L-threonine has the following potential applications in the field of environmental protection:
Sewage Treatment: L-threonine can serve as a nutrient for microorganisms and is used to strengthen the biological treatment stage in the sewage treatment process. Adding an appropriate amount of it to sewage treatment processes such as the activated sludge process can promote the growth and metabolism of microorganisms, and enhance the ability of microorganisms to remove pollutants such as organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus in sewage. For example, some microorganisms with the functions of nitrogen and phosphorus removal have a certain demand for L-threonine during their growth process. Supplementing L-threonine can enhance the activity of these microorganisms, thereby more effectively removing nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients in sewage and preventing eutrophication of water bodies.
Soil Remediation: L-threonine can be used as a soil conditioner for remediating contaminated soil. It can undergo complexation reactions with heavy metal ions in the soil to form stable complexes, thereby reducing the bioavailability and mobility of heavy metal ions and decreasing the toxicity of heavy metals to the soil ecosystem and plants. L-threonine can also promote the growth and reproduction of beneficial microorganisms in the soil, improve the soil structure and fertility, and enhance the self-purification and remediation capabilities of the soil. For instance, adding an appropriate amount of it to cadmium-contaminated soil can make cadmium ions in the soil form complexes that are difficult to be absorbed by plants, thus reducing the absorption and accumulation of cadmium by plants and achieving the goal of soil remediation.
Biomass Fuel Production: L-threonine can be used as a fermentation raw material for the production of biomass fuels. Some microorganisms can utilize it for fermentation to produce biomass fuels such as ethanol and butanol. Compared with traditional fossil fuels, biomass fuels have the advantages of being renewable and environmentally friendly. Using L-threonine to produce biomass fuels can reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions, which is of great significance for environmental protection. For example, certain yeasts can use L-threonine as a nitrogen source and a carbon source to produce ethanol during the fermentation process, providing a new approach for the production of biomass fuels.
Air Pollution Control: L-threonine can be used to prepare some materials with adsorption and catalytic properties for air pollution control. For example, by compounding it with materials such as certain metal oxides or activated carbon, composite materials with good adsorption and catalytic degradation properties for air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can be prepared. These composite materials can be used in fields such as industrial waste gas treatment and automotive exhaust purification to effectively remove pollutants in the atmosphere and reduce air pollution.