Enzyme mediated hydrolysis of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) : A short review

Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur,

Howrah-711 103, West Bengal, India

E-mail : cbiswabandhu@yahoo.com, debabrata@civil.iiests.ac.in

Manuscript received 15 December 2017, accepted 26 February 2018

One of the major advancements in the field of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) techniques is the introduction of enzymatic hydrolysis in the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. The hydrolysis step in AD has always been rate-limiting irrespective of the nature of the waste stabilized. It has been observed from several past studies that application of various enzymes during the AD of complex substrates, present in the generated solid organic waste leads to a substantial enhancement of the rate-limiting hydrolytic phase. The present review gives a brief insight on the different aspects of enzymatic hydrolysis such as, its scope, the factors affecting its rate, pre-treatment techniques involved prior to its application, and its brief mechanism. Not only that, a detailed description about the various biological, physical and chemical parameters influencing the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass has been given. In addition, various past experiences of enzymatic hydrolysis have been discussed at length. Lastly, the future scope of enzymatic hydrolysis in the field of AD, pertaining to stabilization of solid organic waste, has been also discussed.