Abstract Purpose Trace organic compounds (TrOCs) are ubiquitous micropollutants present in surface water, groundwater, and wastewater. Due to their persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and biological activity, even trace concentrations may threaten ecosystems and human health. Conventional wastewater treatment often fails to achieve complete removal, prompting the development of sustainable alternatives. This review summarizes recent advances in TrOC removal using free and immobilized enzymes, focusing on oxidoreductases (laccases and peroxidases) and selected hydrolases. Recent Findings Recent studies demonstrate the high efficiency of enzyme-based systems for degrading pharmaceuticals, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and endocrine-disrupting compounds in both model solutions and real wastewater. Key mechanisms include redox mediation, adsorption–biocatalysis coupling, and immobilization-enhanced enzyme stability, reusability, and inhibitor resistance. Advanced systems such as enzymatic membrane reactors, hybrid catalytic platforms, and multifunctional supports integrating adsorption and electron transfer enhancement show particularly strong performance. Laccase- and hydrolase-based systems achieve 95–99% removal of pharmaceuticals including acetaminophen, diclofenac, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim. Pesticide degradation reaches 84–98%, depending on immobilization strategy and reactor design. For PAHs, immobilized oxidoreductases integrated with nanostructured supports achieve >95% removal of pyrene, naphthalene, and phenanthrene. Summary Enzymatic treatment systems represent a highly promising and sustainable approach for TrOC remediation due to their catalytic selectivity and environmental compatibility. Advances in immobilization and hybrid process integration significantly enhance performance and practical applicability. However, challenges related to operational stability, scale-up, and economic feasibility remain. Further development of robust multifunctional biocatalytic systems will be essential for translating enzymatic TrOC removal technologies into full-scale environmental applications.
Jakub Zdarta (Fri,) studied this question.