidated advanced oxidation processes aimed to the removal of wastewaters pollutants, alternative and eco-sustainable technologies as enzymatic treatments have been investigated in the last years. In this context, the employment of the enzyme soybean peroxidase (SBP) can be a possible answer to the demanding water depuration necessities. SBP is extracted from soybean hulls, which represent the residue of soybean crushing. However, some problems related to the costs of SBP extraction and eventual inactivation have to be overcome for the use in a real scale. Herein, the exploitation of SBP for water pollutants degradation and the further re- utilization of the mashed hulls after the enzymatic extraction as adsorbent materials are described. In this way, soybean hulls can be entirely revalorized, in a viewpoint of circular economy.